Preps are ready to grapple

It is that time of year when the hustle, jostling for position, trying to stay balanced and looking for the next big score are happening. No, not the shopping going on at the mall; the high school wrestling season is here. The grapplers have started with the big pre-Christmas tournaments, and already individuals and teams are working toward taking home a title come February. Here is what to expect this season as the wrestlers toe the line.

CLASS 5A

Is it the year that someone knocks off the three-time defending champions from Viewmont? Each year it seems there is a team that is expected to dethrone the Vikings, but each year that team fails and the Vikings remain on top.

They may not get the most individual champions, but the team as a whole steps up and gets the important points in the consolation bracket. Every wrestler finds the state tournament as the time to peak and win a match or two to pick up even a couple of points.

"We preach it with our team how important it is to improve all year and be wrestling your best at the end," said Viewmont coach Bart Thompson. "We seem to get points from pretty much every person we send to state, and it is those back-door points that have won us the title."

As in years past, Viewmont relies on its experienced wrestlers to lead the way. Nate Larsen is a returning individual champion and an unquestioned leader for the squad.

"He does whatever it takes to keep improving," Thompson said of the 112-pound grappler. "You would think that as a returning champion he may have come in a little complacent, but he has worked twice as hard in the offseason, and he is 100 percent better now than he was even when he ended last year. He is a hard worker and has all the intangibles in a wrestler that you just can't coach."

Along with Larsen, the Vikings have a good group that is expected to lead.

Jesse Farnsworth, Taira Abe, Casey Smoot, Travis Timothy and Stephen Platt are all capable of winning duals and moving along to place come region tournament time and at state.

While Viewmont remains the champion until someone knocks it off, Weber is the team that is favored to do just that. The Warriors return nearly most of the varsity wrestlers from last season, and that is saying plenty considering they were the runners-up to Viewmont and lost out by only 10.5 points.

"Weber is going to be very tough," said Thompson. "They have got to be the favorites with what they have returning."

The Warriors are led by three-time state champion Shay Warren who is looking to join an exclusive club in four-time champions, but along with Warren, Thompson said, "They really don't have any major holes. They are strong top-to- bottom."