Title time for Utah wrestlers

The number is so astronomical it borders on the absurd. With 14 weight classes, and a maximum of two wrestlers in each, 28 wrestlers enter the region and classification tournaments with a chance to qualify for the state wrestling tournament.

Millard qualified 27 athletes for the tournament, which gets under way Wednesday at UVSC's McKay Events Center with 4A and 5A competition.

"Our guys just really stepped up to the challenge and wrestled about as well as they possibly could have," said Eagles coach Blake Turner. "We had everyone on the team competing at their highest level, and we were proud of the way they performed."

There are several other numbers that are scary for the 2A competition hoping to knock off the two-time defending champions from the school in Fillmore. Two straight, six out of seven, and eight out of 10, that is the number of team championships the school has won in the last decade, the most titles for any school during that span. The next number that should send shivers up the spines for all of 2A is four. Out of those 27 wrestlers, only four are seniors, meaning the dominance isn't likely to stop anytime soon. If ever there was a year for a letdown, it was this season.

"We graduated 15 seniors from last season's championship team," said Turner. "I wasn't sure what to expect this season, but the four seniors have really stepped up as leaders and everyone else on the team has worked hard to get where we are."

Of the four seniors on the squad, two were known commodities. Mason Stott is a two-time defending champion, while Quincy Thatcher won a title last year, but Zach Wilcox and Matt Edwards didn't even wrestle last season after sitting out with injuries and have come in to help lead.

"I am proud of how those guys have filled in," added Turner. "They came in and provided great direction and leadership for us."

Millard has a student body of only 230, yet there are 45 members on the wrestling team. In other words, the sport is important to the people of Millard County.

"The whole community supports it," Turner said. "They all expect the boys to be participating in something with the school, and that kind of support helps carry us.

"At the same time, there is a little bit of pressure to win," continued Turner. "The kids on the team don't want to be the ones to let down the tradition. There is a running joke for me as the coach that if we don't win the title, I might wake up and see 'For Sale' signs in my front lawn."

The coach can probably relax. With the sheer numbers, and the quality of wrestlers Millard has getting ready to compete in the tournament, it would take a large miracle for the Eagles to not defend their crown. South Summit, Juab and North Sevier should compete for second.