Grapplers venturing to Louisburg for school’s inaugural tournament
The second half of the wrestling season begins Thursday for the Tonganoxie High wrestling squad.
The Chieftains head east to take on the Bobcats of Basehor-Linwood for a dual match.
Tonganoxie’s dual record is 4-3, with one of those wins coming against Basehor-Linwood in the season’s first tournament — the Kaw Valley League dual tournament.
“I’m just excited to get the second half of the season started,” THS coach Jeremy Goebel said. “The break, it was longer than normal due to school getting out earlier.”
The squad practiced last Thursday and Friday, as well as Monday and Tuesday.
“The kids are working real hard,” Goebel said. “We’re still kind of battling some illness and some kids are out of town, but overall, they were good practices. It’s good to get back on the mat and get back in the swing of things.”
Saturday, THS will compete in its first tournament of the new year when the Chieftains head to the Louisburg tournament. This is the first year for the invitational. Goebel said he wasn’t certain about which teams would be at the tournament. But he said it would include some Missouri schools, as well as Kansas squads.
“I think in time it will be a tough tournament,” Goebel said. “You take baby steps to try to make your tournament the best and a good one to have on our schedule.”
The tournament’s format will be a dual invitational, so teams will be guaranteed more matches than a regular tournament.
“It’s a good thing because it gives everybody a chance to get on the mat,” Goebel said. “Especially for our
guys in the varsity lineup. Sometimes you only get three matches. With this you usually get four to five matches. It’s a good way to get some quality mat time.
Matt Brock and Travis Adcox are Tonganoxie’s top wrestlers at the break. Both grapplers are 16-2 and are ranked in their classes on the state level, according to the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.
Regionals announced
Tonganoxie will compete Feb. 16 and 17 at a Class 4A regional in Holton.
Other teams competing with THS and Holton will be Atchison, Basehor-Linwood, Clay Center, Concordia, Hiawatha, Piper, Royal Valley, Bishop Ward, Marysville, Jeff West, Perry-Lecompton, Topeka-Hayden and Wamego.
The state tournament will be held Feb. 23 and 24 at the Salina Bicentennial Center.