Bulldogs win Districts

INDEPENDENCE—- The success continues for the Hampton-Dumont-CAL Bulldogs boys wrestling team as the team took the Class 2A District 5 championship on Feb. 10. after taking first place out of eight teams with a score of 183.5 points. It was a close one but the Bulldogs were able to hang on to win as second place team Independence finished with 181.5 points.

Head Coach Patrick Hansen said that winning the district championship was a big deal for the team as he said he thinks the team has now won a district title since the mid 2000’s.

“We get to hang a banner in the gym and for the team it is great,” Hansen said. 

Hanging on for the first place finish by just a couple of points was a big deal Hansen said.

“Us and Independence are two top 10 teams and we knew we were in for one with them and we were down one heading into the wrestleback round and Independence lost both their wrestle backs and Cael Burmester won to secure it for us,” Hansen said. “The way we preserved in the end was a big deal and I liked it.”

The Bulldogs had five wrestlers qualify for state, Jayson Stevens took second place in the 113-lbs weight class, Charlie Showalter took second place in the 126-lbs weight class, Taylor Mahler finished in first place in the 157-lbs weight class, Cael Burmester took second place in the 190-lbs weight class,  and Carter Heilskov took first place in the 285-lbs weight class. Other finishes were led by Carter Janssen, whose place was unknown in the 106-lbs weight class, Will Varrelmann place was unknown in the 120-lbs weight class, Brody Strother took third place in the 132-lbs weight class, Jacob Mahler finished in third place in the 138-lbs weight class. Jaymes Stevens finished in fourth place in the 144-lbs weight class, Ryder Strother had an unknown place in the 150-lbs weight class, Colin Bird took fourth place in the 165-lbs weight class, Karter Janssen took fourth place in the 175-lbs weight class, and Maddon Evans took third place in the 215-lbs weight class.

Hansen said that he thinks the team should end the year in the top 10 and he said he thinks all the wrestlers who advanced to state have a chance to place there. Hansen also said that this season showed that the team can go out and beat tough teams.

“That has kind of been the statement of the entire season and that has been the level we hold ourselves to in wrestling,” Hansen said. “It will never be easy for us and that is ok for us we will go the hard way.”

The team will have plenty of wrestlers coming back next year as Hansen said that 10 of the varsity wrestlers are not seniors. Hansen said the returning wrestlers can take away the little things that can help them be successful from this year. 

“That’s big for us and we have a lot of youth coming back. We will have two state qualifiers coming back so just learning how to win and the little things we have preached all year,” Hansen said. “Like you have to finish your takedowns and you have to be prepared every second to wrestle. That might be the reason some of them are staying home because they did not take it super seriously the whole time. It wasn’t an effort issue or an attitude issue, our kids did a great job in that. But some of our younger guys have to learn that no one is going to come and give anything to you, you have to go out and take it.”