Does the Holt wrestling team have staying power?
That’s the question the Indians will be faced with this year. After winning back-to-back Class 3 team championships in 2007 and 2008, Holt has competed admirably in Class 4 the last two years, finishing fourth and fifth respectively in the team standings.
But this year will be different. The Indians graduated five key seniors, all of whom contributed to Holt’s great four-year run. Notables from that departing group include standouts Greg Amos (140 pounds) and Cullen Halpin (145), who finished second overall in their respective weight class last year, and last season’s 215-pound champion, Andrew Lazalier.
“Holt High School had a tremendous wrestling history even before I came around,” Holt coach Jason Moore said. “It’s something you can point to on the wall and talk to the kids about the success people who have walked those halls have had. Our guys are striving to continue that tradition and be a part of it themselves.”
The Indians return three state qualifiers — sophomore Clayton Ream and seniors Tim Younger and Brett Beckmann.
Ream took third at 103 last year as a freshman and is off to an 8-0 start this year as a 125-pounder. Younger, who finished sixth last year at 112, is currently battling an ankle sprain and won’t be rushed back into the starting lineup anytime soon.
“We want to make sure he heals well because his goal is to be a state champion this year,” Moore said. “That’s what he set his eyes on since he began wrestling.”
Freshman Lawton Benna is off to an 8-1 start at 103, and junior Justin Scott is improving as a 112-pounder.
Sophomores Erik Erdman and Brandon Dimicelli are pushing each other for a spot at 119, and juniors Josh Dalton (135) and Mike Stein (140) are competing in their first full season as a varsity wrestlers.
Beckman is currently wrestling up one class after qualifying for state at 135 last year, and sophomores Zack Wagster (152) and Cody Turpin (160) are also making the transition to the varsity level.
It took some convincing on Moore’s part, but seniors Luke Weatherred (171), Joe Cassara (189) and Jacob Henderson (215) are all back after deciding not to wrestle as juniors.
“It can be tough on kids when they’re juniors, because if you’re not in a starting position it can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” Moore said. “We lost some kids for their junior year but I went and talked to them and we had discussions about wrestling, what it can do for them and the lessons they can learn from it.”
Currently battling injuries, Gaige Dunnerman expects to return to the lineup within the next few weeks while junior Montana Hohensee fills Lazalier’s large shoes at heavyweight.
The Indians are 1-1 in dual matches so far this season. They beat Francis Howell North 33-32 on Dec. 1 and lost 53-21 to Howell Central on Thursday.
