Gator wrestling to feature a youthful team
By: Ryan Bergeron
Returning from a section runner-up team finish, the Gator wrestling program lost 10 seniors from last year’s team-- including three state entrants in third place state finisher Nick Kaml, Cody Olson, and Ely Novacek. The team also lost five section place winners in Nash Sovde, Devin Dostal, and Isaak Isane, all past state entrants, and Trevor Undeberg and Ethan Novacek, full-time varsity starters last season. Collin Berard, a part-time varsity wrestler last season, and Tyler Allen also left the Gators to graduation. Considering the current Gator team has just three seniors-- Devin Pries, Seth Dostal, and Isaac Dostal-- the Gators will rely heavily on some underclassmen new and not new to the varsity mat in this 2016-17 season.
“We lost leadership and hard workers,” Coach Todd Bergeron said, starting his fourteenth season as Gator Head Wrestling Coach. “Anytime you lose a big group of seniors like that it’s always tough to replace, but we got some young kids that have been looking good in practice and I’m hoping they can step into their shoes.”
Coach Bergeron looks forward to some of these young wrestlers progression during the season.
“It’s not going to be easy,” Coach Bergeron said about this year’s young wrestlers. “I know there’s going to be times where they’re going to take some lumps, but it’s always fun to see those kids improve throughout the year. So, hopefully, we’ll have a young team that will just keep getting better and better as the season goes on.”
Here’s a weight-by-weight breakdown for this season’s Gators:
106: Eighth grader Garrett Undeberg appears to be taking this position. He is a first-year varsity wrestler, but comes into this season after having a “great” junior varsity season last year, Coach Bergeron said.
113: Coming off a winning varsity record of 11-10 last season, eighth grader Tony Olson will occupy this position.
120: Moving up a weight class, junior Bryce Bergeron will fill this position, coming off a 27-14 season and fourth place section finish, the second such finish for him in as many years.
126: Junior Austin Maurstad brings a little varsity experience into this season, and this year will fill this weight. Coach Bergeron said Maurstad seems determined, working hard thus far, and hopes good things happen for him this season.
132: A couple wrestlers will battle for this position throughout the season in sophomores Avery Augustson and Brandon Pries. Augustson will start at this position, returning from a varsity season where he finished 16-11 and placed third at the section tournament at 106 pounds, wrestling in a true-second match for the chance to go to state at that section tournament.
138: The Gators’ only returning state entrant, sophomore Owen Novacek will occupy this position. Beginning his third year as a varsity starter, Novacek had a “great” season last year, Coach Bergeron said, coming off a 31-12 record and section runner-up finish.
145: Returning varsity wrestler Andy Dostal, coming off an 8-13 season, and Kobe Dostal will have wrestled off for this position.
152: Ninth graders Dade Melby and Joe DeZelar will be battling at this position, both attempting to start their first career varsity seasons.
160: Sophomore Tyler Isane will return this season to fill this spot after posting an 11-18 record the previous season. Bergeron’s hoping Isane can build of off last season’s experience.
170: Senior leader Seth Dostal will occupy this position after posting a 16-12 record and finishing strong with a third place section finish last season.
182: Currently a couple young wrestlers, in freshman Jacob Bergsnev and sophomore Colby Wooten, will battle one another to begin their varsity careers at this position.
195: A returning varsity wrestler, eighth grader Dominik Vacura will start at this position, after posting a “great” seventh grade season. In that season, he posted a 19-13 record and finished fourth in the section. Coach Bergeron is looking for some positive things from Vacura this season.
220: Coach Bergeron said it appears Devin Pries will occupy this position, entering his third year as a varsity starter. A senior leader, Pries is coming off a 22-15 record and third place section finish-- his second such finish in as many years-- last season.
285: Three different wrestlers will battle for this position, including sophomore Derrick Corneliusen, senior Isaac Dostal, coming back out for wrestling this season, and freshman Zach Evans, having some varsity experience last season, finishing with a 4-2 record.
Overall the Gators have 28 wrestlers participating this season from seventh to twelfth grade. Besides Bergeron, others leading these young wrestlers include: Efrem Novacek, coaching since 1989, Brandon Olson, coaching since 2000, and a newcomer to the staff, Cody Olson, a 2008 Greenbush-Middle River graduate and former Gator wrestler who advanced to state twice in his high school wrestling career.
As far as defining a successful season for this year’s team, Bergeron said he views success as his wrestlers improving, no matter what level they may be starting at.
“I think if we just keep showing improvement and some of our kids that got near state tournaments last year, take the next step and advance to the state tournament, I think that’d be neat.”
The Gators were placed in the Lean and Mean Portion of the November 25, 2016 The Guillotine Class A Minnesota High School team rankings. In the section, the Gators will be battling for top team honors with the Frazee Hornets, ranked second, and the Park Rapids Area Panthers, ranked ninth in the state in those same Guillotine rankings.
“As a team, I’m hoping that we will be competitive in all matches and hopefully make a run at pushing for top honors in the section,” Coach Bergeron said.
Although his team may be young, they are working to improve so far in practice-- asking questions and being really receptive to learning.
“I’m actually pretty happy with the way the practices started,” Coach Bergeron said, “and I think we got a lot of kids that are eager to get better and are hungry to get an opportunity to succeed this year.”
The Gators will get that first opportunity on Thursday. December 1, when it hosts rival and fellow Section 8A team, the Roseau Rams from the Swamp. The Gators finish the week by traveling to Wadena for the annual Wadena-Deer Creek Invite on Saturday, December 3.
Copyright of The Tribune (Greenbush, Minn.)