Coach optimistic for veteran wrestling team

The Saratoga Wrestling team saw a solid season in 2014–15, and wrestling head coach Jared Mason is looking forward to an even more improved year. With five wrestlers as state placers last year and four of them returning, Mason expects an exciting season with the team of seven.

“We haven’t had an individual state champ in a while and hopefully we’ll get one this year, and I think it could happen,” Mason said.

Right now, the team is working on basics and conditioning, drilling to get back up to competitive shape. The upperclassmen are helping the younger wrestlers, and Mason says the whole team is working hard.

Mason anticipates the previous state placers to be very competitive this year, as well as the three returning seniors, Bradley Bifano, Thatcher Spiering and Daynon Mowry. Mowry and Spiering were both state placers last year, and Mason is sure that Bifano was completely capable of doing so, but suffered an injury and could not finish the season.

Bifano is coming to this season with over 90 wins. “There’s not a lot of kids that get 100 wins in a career, so … Bradley’s going to be very competitive this year.”

Thomas Ingraham is another returning state placer as a junior, and Mason expects him to be competitive at all events this season. Finally, Jaxon King, a sophomore, placed at state as a freshman last year. “They should be competitive at every tournament,” Mason said, adding that they all have the goal of placing at state. Freshmen Tristan Gray and Trezdon Martinez are raw and young, Mason said, “But they’ve been good so far. They’ve been listening, they’ve been trying.”

Although the team has plenty of qualified wrestlers, Mason said that there is not one member that cannot work on stance, basic shots, basic breakdowns and basic pinning combinations. According to Mason, when these skills are mastered, the wrestlers will be able to apply them to anyone.

Additionally, depending on the skill level of the competitor, some more advanced techniques will be introduced and mastered.

“There’s no better way to get a feel for your sport than actually doing it,” Mason continued, which is why the team will start practicing live wrestling this week in order to see how things work on the mat.

This weekend, the team will head up to Powell for the first time, and Mason is preparing for the 3A and 4A competition. “It’s a tough one to start,” Mason said. In order to prepare, the team has been practicing set ups, hand fighting and footwork in order to keep up with the way that wrestling has evolved. “If you’re not good on your feet, you’re probably not going to be in the match,” Mason added.

The team travels to Powell for their first invite Friday and Saturday.

 

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