Junior Arlington High School wrestler Jake Flesner earned a 7-1 decision Nov. 26 during the Eagles' preseason scrimmage.
“I felt strong,” the 120-pounder said. “Felt pretty quick, but I definitely can sharpen some things up.”
The AHS boys wrestling team wasn't at 100 percent health-wise, but it was still enthusiastically preparing for today's season-opening tournament at Columbus Lakeview. Both boys and girls start competition at 12:30 p.m.
“The guys that are still wrestling are putting in the work in the practice room,” Arlington boys coach Doug Hart said last week. “The guys that are injured are still showing up. If their lower body is injured, they're working upper body and vice-versa.”
Overall, he couldn't complain about the Eagles' start to the 2024-25 season.
“The intensity has been pretty great for the first couple of weeks of practice,” Hart said.
Flesner feels his team is taking the right approach.
“We have a saying in our practice,” he explained. “We say 'practice makes permanent.'”
When the wrestler looks around, he's finding what he wants to.
“I see a lot of hard-working guys,” Flesner said. “Everybody's motivated. Everyone's pumped up coming into this season.”
Another veteran of the wrestling room, Cameron Hancock, believes Arlington's taking the right approach, too.
“I think a lot of people will go to state this year,” he said. “And we might be able to make state duals.”
Hart, though, wants his team to just be tough first as it takes on its challenges.
The injured Braxton Soll is the Eagles' only returning state qualifier from last season, but Zane Gerrish, Stokely Lewis, Flesner, Ben Flesner, Hancock, Tate Johannes, Tanner Kyllo, Brodie Wilkins and Haydn Hegemann are back after competing at a varsity level, too.
Jake Flesner, meanwhile, qualified for state as a freshman, but not as a sophomore. He wants to get back to Omaha and the CHI Health Center arena.
“That's my main goal,” the junior said. “To get back to CHI.”
He believes he's capable of topping just a qualification, though. He wants a medal, too.
“I know my skills,” Flesner noted. “I know what I'm capable of, so I think I can do it.”
Hart said Hancock and Gerrish are among the AHS wrestlers who've come the furthest in their careers. Gerrish is in his second-ever wrestling year at heavyweight, while Hancock plans to wrestle at 132 pounds this winter.
“My confidence has been way better,” the latter said Nov. 26.
It's taken focused effort.
“In practice, I just train way better than I used to,” Hancock said. “I try to be more fast and train harder.”
That's a general characteristic of Hart's returners. They're working hart alongside assistant coaches Taylor May, Hunter McNulty and Jake Miller, but so, too, are some newcomers. Cameron Wirsen, Tanner Meyer and Tucker Jorgensen were among those mentioned Nov. 26.
“They're pretty hungry and eager to find some success this year,” Hart said of his entire team.
After today's Lakeview stop, the Eagles next compete Dec. 12 at a Fort Calhoun triangular.
