PANORA — The situation is far from dire, but head coach Jason Kirtley will be leading a restricted Panorama wrestling team into the 2019-2020 season.
The Panthers visit Southeast Valley (Gowrie) tonight to kick start the campaign, and Kirtley admitted the team will leave as many as six of the 14 weight classes uncontested.
“Right now we have a bunch of guys are stacked up around a few weights,” he said. “That will eventually work itself out to some extent, but we will not have anyone wrestling at 106 or 113 (pounds) for sure, and maybe not at 120.”
Junior two-time state qualifier Wyatt Appleseth returns to the lineup. He was 39-5 last year and finished 1-2 at the state tourney after a 43-12 freshman year that saw him place eighth at 132.
Three-time district qualifier Emry Colby and district qualifiers Cooper Anderson and Logan Christe will also return to the mat, giving Kirtley some valuable experience in the lineup.
“We also have some seniors that are good athletes who could do some big things for us,” the coach said. “It may take us some time to get things sorted out, and that is going to require competition and guys making weight, but in the end I believe we will be pretty competitive.”
One change coming for the Panthers is a move up a class to 2A, a jump Kirtley said should be a positive.
“The western half of Iowa is very tough in 1A, probably more so than 2A, so I think we catch a bit of a break there,” the coach said. “We will have to see how it plays out, but I see this as a good thing for us.”
Kirtley said he expects Ryan Fees, James Hein and Cale Wirt to earn varsity spots.
“There are a lot of guys competing for slots, but it is always hard to point to each and every spot at the start of a season,” he said. “One thing is certain, and that is every guy will get his shot. If you prove you can do it, you are going to get that chance.”
