Demons not letting up for 2016

There?s a lot to feel good about around the Washington wrestling room during this winter break.

The Demon wrestlers have started off the season with a perfect 17-0 record in duals (2-0 in conference duals) and picked up a tournament victory at the Mediapolis invitational in the 2015 portion of the schedule, but they aren?t ready to celebrate their season just yet.

With one full month left before the postseason duals and tournaments get under way, Demon senior Bryce Rickey said the team recognizes that they have a lot left before the rewards come to them.

?We just need to keep at it,? Rickey said. ?As soon as you get comfortable is when we get beat. I?ve never been in a room with so many kids that work hard and don?t complain. We just need to work hard and keep beating the teams we are supposed to beat.?

Rickey is one of two seniors in the Demons? varsity lineup, wrestling primarily at 170 pounds, and has posted a 12-5 record so far this season.

Fellow senior Michael Ellingson (17-3, 145 pounds) said being a senior has helped motivate him to put everything he can into this season.

?It?s my last year, so I?ve been working all through summer,? Ellingson said. ?It?s my last (opportunity), so I can?t leave anything to chance. I?m trying to do my best this year, and it?s gone well, but we have a ways to go.?

Both seniors have aspirations of seeing the Demons make it to the state duals in mid-February, along with achieving the individual goal of qualifying for the state tournament in Des Moines on the following weekend.

With both goals in mind, they have taken it upon themselves to help lead the team by example.

?In practice, when it gets toward the end, some people get a little weak mentally,? Rickey said. ?It?s up to Michael and me to step in and tell people to finish practice. When matches get tough, we can?t give up, because that sets a bad example for them. We have to keep working hard.?

Behind the pair of seniors are eight Demons who have claimed at least 17 wins this season, with juniors Austin Hazelett (18-1), Kyle Anderson (17-2), and Karlton Skubal and freshmen Garret Ikerd (18-2), Walker Ikerd (18-2), and Tristan Westphal-Edwards (18-2) joining Ellingson with strong season starts.

Leading all of them is Trey Van Weelden, who has wrestled primarily at 152 pounds (up from 138 a season ago), and posted a perfect 20-0 record.

?He doesn?t give up a lot of points,? Washington head coach Brent Van Weelden said about Trey?s season so far. ?If you look at the matches that have gone the distance, it?s been 9-0, 6-1 or 6-0, or something like that. He?s tough to score on and he needs to keep working because his competition level is going to multiply several times off the bat. He has a style that works for him.?

As for the youth on the team, the three freshmen mentioned earlier along with fellow freshman Cade Pohren (13-3) and David Hora (16-4) have all made big impacts in the Demon lineup throughout the early portion of the year.

This success from the youth has not surprised the Demon head coach, as he praised the development programs preparing them for high school wrestling.

?It?s not shocking that they are doing what they are doing,? Van Weelden said. ?With our youth program, every kid on this team I?ve seen since they were 5 years old. I knew exactly what was coming through the youth program and most of these kids have gone through the program. I?ve watched them progress and these programs are doing what they are supposed to do.?

As the Demons prepare for a tough stretch, which will see them wrestle five duals and two tournaments in 10 days, they know they will need to stay prepared.

?We have a meet just about every other day,? Rickey said. ?We have to stay healthy and energized, because we?ll go Thursday-Saturday-Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday. That will be tough.?

With the early success the Demons have had, Van Weelden said he is hopeful his team is able to resist the urge to become content and complacent in the second half of the season.

?There is a concern (about complacency),? Van Weelden said. ?We are going to find out right away if we are being complacent because the Highland tournament is tough and Fort Madison is going to be a good dual for us. We were a little rusty (on Tuesday) coming back from break, but we?ll see how they respond. Complacency is always something to worry about.?

As the Demons prepare for a busy week and a half to open up the 2016 portion of the schedule, Ellingson said the team is focused and prepared.

?We are feeling pretty good right now,? Ellingson said. ?Yeah, we only have two seniors on the (varsity roster), but all the upperclassmen have really stepped up. Even the freshmen in the lineup have pulled their weight. We feel good about this, but we have plenty more to come.?

Washington will open the second half of the season on Thursday, Jan. 7, when they host Fort Madison in a dual.