Demons’ wrestling team to be tested

Although Washington High School started its wrestling season already with three dual wins at HLV Tuesday, the competition will be a little higher tonight at the home opener.

Davenport Assumption and Mediapolis will visit the Demons starting at 6 p.m. It is Senior/Parent recognition night.

'We have some special kids who are seniors this year,” Washington head coach Brent Van Weelden said. 'It's a great senior class.”

Washington has high hopes for the season under Van Weelden, who is in his 13th year at the helm of the Demons and 21st year as a head coach.

'We want to make state duals again,” Van Weelden said. 'It is going to take a lot of work and a lot of effort from the kids. We are nowhere near where we will need to be by the end of the year. That's good. I would hate to peak too early.”

Facing two perennial powers will give the Demons a gauge of where they are and where they need to get to.

'It is good to have these matches,” Van Weelden said. 'Assumption is a great program and a team we may face somewhere down the road, so it will be a good learning point for us and show us where we are at as a team.”

There have been some kids out sick, so the Demons will be short-handed.

'The great thing about wrestling is it has a place for any kid any size,” Van Weelden said.

Mediapolis has a long tradition of outstanding wrestlers under Hall of Fame coach Dan Cummings, who has retired. Jason Payne, who had an outstanding high school wrestling career at Columbus High School, starts his third year as the Mediapolis coach. Payne won two state individual titles and was a part of three team championships as a Wildcat. He went on to earn All-America honors at the University of Northern Iowa.

Mediapolis has a couple of wrestlers ranked in Class 1A by The Predicament with Quinten Aney 10th at 106 and Caleb Lalonde ninth at 152.

'They were tough a few years ago,” Van Weelden said of the Bulldogs. 'They still have some good kids.”

Davenport Assumption is ranked 10th as a team in Class 2A by The Predicament. Four wrestlers on the team have been ranked in the top 10 in their respective weight class. Jacob Feldman is 10th at 132 pounds, Kole Kreinbring is fifth at 182, Julien Broderson is first at 195 and Seth Adrian is 10th at 220.

Jon Terronez is starting his first year as the head wrestling coach at Assumption High School. Terronez has been with the Knights wrestling team this past season as an assistant coach.

From Moline, Terronez was the assistant coach at Moline High School from 2012 to 2017 with the wrestling team. A graduate of Buena Vista University, he was a varsity wrestler and team captain under Hall of Fame coach Mark Schwab.

'We have a lot of guys who have a chance to be ranked,” Van Weelden said. 'Garrett Ikerd at 138, Dillan Sanders at 145, David Hora at 152 and Logan Esher at 195 are all guys that have a lot of experience on the mat. I see a lot of kids that have a lot of potential.”

The Demons have a Predicament-ranked wrestler taking the mat tonight in Tristin Westphal-Edwards, who is ranked second at 170 pounds. IAwrestle has Walker Ikerd ranked 10th at 120, but Westphal-Edwards fourth.

'I wouldn't say rankings don't mean anything,” Van Weelden said. 'They mean you have done something in the past and somebody has recognized that accomplishment. But if you hang your hat on what you have done in the past that doesn't mean a very good future.”