Young OFAFC wrestlers try to survive upcoming season

With just one senior, no juniors and eight freshmen and sophomores on a 10-person roster, the Osseo-Fairchild/Augusta/Fall Creek Tri-County Area Prep Wrestling Cooperative team is very realistic about its chances to any get any dual meet wins for the 2024-25 season or even high-level individual success.

Keeping the team together, staying healthy and improving throughout the year is what the Dragons can best hope for as they just return two letter-winners in senior Aaliyah Zamora and sophomore Noah Krueger. Their lone senior graduate from last season Mason Antczak.

"We are focusing on improving throughout the season," head coach Dan Schulte said.

Actually, Zamora has a chance of having high-level individual success this season as she finished sectional runner-up at 100 pounds and just missed going to state which she had made as a sophomore. She is one of four girls on the team along with Viola McDonald, Kariena Elias and Arceli Najera Hill.

"We have four girls out this year, which we are really excited about," Schulte said. "Girls wrestling has really exploded over the last few years and we are glad that we are experiencing it as well. Hopefully, Aaliyah can make a return trip back to Madison this year after missing out last year. Viola is brand new to the sport but has looked really good in practice and is very coachable."

Schulte has hopes the five freshmen that are on the team can make an impact or at least be better by February than now.

"Henry Cash is incoming freshman looking to be around 144 this year," Schulte said. "Henry had a very successful middle school career and we look forward to having as part of the high school team this year."

OFAFC will be wrestling in the Dairyland Conference from now on and Schulte believes Whitehall and Independence/Gilmanton will be the top teams in the DC this season. The Dragons will be wrestling these schools late in February just before regionals.

"