Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – As West High wrestlers discussed the first season under new head coach Nate Moore one word seemed up come up over and over again.

That word? Energy.

“The room has great energy right now and that’s fun,” West High sophomore Graham Gambrall said. “It’s exciting.”

Moore took over the program at his alma mater this spring replacing his own high school coach Mark Reiland who stepped down after 19 seasons.

A two-time state champ as a prep at West High, Moore has made high energy a focal point during the early stages of his coaching career.

“The theme of this year is making everything count,” Moore said. “When we are coming in (to the wrestling room) we might not be in there for three hours a night but the hour and 45 we are there is some high productivity, high energy, high intensity.”

It’s early but the energy from the practice room is already spilling over into results on the mat.

West High is coming off a top-10 finish at the prestigious Council Bluffs Classic last week that attracts some premier programs from around the Midwest.

The 10th place finish was the third best for an in-state squad at the 40-team tournament.

“I think there is a lot of energy in the room,” West High senior Landon Green said. “There are more guys out and I think the energy is good.”

The energy comes from a good group of young wrestlers and senior leaders.

Seniors Will Hoeft and Green along with Gambrall have been a steadying force so far for a large group of talented newcomers.

“Those older guys staying positive and leading by example is huge,” Moore said. “I can only stand up there and shout so much, they need someone that is doing it.”

Hoeft (13-2) is ranked fifth at 182 pounds and Gambrall (12-4) is fourth at 138 while Green has been a pleasant addition at 195 pounds after missing all of last season with an injury.

Green is 13-2 and coming off a third-place finish at the Council Bluffs Classic.  

“I think we have a talented group,” Green said. “I can’t wait to see what we can do in the future.”

Freshman Hunter Garvin opened the season ranked seventh at 120 pounds and has backed up the early ranking with a 13-1 record.

Classmate Grant O’Dell is 13-3 at 106 pounds providing balance to a line for West High which takes a 1-1 record in a Mississippi Valley Conference Valley Division dual with Linn-Mar (2-0) on Thursday.

“The theme of this year is making everything count, making every practice count, making every match count, making every period count, every position we wrestle count,” Moore said. “We do that up and down the lineup and you are going to see those guys start to improve.”
100 and Counting: A year after making the first state meet appearance of his career Andrew Rohret is hoping to end his career with a memorable senior season.  

Rohret didn’t waste any time taking one step toward that memorable season.

The Clear Creek Amana senior picked up his 100th career with at the season-opening Cliff Keen Independence Invitational two weeks ago.

Ranked eighth in Class 3A at 152 pounds Rohret is off to a 12-3 start.

Historic Homecoming: Last season was full of firsts for the Liberty High wrestling program.

Liberty High (0-1) will have another first on Thursday when it hosts Dubuque Hempstead (1-1) in the first home meet in program history.

The Lightning are still looking for their first Mississippi Valley Conference dual win.