Head coach Brock Davis is going into the final month of his first year with North Callaway boys wrestling.

North Callaway Mexico Duals Photo Gallery

Davis likes the growth and how much better the Thunderbirds can be as districts come closer later this month. North Callaway went 2-3 at the Mexico Duals Tournament on Saturday, winning 57-18 against Orchard Farm and 39-27 against St. James before losing its final three duals 54-30 against Father Tolton, 47-32 against Mexico and 43-34 against Sullivan.

Davis believes North Callaway is in “a really, really good spot” after the team’s penultimate event before its Senior Night last night. 

“We definitely had to get our gas tanks back, and that looks a lot better now than it did at the start of the season,” Davis said. “We’re really getting comfortable on top.”

Davis pointed out that the school’s first-ever state champion Lane Kimbley was comfortable on top last year when he won it all as a senior. Seeing all of his wrestlers this season feel the same way is encouraging to him.

Collin Moore went to state with Kimbley last season and finished third in his weight class for the school’s best ever finish as a freshman. Moore has been having a great sophomore campaign at 157 pounds by winning five tournament championships and being victorious in all four matches he wrestled on Saturday. 

“He is coming off a loss to a really good kid (Palmyra returning state medalist Brayden Pillars) but is also looking like himself again,” Davis said. “It will be a different match when we see that kid again at districts. Seeing Collin get comfortable at the very end of the season is something I’m really excited about.”

Gunnar Wenneker won all four matches he wrestled at 285 pounds, and Casper Safranski and Wyatt Haden each won all three matches they wrestled at 190 and 165 pounds, respectively. Carver Safranski won two of the three matches he wrestled at 138 pounds.

Davis said those kids had good days but so did freshman Ryan Atterberry. For not having a lot of experience, Atterberry won two of the four matches he wrestled at 113 pounds, pinning his St. James opponent and winning via a 15-4 major decision against Orchard Farm.

“He’s a newer kid, like a first- or second-year kid, because he only wrestled a little bit in middle school,” Davis said. “He’s had to settle into his shoes — get comfortable with the paces of matches and find where his hips need to be. He looks awesome going into districts.”

Davis said it is just a matter of “cleaning up a couple things” in the final push toward the postseason. 

“It is making sure we still have our gas tank going into districts and honestly just having confidence is pretty much all we need,” Davis said.