Mexico has six of its eight state-qualifying boys wrestlers from a season ago returning.

The Bulldogs are sending them through to state and now want their wrestlers to do well at state. Head coach Jake Vitale takes over after years of being an assistant at the program he earned four state medals.

Vitale said Mexico started this winter season with about 30 wrestlers and plenty of those want to accomplish more this season. Not only does two-time state runner-up Carlos Juarez Ramirez and other returning state qualifiers Kyler Carr, Grant Walker, Evan Blair, Logan Hilderman and Travis Shramek want to be better, but Vitale said those who didn’t make it past districts want more.

“We have a lot of points that were left on the table,” Vitale said. “If everyone performs at their ability and we get them to peak at the right time, we’ve really got a chance at making a run.”

Vitale said one or two state champions and three of four medalists usually gives a team a good shot at earning a state trophy. He said he hopes Mexico can accomplish this along with a district championship after finishing behind Father Tolton last season.

Brayden Arnold and Isai Hernandez-Jarquin didn’t qualify for state last season but were among the eight Bulldogs to go two years ago, and Vitale said Carr and Hilderman lost in the bubble round at state. He said Mexico only lost two seniors, including state champion Grant Van Horn and state qualifier Watson Azdell, so there are plenty returning to varsity who has a lot of postseason wrestling experience.

“I’m expecting to continue building on the base we’ve had the past couple years,” Vitale said. “We’re hoping to turn those into more than the two state medals we had last year.”

Vitale said Juarez Ramirez has been “right there” close to a state championship and said “getting off bottom has been his big issue.” He said he is one of the most dynamic wrestlers when on his feet and has a lot of quickness.

Hilderman has practiced with Juarez Ramirez as he wrestled at 113 pounds all last season until jumping up to 120 pounds for districts and state, losing to a senior in the bubble round so Vitale believes he can make “a big splash.”

Vitale said there are other promising lighter weights in the program along with Juarez Ramirez and Hilderman. Blair wrestled at 113 after stepping in due to an injury, Arnold defeated state medalists despite not qualifying last season, Kyle Lewis is a silent leader at 130-144 pounds after being a first-time varsity wrestler and Evan Wilson had injuries that shortened his season but is a good neutral position wrestler like Juarez Ramirez. Vitale added that freshmen Korbyn Stuart, who only lost one match last middle school season, and state medalist Trevor Cole are talented newcomers at 106 pounds.

“We’ve got some really good options coming in at freshmen at those lower weights to add to that murderer’s row of Carlos, Hilderman, Blair and Arnold,” Vitale said. “That’s really going to the strength of our lineup.”

Carr, who only lost three matches in Missouri before state; Walker, who is a two-time state qualifier; and Shramek, who is one of four returning heavyweight state qualifiers in the state, each qualified for state at the heavier weight classes at 150, 215 and 285 pounds, respectively.

“We’ve got the lineup to compete with anyone,” Vitale said. “We’re probably going to start the year ranked in that 5-8 range and the top four get a (state) trophy.”