The Norwalk boys wrestling team opens their season tonight with a dual meet at Dallas Center-Grimes – the beginning of what coach Jacob Brown hopes is a memorable three months on the mats. The Norwalk and DC-G girls will wrestle first at 6:15 p.m., followed by the boys dual at 7:30.

The 2022-2023 season was a good one for the Norwalk boys. Nine Warriors competed at the State Wrestling Tournament and the team scored 69 points to place 17th in Class 3A. Maddux Borcherding-Johnson capped his career – and an undefeated senior year – with a heavyweight state championship. Tyler Harper, who returns this season, was the state runner-up at 106 pounds after losing a competitive final by three points.

Seven out of nine state qualifiers return for Norwalk this winter, and Brown anticipates an even better season in the making. Brown says that his wrestlers are champing at the bit to get things started after a long offseason of hard work and improvement. The expectation is to improve on last year’s 4-2 conference dual record, make a run at the State Duals and send even more individuals to Des Moines.

“We want to improve on that record, we want to get more guys to the state tournament and we want to get more guys placing [at state], and keep building on that,” Brown said. “It was a fun ride at the state tournament – getting so many guys (there) – but we want more.”

Brown is working with a much more experienced squad compared to a year ago, which is leading to less growing pains, more confidence and better leadership in the room. Harper, who placed second in a national freestyle tournament in Fargo this past summer, is the team’s senior leader and will move up a weight class to 113. Returning state qualifiers – with last year’s weights listed – also include Aiden Moret at 120, Tate Turner (132), Kadan Borcherding-Johnson (145), Dominic Tigner (152), Harrison Tripp (195) and Kolton Borcherding-Johnson (220).

Kolton Borcherding-Johnson won three matches at last year’s state meet while Tripp and Tigner both went 1-2. Asaiah Martinez will switch spots with Harper this season and wrestle at 106. Also back are Tyler Stanford and Carter Eden. Several promising varsity newcomers are competing for lineup spots as well.

Coach Brown adds that the Warriors’ schedule is loaded with tough Saturday tournaments and some new duals against Bondurant-Farrar, Urbandale and Waukee Northwest. For the second straight year, Norwalk will host a Class 3A District Tournament on Saturday, February 10.