ERIE — Attrition happens in every sports season regardless of the level. Some people get injured, some people quit the team and there are various other reasons that crop up during a season.
That is just something that coaches must be prepared to deal with, especially at the high school level.
The level of attrition that coach Jason Bates and the Mustang wrestling program has been dealt this season has been bordering on cruel, however, and that instability in the lineup was on full display in Thursday’s dual meet with Labette County, where Iola had wrestlers in only three weight classes and lost 67-0.
“It is always stressful when we lose guys to injury or have guys quit, but we focus on the guys we have and just try to improve from there,” Bates said.
Thursday’s dual was the first event that the team was without senior Seth Sanford. The 220-pounder injured his shoulder in last Saturday’s Burlington Invitational.
Sanford’s injury comes at a poor time for the Mustangs as they were looking forward to having all three of their seniors back into the lineup after Tavon Blazek made his return to the Mustang lineup in Burlington.
The 2016 state qualifier was disappointed in his fifth-place finish in the Burlington event, but Bates says it is a process for Blazek to work himself back into condition after missing so much practice time.
“He got injured before Christmas and he had quite a few weeks off because of that, so it is hard to come back when everyone else is working and getting better,” Bates said. “We are trying to make up that progress.”
Blazek wrestled two matches on Thursday and was able to pick up Iola’s only win of the day with a 6-0 victory over Skyler Haviland, a junior from Erie, in an exhibition match.
Blazek used a clear strength advantage to wear down the Red Devil grappler and controlled the match early with takedowns in the first and second periods.
“Wins are always good,” Bates said. “It is a confidence-builder, but we still have a lot of stuff to work on before February.”
Blazek lost his other match of the day to Labette County’s Quiency Jones.
Jones struck first with a first-period takedown, but Blazek responded by beating the first-period buzzer with a reversal to send the bout into the second period with a 2-2 tie.
Jones made his big move in the second period with a quick escape and then had a successful shot to take down the Mustang wrestler. Jones added three back-points late in the period and took an 8-2 lead into the final period.
Three more back-points in the third for Jones before he surrendered an escape gave the Grizzlies’ 182-pounder an 11-3 major decision.
Iola’s other senior and other state qualifier from last year, Colton Toney, had the match of the night, but unfortunately came out on the short end of a 3-2 decision against Labette County heavyweight Tyresse Hardiman.
