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State standouts set to anchor IHS wrestling

Bobcats begin season Saturday in Grand Junction

Having watched three members of his team qualify for, then make it to the podium at last season's Class 2A State Wrestling Championships inside Denver's Pepsi Center, Ignacio head coach Jordan Larsen really couldn't have been much prouder.

He's just as hyped for the 2016-17 campaign to officially get underway. Even though graduation claimed Tyler Beebe (fifth place at 132 pounds) in 2016, now-seniors Ethan Appenzeller (second at 138) and Lorenzo Pena (third at 160) are back to make one last run for the Mile High City.

"I'm always hesitant to say too much at the beginning of the season, but we are looking forward to it," the second-year boss said Monday night. "If things go well, then hopefully we can see a performance that we haven't seen in a while from Ignacio."

Last year's trio scored 56 team points for a strong 11th-place finish at state to close out '15-16. Larsen and his staff can't help but think of the potential from a group which also includes seniors Timmy Plehinger-Williams and Dalton Mickey in the lower weights.

And of course senior Stocker Robbins, a two-time state placer who showed during football season that last season's damaged knee is just fine, thank you.

"All I can really say is that me and Cody (assistant coach Haga) and the other assistant coach we have this year, Dennis deKay, we're all pretty excited about having them in there," said Larsen. "We have a veteran team, got a lot of leaders in the room, definitely a lot of good experience and good leadership."

And in gearing up for tomorrow's season-opening action at the Colorado Mesa University Duals up in Grand Junction, Larsen noted that just as his roster hasn't really changed, neither has the work.

"I guess the main focus that we've had so far is just the basics. I mean, I believe in the basics and I know the other two coaches on staff believe in the basics, and so we're getting the same moves in practice that we worked last year," he said, "and hoping to master those a little more."

"So it's just back to the grindstone and getting them back into wrestling shape."

"We have that crew of seniors and then, the other half of the team is young guys, so we've kind of been pitting the experienced guys against the young guys in drilling," he continued, "so that we can try to spread some of that experience and instruction around."

"I would say that I have extremely high expectations," summarized Larsen.

"Myself and Coach Haga have been, between the two of us, coaching this group of seniors since they were freshmen - that was our first year in Ignacio, as far as head or assistant coach(es) at the high school. We're definitely hoping that leadership can perform and lead the rest of the team in a positive direction."

THE GUEST LIST: In addition to IHS, scheduled to compete inside CMU's Brownson Arena are Rifle, New Castle Coal Ridge, Palisade, Hotchkiss, Cedaredge, Paonia, Delta, Gunnison, Craig Moffat County, Parachute Grand Valley, Olathe, Montezuma-Cortez, Arvada Faith Christian, Meeker, Grand Junction and Montrose.

"Wrestling should start at 8 a.m. sharp on Saturday morning," said Larsen. "There's some good teams in there. Hopefully it'll give us a chance to wake up and see where we're at as a team."