Wood River's first-year head wrestling coach, Logan Brower, hasn't been around long enough to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each individual wrestler on his team.
He doesn't know who last year's stars were, and he's not sure who will stand out this year.
But that probably doesn't matter to a coach like Brower, who seems to place greater value in team success than individual triumph.
"They're all looking like tough kids and I have high expectations," he said during a team workout Tuesday night at the Wood River Middle School.
The Wolverine's open the season Wednesday, Dec. 7, with a match at Jerome.
Brower, who is also a student teacher at the Hemingway School and coach of the middle school wrestling program, inherited a team of 14 wrestlers at Wood River High.
"I'm excited about it, it's good to see 14 kids out here," he said. "We'll be pretty well spaced out to fill all the weights so we should have some good tournaments. We have good potential."
Four seniors, one junior, six sophomores, and three freshmen round out the team. Five Wolverines earned trips to last year's Idaho State Prep Wrestling Championships, but only one, sophomore Colin Hand, returns.
"Colin's a good wrestler who should do well," Brower said.
Seniors Josh Orchard—son of assistant coach Kim Orchard—Sid Watson, and Jessie Broadie all have potential to succeed this season, Brower said.
Added Orchard, "Jesse and Sid could be very tough if they put their minds to it."
Senior Dima Springs, an exchange student from Russia who is wrestling for the first time, "brings an interesting dynamic to the team," Brower added.
Loan junior Christian Aguirre brings size to the mat, weighing in at a team-high 215 pounds.
The sophomores—Isaac Sherbine, John Diem, Colin Hand, C.J. Gorringe, Rickey Mazwell and Matt Libert—are talented and diverse with each wrestler filling a different weight class.
Brower and Orchard expect more of the same from Hand, while Sherbine, who's recovering from a broken leg suffered in the fall, and Gorringe, have a lot of potential.
Brower, 23, wrestled at Challis High, a perennial powerhouse that has won three of the last four State 2A titles, before attending the University of Idaho. Wood River High athletic director, Ron Martinez, hired Brower this fall to replace departed head coach Danny Turner, who commanded the Wolverine's for four years.
Brower was hired less than a month after his father, Scott Brower, tragically died in a plane crash in Custer County. Scott was an assistant wrestling coach at Challis High and a 1979 graduate of Wood River High, where he also wrestled.
Scott's mother, Ilene Turner, and his stepfather, Chuck Turner, a former principal of Wood River Middle School, still live in Hailey.
Scott was well known throughout both Custer County and the Wood River Valley for his infectious personality and passion for coaching.
On Dec. 9, Challis travels to Hailey for a much-anticipated match with Wood River High. While Century will also make the trip, all eyes will be on the Brower brothers—Logan's brother, Dillon, is an assistant coach at Challis this season.
"I can't wait to yell at him, 'Sit down coach,'" Logan joked.
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2005-06 WRHS wrestling schedule
A total 17 dual meets and 5 tournaments on the regular-season schedule for the 2005-06 Wolverines including 8 home dual meets on 4 dates. All home matches at Wood River High School gym, Hailey. General admission $5. The Great Basin Conference includes 7 teams—WR, Jerome, Burley, Minico, Pocatello, Century and Preston. Great Basin meets denoted by asterisk.
DATE, DAY OPPONENT LOCATION
Dec. 7, Wednesday Jerome* Away, 6:00
Dec. 9, Friday Century*/Challis Home, 5:00
Dec. 16, Friday Bear Cat Invitational (V) Jerome, 3:00
Dec. 16, Friday Bear Cat Invitational (JV) Twin Falls, 3:00
Dec. 17, Saturday Bear Cat Invitational (V) Jerome, 8:00
Dec. 17, Saturday Bear Cat Invitational (JV) Twin Falls, 3:00
Dec. 20, Tuesday Burley*/Kimberly Home, 5:30
Jan. 4, Wednesday Minico* Rupert, 6:00
Jan. 5, Thursday Nampa Away, 6:00
Jan. 6, Friday Rollie Layne/Buhl Invitational Nampa, 3:00
Jan. 7, Saturday Rollie Layne/Buhl Invitational Nampa, 8:00
Jan. 11, Wednesday Filer/Wendell Filer, 6:00
Jan. 13, Friday Madison Invitational Rexburg, 3:00
Jan. 14, Saturday Madison Invitational Rexburg, 8:00
Jan. 18, Wednesday Pocatello*/Valley Home, 5:00
Jan. 27, Friday Sugar-Salem Invitational Sugar City, 3:00
Jan. 28, Saturday Sugar-Salem Invitational Sugar City, 8:00
Feb. 1, Wednesday Twin Falls/Preston* Home, 4:00
Feb. 2, Thursday Hillcrest/Bonneville Century, Pocatello, 4:00
Feb. 3, Friday Challis Invitational Challis, 3:00
Feb. 4, Saturday Challis Invitational Challis, 8:00
Feb. 8, Wednesday Buhl Away, 6:00
Feb. 10, Friday Gooding Away, 6:00
Feb. 15, Wednesday Great Basin 4A tournament Jerome, TBA
Feb. 23, Thursday State 4A Idaho Center, Nampa
NOTES—The 49th annual State 4A wrestling meet sponsored by the Idaho High School Activities Association is scheduled for Thursday through Saturday, Feb. 23-25 at Holt Arena on the campus of Idaho State University in Pocatello.....The Great Basin Conference 4A ranks comprised of Wood River, Jerome, Minico, Burley, Pocatello, Century and Preston gets 5 state representatives for each weight class.... Booster athletic season tickets for all Wood River sporting events during the 2005-06 school year are available. They are $100 for a couples pass, $75 for an individual season pass and $35 for a middle school student pass. Drop by the high school and see athletic director Ron Martinez. Senior citizens 65-and-over are admitted free to Wood River sporting events.
Wood River's head wrestling coach, Logan Brower, has high hopes for the Wolverines in his first season as their leader.
