Raiders go from taking lumps to handing them out

The Williamsburg Raiders wrestling season has been impressive, but it has been a few years in the making.Many Raiders took their lumps as underclassmen on the varsity level in previous seasons, but they have continued to improve and bolster this year's lineup. Williamsburg is ranked fourth in the Class 2A tournament rankings by The Predicament and its 17-2 record has garnered fifth in the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association dual team rankings.Those younger wrestlers that were thrown into the fire as freshmen and sophomores now have two to three years of varsity under their belt."It's really paid off for them," Williamsburg Coach Grant Eckenrod said. "We had some pretty high expectations this season. We knew we had a lot of experience coming back."Some coaches would restrict wrestlers to junior varsity competition, hoping they gain confidence and progress. Eckenrod pushed them right out into competition, and their resolve has produced battle-tested fighters that have produced one of Williamsburg's best season's so far."You find the best competition you can. You get them as many matches and mat time as you can and that's how you're going to get better," said Eckenrod, praising the team's willingness to do whatever the coaches ask and offseason work. "They're doing a heck of a job. the kids who got beat up two years ago and its their turn to get a little pay back."The Raiders set a school record for dual wins last season, going 22-5. The record certainly is in jeopardy. One of the main reasons is the Raiders' overall balance. Williamsburg has 31 wrestlers out and they have someone who is competitive at each weight."We actually have a lot of depth," Eckenrod said. "We're pretty darn solid at all 14 weight classes."Twelve starters have winning records with 11 owning at least 20 victories. Five Raiders are ranked. Two-time state champion and three-time finalist Austin Blythe (28-1) leads the way as the top-ranked heavyweight. Fourth-ranked 215-pounder Tom Malloy (30-1) leads the team in wins. Brett Waughop, ranked fourth at 171, is 29-3. J.C. Vercande, a two-time state medalist who was sixth last year, is ninth at 130. Hunter St. John, who is out with a hamstring injury, is 10th at 145.Less accomplished wrestlers are making big contributions. Trevor Knepper (119), Travis Gorsch (135) and Spencer Dale (140) are juniors who have turned the corner toward success for Williamsburg. Freshman Aaron Schultz has been a nice addition at 112."We have a lot of kids that not a lot of people know about," Eckenrod said. "You look at their records and they have 24-25 wins and 4-5 losses." Balance is the key component to the Raiders performance, including a team title at the Loyd Shaffer Marion Invitational on Saturday where they scored 228 with six champions and beat Grinnell by 49. Eckenrod wasn't willing to anoint this team his best in 10 seasons at Williamsburg, but it is possible it will end that way."This team has the potential to be the best team we've ever had," Eckenrod said. "We have some work to do yet, but we'll see how things shake out in the end."