West Delaware wrestling and the ‘culture playbook’ a championship program is guided by

West Delaware operates on a 95/5 principle.

Hawks wrestling coach Jeff Voss compares it to driving a car with 95 percent of the view coming from the windshield looking forward. Looking backward in the rearview mirrors and your perspective shrinks to 5 percent.

The goal, and one of the factors to the program’s success, is not to look back and dwell on the past. Keep your eyes fixed on what is next.

“I think our kids have learned from what we’ve done, but they are still moving forward and always trying to be better,” Voss said. “It is where the idea of getting better today than yesterday and getting better tomorrow than today comes into play.”

Class 2A top-ranked West Delaware will attempt to become the fourth program in Iowa wrestling history to win four consecutive titles at the state duals wrestling tournament Wednesday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. All three classes will compete with 1A and 3A quarterfinals at 9 a.m. and 2A set for 11 a.m.

The Hawks (19-3) open against state duals newcomer and No. 8-seed Burlington Notre Dame.

“I’m really excited just as much, if not more, than the last three years,” West Delaware senior 170-pounder Kyle Cole said. “It’s something special we get to experience every year.

“There’s definitely a lot on the line here. We like to live and wrestle in the moment.”

In an individual sport, West Delaware has valued the team aspect. Voss said his staff has been more intentional about emphasizing those ideas, becoming the bedrock of the program that has qualified 12 total times with eight top-four finishes, five finals appearances and four championships.

“I’m proud that our program is not about winning and losing,” Voss said. “It’s about maintaining a standard that promotes growth and I think that’s what we’ve seen the last few years, especially.”

Voss said they have developed a “culture playbook” over the last decade. Each team adds to it and determines what behaviors to promote. Some are universal, like trusting and caring for each other and holding others accountable.

“We really focus on the ‘we before me’ concept,” Cole said. “That’s really drilled into our heads and we wrestle that way through all our duals. It’s been really successful for us.”

Everyone has a role to play and each team had gelled into a cohesive unit. Some athletes are out for wrestling only recently. A few have wrestled since they were toddlers, where pulling themselves up by the couch was considered their first standup. They’ve had varied talent levels from state champions who competed in college to career reserves who finished in Des Moines.

“It feels great to be a part of that,” said senior Isaac Fettkether, who shared time with injured top-ranked 160-pound senior Jadyn Peyton. “I’ve been wrestling for a couple years where I haven’t been that guy. I’ve been behind some other guys who have been that guy. Watch them go through it and seeing myself go through it has been fun.”

The current senior class has been a key component to the run of success. They are the ones entrusted with the program’s advancement and team-first approach in an individual sport. Seniors help define, encourage and enforce the season’s principles.

The team participates in “Senior Spotlights” as the season winds down. Teammates take a moment to tell the senior what they mean to the program and the contributions they have made over their careers.

“It chokes you up sometimes when these kids show how much they really care about each other,” Voss said. “To hear them share that with that person standing in front of them, it is a pretty big deal.

“I think that’s why they go to battle for each other when they step out on that mat. They do care about each other and that’s a big part of it.”

The Hawks own an 83-7 dual record over the last four seasons, entering the quarterfinal against the Nikes.

None of those seven losses have come to a 2A foe. West Delaware has won 61 straight duals against 2A competition, including 12 this season, which dates back to the third-place meet at the 2018 state suals. The only programs to get the best of the Hawks in that period are 3A top-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock (twice this season and twice in 2018-19), Don Bosco (once this season and in 2019-20) and Lisbon (once in 2019-20).

Wednesday marks 1,463 days since the last setback to a 2A team, losing to New Hampton in the state semifinals.

“You’re really wrestling for something bigger than yourself, so you have more motivation when you’re out there,” Cole said. “It’s definitely a special feeling.”

The Hawks are led by state champion and top-ranked 195-pounder Wyatt Voelker, who has signed with Northern Iowa, Peyton, a two-time state medalist, and his younger brother, Logan Peyton, at 152, talented freshman Brent Yonkovic, who is seeded second at 138 in the traditional tournament, and ranked duo Carson Less and Blake Engel at 120 and 132, respectively.

Despite all that talent, this might be the toughest field West Delaware has faced. Notre Dame has eight ranked wrestlers and matched the Hawks with nine individual qualifiers. The Nikes are not a typical eighth-seed and could provide the biggest challenge.

“They’re definitely a good team,” Voss said. “When our kids are competing with a lot of energy and excitement, they can do special things. The competition is pretty balanced. The way we respond to different things in the duals and around the tournament will be the key. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”

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