WRESTLING HEADS TO NEBRASKA

BY SETH ROMSA TRIBUNE SPORTS WRITER
Courtesy of the Powell Tribune

Following a couple of weeks off from action the Northwest College wrestling team is set to hit the mat again this week in Nebraska, taking part in three duals today (Thursday) in Beatrice, Nebraska.
Getting back in action coach Jim Zeigler is hopeful the Trappers will be able to step up to the challenge, following a less than ideal performance at North Idaho College the last time Northwest competed.
"I was not happy about the trip to North Idaho, wrestling North Idaho and Clackamas (Community College). But I'm trying to put things into perspective. It was freshmen, and we're going up against some really good kids. They're top notch guys," Zeigler said. "North Idaho and Clackamas are operating with 18 full ride scholarships, it's like the University of Wyoming trying to beat Alabama in football. It's that big of a jump. Austin [Richens] and Asad [Fayzullaev] can compete with anybody, anywhere we go. Zachary [Covolo] competes well, and it took us a year to get him to that point … "Dusty [Rhoades] same thing, it takes us time to get them up there, and we have to coach the heck out of them to get them to that point."
He is hopeful to have one of his top newcomers return to the lineup this weekend at 157 pounds, as Colby Ducatt has been out since the opening dual of the season after suffering an injury in his first college bout.
"He's working out. He's not 100% but I think he's managing pretty well," Zeigler said. "It's really important that he gets a little mat time this semester. It's got to be the right matches. We've got to put him out there in a situation that is winnable for him. I don't want to put him out against the No. 1 ranked guy as his first college match, and that's what we're looking at … If I can get one good match for him this weekend, it'll be helpful."
Heading down to Nebraska the Trappers will be taking on a number of Plains District opponents, starting with another dual against Northeastern Junior College.
That will be followed with a dual against a nonconference opponent in Labette Community College before finishing with a dual against the host Southeast Community College.
Heading into the final few weeks before the winter break, these Thursday duals along with a dual on the road at Western Wyoming Community College on Dec. 17 will be the final action before the new year.
Zeigler is hopeful he will see a shift in mentality from his team over these final weeks of the first semester before a busy second semester.
"I'm wanting to see a change in attitude, in competing. They're good kids. I love my team … and I feel very privileged to coach them, but if they want to achieve the goals that they're here to achieve in wrestling, they have to assert themselves more," Zeigler said. "They can't be timid, they can't be shy, they can't wonder or question themselves. They have to develop a confidence in themselves that I'm trying to instill in them, a confidence to wrestle these opponents the way they wrestle each other. They're plenty confident wrestling each other, but when they wrestle something different they're like 'oh, I don't know who this guy is.' We've got to get past that and that's maturity, that's experience."