Things were certainly looking up for the Douglas wrestling program this summer.
The team was looking forward to infusing a talented group of underclassmen with a solid core of returners in an effort to improve upon last year's 3-4 league finish.
Then the team suffered a string of season-ending injuries long before wrestling practice even started, which set the focus back on rebuilding for the future.
Douglas lost senior returning state qualifier Patrick Miller, who would've likely wrestled in the heavyweight class, to a torn ACL suffered during a wrestling camp over the summer.
Senior Kyle Matthews, who probably would've started in the 171 class, and senior Austin Martin, a likely starter at either 135 or 140, both tore ACLs during football season
"That really hurt us," second-year Douglas coach Justin Shine said. "All three of those guys were going to be a big part of what we did this year, but these things happen in sports."
Instead, Douglas will rely heavily on its top returners - four-year starter and 2010 state qualifier Dillon Spates at 130 pounds and three-year starter Zach Falanga at 215 - as its otherwise inexperienced lineup (senior 145-pounder Sean Merritt is the team's only other returner with starting experience) acclimates to the varsity level.
"We're going to be looking for some guys to step up and lead," Shine said. "Dillon and Sean are our captains because of their work ethic. They lead by example.
"We've got some promising guys, but we're going to have to step things up as a group and work through some growing pains."
Douglas shored up its middle weights this season as senior Daniel Lundergreen slides into the 152 spot after missing much of last season with a broken hand.
Freshman Sullivan Cauley, who has won multiple state titles on the USA Wrestling circuit and took second place at last year's national championships in Virginia Beach, Va., is expected to wrestle at the 160-pound slot.
"Daniel, it's his last year and he's coming back from a tough injury," Shine said. "He should be solid for us.
"Sully has had good coaching all along the way and he'll be in there. It'll be a steep learning curve with the varsity-level upperweights, but he'll get there."
The Tigers also got a surprise in the form of junior transfer Zack Fiene, who comes to the team from California and will compete at the 125 level.
"He's looked pretty good so far," Shine said. "That was a nice boost for us."
Nick Lufrano and freshman Seth Trivitt will also figure into the mix in the middleweights and Cody Souza won a pair of matches at last week's Capital City Duals in the 119-pound class.
All told, Douglas should be able to fill every weight class during varsity duals with the exception of 103 and 275 pounds, which are commonly vacated by other schools due to lack of available participants.
It's a stark contrast to last season, when the Tigers would give up as many as six or seven classes to forfeits during league matches.
"It helps having live bodies out there," Shine said. "It's so hard to come back when you're automatically giving up six points for every weight class you can't fill.
"When we were giving up seven forfeits in a single dual, there's nothing you can do. This year, we have a chance."
Shine said the bulk of the year is going to be about gaining experience.
"We aren't automatically looking to next year with this team, but there is a sense of building for the future with these younger guys," Shine said. "We're laying a foundation for the future. These seniors this year are going to play a big part in who we are in the coming years.
"We just want to get tough this year, be able to fight through some injuries and fight through some adversity.
"There will be losses, there are some solid teams out there in the Northern 4A, but the important thing is the lessons we learn through that."
Douglas competes at the Reed Invitational this weekend before opening its league season Wednesday at Damonte Ranch.
Joey Crandall can be reached at (775) 782-5121, ext. 212.
SCHEDULE
Dec. 4: Capital City Duals, 9 a.m.
Dec. 11: Reed Roundup Tournament, TBA
Dec. 15: Douglas at Damonte Ranch, 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 17-18: Reno Tournament of Champions, Reno Event Center, TBA
Dec. 28-29: Sierra Nevada Classic, Livestock Events Center, TBA
Jan. 5: Douglas vs. Galena, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 7-8: Big Valley Classic, Stockton, TBA.
Jan. 12: Douglas vs. Manogue, 5:30 p.m.
Jan. 14-15: Alhambra Tournament, Martinez, Calif., TBA.
Jan. 21-22: Fernley Tournament, Fernley, TBA.
Jan. 26: Douglas at Wooster, 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 2: Douglas vs. Carson, 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 11-12: Northern 4A Regional Tournament, TBA.
Feb. 18-19: NIAA 4A State Tournament, Spanish Springs.
