The Carson High wrestling team finds itself in exactly the position it wants to be: As an underdog.
Six Carson wrestlers will head to Las Vegas for the NIAA 4A State Championships on Saturday at Cimarron Memorial. Expecations aren't that high for the Senator contingent after a fourth place finish at last week's Northern 4A meet and that's just fine with Carson coach Casey Schweitzer. "We don't have a lot of pressure," he said. "I don't think we're picked to win anything."
Schweitzer noted that based on seedings, none of his wrestlers can be considered a favorite in their first round match. Todd Banko (112 pounds), Kyle Banko (130), Travis Lamborn (160), Ahron Osheroff (171) and Jonas Schenzel (189) are all facing higher seeded wrestlers in the first round.
Only Robbie Bozin (135) may not be an underdog - but he isn't a favorite, either. He's the Northern 4A's No. 2 seed and he'll be facing another No. 2 seed in the first round.
Carson settled for fourth at the zone meet behind champion Fallon, second place Douglas and third place Galena. Fallon and Douglas each have seven wrestlers at state while Galena has five.
"It could have been worse," said Schweitzer about his team's effort at zone. "It could have been better, but it could have been worse."
But most importantly, Carson had a realistic expectation that the six wrestlers who made it to state would advance. So the Senators are exactly where they expected to be at state. "I thought that we should have six guys that should go," Schweitzer said.
Two-time defending champion Cimarron Memorial and Mojave could be considered the favorites to win the state title. Other schools to watch could include Palo Verde and Fallon.
After that it could be a wide open race, meaning strong showings for Douglas, Galena or Carson could place those schools in the top five. But for Carson to place in the top five, all six Senators will likely have to place in the top four at state. That's doable, Schweitzer said.
Schweitzer, though, wouldn't say where he expected his team to finish if all six wrestlers placed. "I don't want to speculate on what we would place or where we would finish," he said.
If all six Senators placed at state, Schweitzer said his team could "consider ourselves quite successful. It's about wrestling mistake free at this point."
"We lost some matches because we made some mistakes," Schweitzer also said about zone. I think we're going to be just fine. I like our chances for placing all of our group.
"We have to wrestle to our potential. I'ts about wrestling mentally tough every single match. We're the underdog."
There are nine wrestlers in each class - three from each section, the North and the South's two sections, Sunset and Sunrise. Carson received a break when all three of its No. 3 seeds - Lamborn, Osheroff and Schenzel - didn't receive pigtail matches in which two of the No. 3 seeds have to face each other for a spot in the quarterfinals.
But there's a change this year in that losers of the pigtail matches will not be eliminated as they have in the past.
If everything goes well, Kyle Banko and Robbie Bozin could have a chance at rematches for the state title in the finals. Banko could face Elko's Mitch Schroeder in the finals. Banko battled a cut eye and a controversial call before being pinned by Schroeder in last week's Northern 4A finals.
Bozin could meet Damonte Ranch's Trey Edmunds in the finals. Bozin lost to Edmunds - a wrestler he's never beaten - in the Northern 4A finals. Those four wrestlers
Another wrestler who could be in position to make a run at a title is Lamborn, who's taken third at the state meet the past two years. Lamborn received a break as Cimarron Memorial's Zeth St. Clair is at 152.
One of the most anticipated matches of the meet could be between Galena's Joey Milegich and St. Clair in the finals if the two advance that far.
Lamborn hasn't won a tournament this year. "He's been a bit frustrated," Schweitzer said.
But Schweitzer said, "I told him there's one left and this is the one we want it to happen."
Schweitzer said all it takes for Lamborn is three solid matches. A good sign for Lamborn came at zone when he pinned North Valley's Mitch Tolley in the third place match to advance to state. Lamborn lost to Tolley 1-0 earlier in the year.
Schweitzer said Todd Banko and Osheroff are in two of the tougher weight classes. Among those in Osheroff's class are Fallon's Riley Orozco and Galena's Cole Dowty. Osheroff has beaten Dowty twice this year.
Schenzel has the offense to place at state, Schweitzer said.