Carson High wrestler Anthony Garrabo works atop an opponent Saturday in Winnemucca. Garrabo took fourth at 126 pounds during the Senators second event of the season.
Carson High wrestling coach Nick Redwine hasn’t adjusted his standards for the program even after not having a season last winter. While the Senators set their sights on another region title – now that Northern Class 5A is one league – Redwine admits the year off has his wrestlers a step behind where they would usually be, entering a new season. “We want to win our region dual title and then qualify as many kids for state as we can,” said Redwine. “I’m glad we are back, but it’s kind of frustrating because usually we have five-to-seven returning kids … and they set the tone in the room for the younger kids. In all senses of the word, this is a reboot.” Without a top-down approach from the previous year’s upperclassmen, Redwine and his staff have to focus more on small things with their team. “I really am thankful we are able to have a season, but it does get frustrating at times because even our coaches have talked about how inexperienced our returners are,” Redwine said. Up and down the lineup Early in the season, Redwine said the Senators would be giving up a few weights at the varsity level, hoping a handful of freshmen can gain the skills necessary to compete at the top level. After two meets, the Senators are waiting on three weight classes to potentially come together. “Right now we are giving up 113’s, 195 and 220. We have freshmen wrestlers at those weights … but they just aren’t ready. We figured we’d get them a few JV matches under their belt and reevaluate when we get into January,” said Redwine. At 106 pounds, Carson will feature freshman Landon Martin, who Redwine hopes can continue to improve over his first season. Another 106-pounder may press Martin, but in the season’s early going progress is key. At 120 pounds, the Senators have developed two options in sophomore Lucas Wold and junior Amber Perkins. “Amber is doing really well. We’ve wrestled her both weekends in varsity as an extra and she has done spectacularly well,” said Redwine. “She’s one of the top girls in the state.” Wold also received plenty of praise from his head coach, who expects him to have a quality year in which he earns points for Carson.
(Amber Perkins of Carson High grapples her way toward back control against an opponent in Winnemucca this past weekend. Perkins took sixth in the 120-pound division for the Senators / Tony Erquiaga, Nevada News Group)
Anthony Garrabo will be the Senators’ 126-pound wrestler this season. Garrabo transferred from Arizona, but his head coach feels he is a contender for the regional title in a loaded weight class. “He’s a hammer. He loves wrestling. He loves the grind,” said Redwine. “He is like a sponge in the wrestling room.” At 132 pounds, sophomore Nykolas Coghran will hold down the fort alongside fellow sophomore Tony Krehbiel at 138 pounds. Cooper Eaton and Clinton DeWitt are two of the Senators’ 145-pound wrestlers this season. However, Eaton may miss significant time after suffering an injury in the season’s first meet in Fallon. DeWitt wrestled varsity as a freshman before suffering an injury that cut his first season short. DeWitt has been cleared to come back to practice after sustaining a concussion early in practice. “He wrestled varsity his entire year as a freshman. Kind of got beat up a lot, but I think he learned a lot too,” said Redwine. Redwine says Zach Remer will be a staple at 160 pounds once he can come back from an ankle injury, shortly. “He and Lucas Wold probably have the most wrestling experience on the team. Zach hasn’t wrestled varsity before though,” said Redwine. JT Heaton, who wrestled all the way through the consolation bracket this past weekend in Winnemucca, will be a freshman at 170 pounds. “He loves to grind. He loves to bang with people. We just need to get some technique under his belt,” said Redwine. At 182, Eric Hickson will come back with some varsity experience after his freshman and sophomore year. Dominic Porter will be a freshman that will have to grind at heavyweight this season for the Senators. “He’s wrestling varsity because typically heavyweight isn’t a hammer weight class in our region,” said Redwine. “We’re trying to bring him along because we really think by the time he’s a senior we can have a true four-year heavyweight, which Carson hasn’t had in a long time.” Around the region With two weekend meets under their belt, the Senators have had a chance to take a look at their competition around the region. Perennial power Spanish Springs will once again be the team to beat in the North, while Redwine also expects Damonte Ranch to make some noise under a new head coach. Douglas and McQueen will have a full roster too and Galena will be a tougher out, per Redwine. “A lot more parity after the COVID reboot,” said Redwine. “We are notorious for being slow starters. Typically in January, we turn it on.” A Carson team that is low on experience will have wrestlers competing for state tournament, but growth will be the priority in the season’s early going.
