Once again, Free State and Lawrence high schools won’t be short of top wrestlers this year.

Both schools return their share of state qualifiers and state placers from a year ago.

Free State senior Jesse Hardy, who finished third at state in the 189-pound division, will lead the Firebirds.

“I think we’re going to have a strong team this year,” Hardy said. “We’ve just got to have a couple of people step up, and I’m expecting some good things from us.”

Firebirds coach Darrell Andrew said he expected goods things from Hardy.

“He’s very coachable. He’s very willing to work hard for you and for himself,” Andrew said. “He wants to get better every day he’s here, and when it’s time to compete, Jesse Hardy steps up in a big way.”

Hardy already has been hard at work in an attempt to improve on his showing at state last year.

“I’ve got to get better as the season goes on,” he said, “just work on my weaknesses and just see what I’m doing wrong and fix everything, every week.”

Chris Cates will lead LHS - at least until Nolan Kellerman joins the team.

Despite having few wrestlers out for the season, Andrew said he still was optimistic.

“This whole group so far has done nothing but work their tails off from the start of practice to the finish,” he said. “And if they can continue with that work ethic, they’re going to have a lot of success just because they are going to outwork their opponents.”

At Lawrence High, despite the early season absence of his three top wrestlers, coach Mark Dulgarian is just as optimistic.

“We have some individuals that should be able to step up. They wrestled a lot of (junior varsity),” Dulgarian said. “While they may not be as good as a place-finisher, they should be able to win some varsity matches.”

Unlike Free State, the Lions are deep. There are 38 athletes – sophomores through seniors – and Dulgarian expects to have 10-12 freshmen join. He also is counting on the return of his top three performers.

“We’ll have a lot of people on the mat, a lot of practice partners, which sometimes that helps as long as the people you have up here are willing to work,” Dulgarian said. “If they’re not willing to work, then sometimes they just get in the way.

“But most of the people we’ve got up here right now have been working real hard, trying to work technique, trying to get a little bit better.”

The team does not expect to have senior Nolan Kellerman, who won state in the 160-pound class, until winter break. Kellerman and two other key contributors are taking a break in the down time between football and wrestling seasons.

Free State is counting on senior Jesse Hardy

Thus, the Lions will look to a different senior for focus.

Chris Cates, a state qualifier last year in the 119-pound division, will anchor the team at the start of the season.

“We’re going to try to win all of our duels. That’s always a goal,” Cates said. “Last year, I think we won three-quarters of our duels, so we’re just going to try to keep improving.”

Dulgarian especially is counting on his sophomores, who, he said, had strong freshman campaigns.

“We always have high expectations – trying to work to return as Sunflower League champions and win a regional title,” Dulgarian said. “We have nine returning state qualifiers, and I believe we ought to have that many qualify – if not more.”