The varsity wrestling season for high school students at Adel-Desoto-Minburn Community Schools begins tonight in Huxley. The Ballard Bombers host the Tigers and the North Polk Comets for a triangular event. These three schools met in last year’s dual opener in Adel and ADM came away with a split result in their pair of matches. The Tigers scored six pinfalls, a technical fall and two wins by forfeit in a 53-28 victory over the North Polk Comets. ADM scored two pinfall victories as the Ballard Bombers topped the Tigers in the second match, 59-12. The Raccoon Valley Radio Network recently sat down with ADM varsity wrestling team Chris Hatchitt to discuss the season opener, and he says the event will provide good competition to begin the new year. “Ballard has a history of quality wrestling, a good coach up there with quality kids,” Hatchitt said, “That’ll be good competition to start us off.”

ADM has three wrestlers staring the year in the Predicament’s Class 2A top 10 rankings. Highlighting the Tigers is returning state champion Andrew Flora. The senior enters competition tonight as the publication’s top-ranked grappler at 126 pounds. Senior Nolan Harsh, a three-time state qualifier, starts his final high school season ranked sixth at 182 pounds. Junior Kaden Sutton, a first-time state qualifier in February, begins his third season ranked sixth at 220 pounds. Ballard’s lone ranked wrestler is senior Skyler Noftsger the second-ranked grappler in Class 2A’s 160-pound weight class. North Polk has no preseason ranked wrestlers from the Predicament. ADM wrestling opens the dual season tonight in Huxley with first matches set for 5:30 p.m. at Ballard High School.