Greene County High School’s head wrestling coach Zach Beekman has wanted to beef up the schedule for some time. The coach had his wish granted this season starting with the 30-team Independence, IA Cliff Keen Invitational the first weekend of the season. The January portion of the schedule is even beefier with 10 varsity dates between Jan. 4 and 29, including five tournaments.

It starts with a late addition to the schedule when the Rams wrestle on Jan. 4 in Martensdale vs. Martensdale-St. Mary’s and Nodaway Valley (Greenfield), followed by a trip to Audubon on Jan. 6 to take on the Wheelers, Ogden, and Southeast Valley (Gowrie). The first tournament of 2022 is in Atlantic, where 17 schools are scheduled to compete, including Glenwood, Red Oak, and the host Trojans, which the Rams will see in the postseason. Some Rams could get as many as 10 matches in that five-day span. The rest of January is at a similar pace with invitational tournaments in Solon, Urbandale, and Guthrie Center, as well as the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference meet in Nevada on Jan. 21, with the Class 3A dominant Ed Winger Invite in Urbandale the next morning.