When the State Wrestling Tournament kicks off a three-day run at The Momument in Rapid City today, the Aberdeen Central squad should be relatively easy to locate.
That’s because the Golden Eagles will have golden hair.
The squad decided to do something to commemorate all 14 wrestlers qualifying for state after last week’s region tournament.
“They were spit-balling all the way home from regions,” said Central coach Donnie Bowden. “Like what should we do?”
The choice was to bleach their hair so the entire squad will be sporting a new look this weekend.
“We were throwing some ideas out and the bleached hair thing kind of gets a little overdone in wrestling, because it just kind of seems like that’s what teams have done in the past,” Bowden said. “Anyway, the deal was if all 14 guys did it, I would do it and therefore we are here.”
When asked what the wives and girlfriends thought of the new hairdos, Bowden responded, “I think they’re for it, just because it’s kind of a team-bonding, unity thing, but at the same time, they still get their blows in.”
That’s what the Eagles will be looking to do this weekend, to cap what’s already been a memorable season, which has included a region record point total and a school best runner-up finish at the State A Dual Tournament.
“I think we got some good draws, I think they reflect really what our season’s been like,” Bowden said. “I think some of our guys really helped their case this past weekend. I think some of us kind of had that little oopsie, and that’s OK. That’s alright. You can always wrestle above your seed, that’s always the goal and that’s what we intend to do.”
Bowden said he can tell that his guys have gotten more and more focused as the season has started to draw to a close.
“Once we started getting closer to state duals you could kind of see that focus, and kind of see that edge come out a little bit more. They understand where they’re at,” Bowden said. “They understand that they’re competing really well, but it’s not to the point where it’s arrogance and it’s not to the point to where they’re so relaxed that they’re letting these moments pass them by. I think they’re really just grabbing ahold of it and they’re going to do their best.”
While Sturgis is the pre-tournament favorite, the Golden Eagles still have a target on their backs, especially now.
“When you bleach your hair, you kind of put that statement out that you kind of put that target on your back,” Bowden said.
Still, Central shouldn’t have added any pressure.
“I don’t think the kids have the pressure on them to go out there like we have to win,” Bowden said. “We’re going to go down there and compete. We’re going to put our best foot forward and we’re going to hopefully keep doing what we’ve been doing.”
While the Golden Eagles may have a new look, their desire, determination and goals have not changed since day one.
“We’ve got to wrestle the same way we have all year, and the goals stay the same,” Bowden said. “The kids understand the goals at the beginning of the year, helped build the goals, we rallied around them, and now it’s time to just go out there and just do it.”
There are a few area wrestlers who enter the state tournament as top seeds in their respective weight classes.
Central’s Mason Schrempp is the top seed in Class A at 165 pounds, while in Class B, Redfield’s Camden Murray is the top seed at 215, and Preston Cavalier of Warner-Northwestern is the top seed at 285.
To see complete brackets, click on the following link:
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