KALISPELL — In the wrestling room at Kalispell Flathead, the workouts are as intense and gritty as ever — even though the faces look younger than usual.
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But do not let their age fool you. As coach Jeff Thompson says, the kids are determined to keep the Braves' rich team tradition intact.
“It's a lot of pressure sometimes as a young athlete to step into a varsity role as a freshman or a sophomore,” Thompson said. “But these guys have embraced it and just loved that pressure and seem to be really, really enjoying that family atmosphere that we have here, and we work really hard.”
Thompson also says the Braves came into the season with lower expectations than usual due to the team’s young roster, but the performance of those young athletes has changed the overall mindset.
“We kind of like not having that target on our back and just going out there and seeing what we can do,” Thompson said.
However, Thompson does not solely credit the hard work the team has put in for its early success.
He also believes team leaders like Kohen Rilley make great efforts toward building chemistry with the younger athletes early.
“Even as freshmen last year, I think we connected really well with these guys,” Rilley said. “Just seeing them this year has made this sport so much more enjoyable.”
With that chemistry mixed with the history of success with Flathead wrestling, it is building toward a successful season.
“Pressure makes diamonds, so it just makes us all stronger,” Rilley said. “Every bit of pressure that you know like coaches or even like other teammates, put on each other, it's all great pressure.”
Upperclassmen like Conor LaDuc are hoping that the pressure will lead the Braves to a mountaintop that has been just out of reach in recent years.
“It's definitely just getting that second place three years in a row, now we all just want that state title bad,” LaDuc said. “For the team, for ourselves, and for the town.”
