By the end of the season the team had six wrestlers that qualified for state, three of whom went on to place, and two wrestlers who broke school records. For districts the team did as expected, however, it was state that was a disappointment.

“It [was] about on par for where we’ve been the past few years,” Head coach Harold Ritchie Sr. said. “Finishing 12th [and] 13th, we work too hard to be 12th or 13th in the state. Our goal this year was to be in the top ten, I think we could’ve done that.”

Of the six wrestlers that qualified for State, three were seniors, two were juniors and one was a freshman. Freshman Tyler Smith, juniors Harold Ritchie Jr. and Jason Shell, and seniors Jeff Shell, Brandon Szuba and Brenton Harms all were qualifiers. According to coach Ritchie, that fact meant something different to each wrestler.

“It depends on their experience level,” coach Ritchie said. “For a guy like Tyler, it’s a huge thing. For guys like Harold, Jeff and Jason, it’s more about what happens when they get to state.”

At State, Jason placed sixth, Harold placed fourth, and Jeff placed second each in their respective weight classes. By the end of the season three records were set at North as well. Even with all of the personal achievements, Ritchie believes that the team could have accomplished more. Next year brings a new season that will require a lot of hard work, and some recruiting.

“Recruit, recruit, recruit,” coach Ritchie said. “That’s the only choice we’ve got. [We have] a few JV guys I hope will be able to step up, bet we definitely have some holes to fill.”