The Knights wrestling team are set to compete in a tournament this weekend at Francis Howell. This tournament is one of the largest ones they will be attending all year.

“This is a huge tournament so I’ve been lifting weights and practicing really hard,” sophomore Luke Rohlfing said.

Rohlfing could be potentially going up against Jack Flynn who is the state’s number one ranked wrestler in the 195 weight class. Flynn has already committed to Mizzou going into his senior year of wrestling.

“I’ve been working on technique a lot, and not being bothered by his ranking to prepare,” Rohlfing said.

The last time the Knights faced their rival Vikings they were blown out. The final score of the duel was 60-9 and the only two wrestlers who had victories in the duel were senior Jacob Smith and junior Dillon Lauer who are both returning state wrestlers.

“Varsity has had two-a-day practices last week and we have bumped up the drilling’s day live wrestling to condition our minds into set-ups and shot without taking the time to think,” junior Nathan Tatum said.

The team is looking to show what they are capable this tournament with the amount of skill they have.

“We all have had major strides from last season to this season and it has made us more confident in not just ourselves but as we look as a team,” Tatum said.

This is Tatum’s second tournament since coming back from a concussion. He has been trying to cut his weight down to 160, previously wrestling at 170.

“I have gone through intense team practices, weightlifting and getting in multiple hour runs on my treadmill for about the past two weeks,” said Tatum.

The Kyle Thrasher Tournament is the biggest tournament in the area. It is hosted by the Vikings and has over 30 teams that show up to compete. Last year’s winner was the Vikings which was the first time in six years the hosts have won. The top five teams of last year’s tournament were the following: Howell (173.5 points), Whitfield (172.5 points), O’Fallon (167 points), Lafayette (154.5 points), and Jefferson City (153.5 points). The tournament will be on January 26-27, 2018.