Protecting an injured left hand late in the football season with a padded glove akin to a UFC striker’s, if Kendrick Nossaman didn’t look prepared enough to be in the gridiron trenches, he at least looked geared for a brawl.
Or as if he’d just emerged from one.
Either way, the sophomore Bobcat displayed the sort of toughness prized by both head coach Alfonso “Ponch” Garcia and IHS Field public-address announcer Jordan Larsen as he gave his healing paw hardly a moment’s worth of pause. And apparently, even with the 2022-23 high school wrestling season’s first action slated for Friday, nothing’s changed.
“Last week and a half he hasn’t said a word about it, and God willing it stays that way, you know?” Larsen, back for another winter as Ignacio Wrestling’s head coach, said after Monday evening’s practice. “He’s gone to an appointment or two to get checkups, but he’s doing well in practice – he’s pretty stoked.”
The team also is stoked to have two CHSAA Class 2A State Championship qualifiers back in the fold. Senior Keaton McCoy, who went to Denver last season at 145 pounds, and chose to forego playing football this fall in order to focus on earning a third trip to state plus a podium finish, is back for Ignacio’s boys. Senior Faye Hackett, who wrestled in the all-classification girls’ tourney at 127 pounds, is also back to lead Ignacio’s girls. Larsen and lead assistant Ryan Boyce seemed pleased about the preseason enthusiasm.
“You know, in the week or two prior to the season we’ll run … an ‘open room’ four days a week, and we probably had an average of 12 to 15 kids – boys and girls together – that were coming,” said Larsen. “And as of (Monday), we ended up with … eight girls and nine boys out. So we’re pretty happy.”
“I wish we had a few more boys,” he said, “but there’s tons of young kids – five freshmen, a couple sophomores – bringing in some fair talent, and we … haven’t necessarily had that in years. We’re really excited. Practices have been going well.”
In addition to Nossaman, who finished the ’21-22 season competing at 152 pounds, Bobcats eligible to return from last year’s varsity roster include senior John Riepel (160) and sophomore Asher Gallegos (126). Following a solid season in pads and cleats, junior Nate Hendren – who’d wrestled in middle school – has come out for the team.
Ignacio is set to make its season debut at a Bayfield-hosted quad, set to begin at 4 p.m. Friday, against the Wolverines, Pagosa Springs and Piedra Vista (New Mexico).
Larsen also exhorted the prospects of freshmen Lincoln deKay, Zane Pontine and Aven Bourriague.
“Those guys were mid-school state qualifiers, and all three are bringing in some good experience,” he said. “Asher … went to two different camps this summer with us, and he’s turning a corner coming into his sophomore year. He’s going to be tough. And Nate … he’s just an athlete; we’re looking forward to having him.”
The Hackett-powered Lady ’Cats, now double in number compared to last season, will be coached by Aimee Larsen, and aided by not only Jordan Larsen but Boyce and volunteers Cody Haga, J.D. Brunson and Durango alum Mike Morrissey.
“Talk about a wealth of wrestling knowledge; we’re just really happy to have all those people,” Jordan Larsen said. “My wife Aimee – who’s been (coaching) with us for a couple years, just not in an official capacity – is going to jump in there, and … she’s learning with the girls, of course, but she’s a former athlete and she’s loving it. And the girls love her.”
“Girls’ wrestling is still very new to me too,” he added, “but to see those girls eating it up – talking about … making weight and all that – it’s pretty cool. With our girls, you know, a lot are of course new; with that said it’s been going really well.”
Ignacio’s girls are also slated to travel first to Farmington on for the Scorpion Invitational. The boys will next see action on Dec. 8 at a triangular hosted by Montezuma-Cortez. Both crews will then travel on the Dec. 10 – the boys to the Dove Creek ‘Dawg Fight,’ and the girls to the Bloomfield (New Mexico) Bobcat Duals.
