Eager to at last get several key returnees, delayed by the football team's well-known success, finally certified at their wrestling weights and in the practice room this week, Bayfield head coach Roy Westbrook was looking forward to leading his first squad into action this weekend.
"Things have been going pretty good, or as well as could be expected with only having six kids in the room," said the new skipper, taking the reins this winter from Cole Baughman. "So it will be a real game-changer having all the guys coming in off of football now."
And whatever rust may have accumulated on the Wolverines' mat skills during a lighter-than-usual summer and extended gridiron season, should get knocked off quickly starting Friday, Dec. 1, at the 24th annual Verde Duals - a two-day event hosted by Arizona Interscholastic Association small-school power Camp Verde.
"We're really excited, you know? It was kind of a mix-up, a last-minute decision with Flagstaff not being there," explained Westbrook, "and we kind of got together with the coaching staff and just decided since it's the same tournament style.to go there. And we know we're going to see a bunch of tough teams at that tournament."
Returning three of four AIA Division IV state champions (the exception being four-time king Hayden Uhler at 138 pounds) from last season, Camp Verde will definitely be at the top of that list as the 2A Cowboys finished third overall at last season's D-IV State Championships.
Also slated to attend is 5A Oro Valley Ironwood Ridge, which won the Div. I State Championship in 2016.
Bayfield, meanwhile, will begin the 2017-18 slate looking to retool a roster which graduated CHSAA Class 3A State Championships qualifiers Ryan Nava at 145, Macoy Michaeli at 170 and heavyweight Sam Westbrook, along with near-miss Cody Speece at 113.
However, now-seniors Garrett Beebe and Jake Sandrey are among those set to return and lead, with the former qualifying for State last year at 126 pounds and the latter at 132 while combining for a 71-22 record.
"Both know how to lead," said Westbrook. "They know what it takes to win, especially coming off of football! So I'm hoping that they will 'carry over' and take control. The other senior that I've got would be Lane Grimwood (a 152-pounder last season), and he looks like he's going to be tough this year."
Also ready to return are junior Daniel Westbrook at 195, sophomore John Foutz at 182 and soph Shane Moore at 160, with junior Colby Baker reportedly weighing his options after a season at 106.
"We're going to be a little green, having quite a bit of sophomores and a few freshmen," Roy Westbrook said, "but I think we'll have some good guys that will be in the hunt-for at least placing-at State."
"We've got some pretty well-seasoned kids, and I think we could have several go that far."
IN HIS ELEMENT: Westbrook, a 2007 Bayfield graduate who finished his prep grappling career with a fourth-place State finish at 135 pounds, noted so far that taking charge of the program has been relatively smooth.
"You know, it was kind of an easy transition for the most part because I'd already been in the room and coaching," he said, having served as an assistant last year. "It's a little more challenging in terms of the paperwork stuff I've got to have done, you know, and scheduling busses and whatnot, but all that will come with time."
