Outlook is bright for MatCats

Nearly 50 athletes are trying out for the Columbia Falls wrestling team, a development that brings a smile to head coach Jessie Schaeffer.

“It’s exciting to see,” Schaeffer said last week. “It makes you feel good to see the program going in the right direction.”

For the first time in years, the team will field wrestlers in all of the weight classes.

Schaeffer said the emphasis has been on the team and team development. The success of the program has been a long time in the making. Schaeffer has been head coach for six years and its taken time to rebuild the program. Schaeffer said his brother Ben, and colleague Rick Lawrence, have been working diligently with junior high-level students to draw more interest in the demanding sport.

The athletes have also come together as well. It’s all about mutual support.

“It’s been a positive environment,” Schaeffer said. The emphasis has been on character and team development, not necessarily wins.

“We’re showing that we care about them,” he said.

Out of that, the wins will come.

“I’m expecting excellent things from everyone in the room,” Schaeffer said. “We’re really focusing on a team effort.”

And it’s a young group. The team has just two seniors — Sal Baccaro and Cody Bartos.

Baccaro went 3-2 at the state A tournament last year, taking fifth in the 112-pound weight class. Junior Justin Whitman is the team’s other returning state wrestler. Whitman was fifth last season in the 119-pound weight class. Bartos is coming off of two years in which he suffered injuries.

Last year’s team sent 10 wrestlers to the state tournament and had five wins at the divisional tournament.

“I think we’ll exceed that,” this year, Schaeffer said.

He said the toughest competition in the conference will likely come from Polson.

But Schaeffer would also like to open the season with a dual win against Ronan. As a coach, he’s never beaten the Chiefs in a dual and he’d like to before they move down to class B next year. The Cats have their season opener with back-to-back duals at home against Whitefish and Ronan Dec. 3. Wrestling starts at 4 p.m. with junior varsity matches.

The Cats are on the road until Dec. 21, when they face Libby at home.