DesotoExplorer.com

His matches long over and De Soto's day done, freshman Demetrius Hall sat with his team Saturday watching the final rounds of a wrestling tournament in Atchison.

The De Soto wrestling squad has been largely comprised of rookies from day one, so that Hall and his teammates bowed out early came as no surprise. Every Cat was eliminated from competition by the semi-final round of the consolation bracket.

It wouldn't even be a stretch to call it a productive day - the Wildcats won a handful of matches, wrestled well in a dozen others and continued it's consistent progress.

Hall couldn't shake it, however. He won a match, advanced a round in the consolation bracket, looked as strong, fast and fundamentally sound as he had all season.

His goals don't just include looking strong, fast or fundamentally sound, however.

"I wasn't happy with myself because I lost two and only won one," Hall said. "I just want to try my hardest, go as hard as I can and at least try to make a run at regionals."

Hall has the same problem most of the rest of the Cats are suffering from. He just doesn't have as much experience as the kids he's running up against.

He wrestled hard Saturday at Atchison, falling in the first round of the 135-pound bracket, but rebounding with a win on the backside. He beat Alex Garst of Oskaloosa, then again wrestled hard in a loss to Tim Wright of Jefferson West.

Hall wrestled last year as an eighth grader, but that one season is all he has under his belt.

"I have a lot of catching up to do," Hall said. "A whole bunch of us are just starting off this year."

Hall said the few Cats who did return with experience have been a big help. Tom Beaver, the team's only senior, broke his ankle earlier this month and is done for the season, but veterans Todd Atchison and Sammy Seibolt have helped the young starters out whenever possible.

That doesn't mean Seibolt and Atchison are immune from learning their own lessons.

Both won their first matches of the day, Seibolt pinning Raven Davies of Horton at 125 pounds and Atchison pinning Phillip Pestinger of Christian Prep at 119 pounds.

Both struggled once they got to the consolation bracket, however. Atchison lost a disputed match which was twice stopped to allow for the score to be clarified. At one point, down two at the end of the third and final round, 20 seconds were added back on the clock and Atchison's deficit was cut to one.

He couldn't take advantage, however, a desperate surge attempting to notch one point coming up short.

Donnie Parr was the only other Cat to come away with any wins, picking up a 3-2 decision over Bryant Jones of Marysville in the 171-pound bracket.

"It's frustrating but it is progress," De Soto coach Shannon Sawner said. "We started with a program that had nine total varsity wins last year and we've already quadrupled that.

"We have to try to keep positive and keep getting better."