CORALVILLE — Bobby Thompson of course wanted his Fort Dodge wrestling team to excel at the loaded Dan Gable Donnybrook tournament.
Thompson witnessed a little of everything and plenty for the Dodgers to take away from the experience on the mat. The trip itself, though, is what will pay long-term dividends in the eyes of the veteran FDSH head coach.
“I see a bond forming with our team these first three days (at Southeast Polk on Thursday, followed by the trip to Coraville on Friday and Saturday),” Thompson said. “Watching them come together early on — that’s what matters most. These trips are important for camaraderie and chemistry. We had a lot of matches and saw elite competition, but we’re building toward something bigger and creating more of a family atmosphere in the process. That’s kind of the big-picture take on (the first week).”
Junior Dru Ayala, sophomore Koy Davidson and freshman Dreshaun Ross all reached the semifinal round of the event, which attracted 38 programs from six different midwest states. Ayala and Davidson earned bronze medals at 113 and 138 pounds, respectively, with Ross taking fourth at 195.
Fort Dodge won 37 total matches, with all 14 Dodgers earning at least one victory.
The top-ranked (Class 3A, IAWrestle) Ayala bounced back from a loss to national No. 2 Seth Mendoza of Mount Carmel, Ill. by defeating national 15th-rated Michael Olson of Albert Lea, Minn. for third place. Earlier on Saturday, Ayala took down standout freshman Jake Knight of Bettendorf, 6-4 in sudden victory.
“Dru should have been the No. 2 seed (Ayala was fourth), but that was an incredibly deep and talented weight class and he held his own,” Thompson said. “The kid Dru faced in the semis (Mendoza) was unbelievable, but Dru held his own for a lot of that match.”
The second-rated Davidson — like Ayala, a 2022 state runner-up — also went 4-1 and rebounded in the bronze match from a setback against national No. 16 Chris Coates of Liberty, Mo. Coates was edged by national No. 3 Ryder Block of Waverly-Shell Rock in the finals, 1-0.
“Koy’s a sophomore; Block and Coates are seniors, Div. I recruits and multi-time state champions,” Thompson said. “That was a loaded bracket and Koy was really competitive. He fought hard and will only keep growing and getting better.”
The freshman sensation Ross dropped a 3-1 sudden-victory decision to No. 1 Waverly-Shell Rock senior McCrae Hagarty — an Iowa State University recruit — for third place. Ross also fell to national No. 5 Cole Mirasola of Wisconsin in the semis.
“This was a good experience for Dreshaun,” Thompson said. “He was right there with Hagarty, who is one of the best in the state. Again, I think experience played a factor to a certain extent. Dreshaun had some opportunities. He’s only going to keep getting more confident and productive at this level as time goes. Dreshaun is still 14 years old — I know people look at him and see a man, but like with all 14 year olds, there is a learning curve and that’s OK.
“I think all of our wrestlers learned the importance of setting the pace and tempo yourself. Sometimes kids get a little caught up in the rankings and hype of their opponent and they go from being aggressive to a little more unsettled. We have to have the same mentality and confidence regardless of who we’re facing. You can’t let the other guy dictate the style and find their rhythm. And that’s as much mental as it is physical.”
Third-ranked junior Damarion Ross went 5-1 at 152 pounds, and classmate Kane Butrick was 4-2 at 126.
“Damarion lost 6-4 to a kid who finished third, and he could’ve won that match,” Thompson said. “He wrestled great after that, but I really think Damarion could have been in the finals so I know he was a little disappointed.
“Kane won some big matches and lost some tight ones. He’s getting there. Showed some resilience and fight.”
Junior Cal Hartman (3-2 at 182) and senior Keaton Nichols (3-2 at 285) both prevailed in three matches. Fifth-rated senior Max Bishop (120), junior Bo Cowell (145) and freshmen Sam Davidson (106), Rylee Brown (132) and Jesse Egli (160) earned two victories each.
“I know Max didn’t get the results he wanted, but he wrestled well,” Thompson said. “Collin (Munter) was right there at 220 even though he struggled record-wise (going 1-4). It’s early-December. We made some mistakes, but we’re young and we’ll keep improving. The kids were rallying around each other and found a balance between getting down to business and having fun in a big-time environment. That’s what it’s all about.”