Indiana wrestling is a much bigger community than some may expect and with the season slamming into full gear next week expectations are high for some athletes. With returning varsity competitors and new faces having been raised by dominant alumni there are hopes that a state championship could be in store. However, there is still plenty in question regarding this year’s team and what each individual can accomplish. Here is a preview at the 2022-2023 HSE Wrestling roster and what some of the biggest anticipations are.

Leading off the lower weight classes, as well as the young blood fronting the team this year, is Gia Nguyen, a 106-pound sophomore. Following that Junior David Ixba will be heading up the 113-pound class and Sophomore Nicholas Anderson will take on the 120 pound class. These young starters are both intriguing and exciting as they may not be set in stone as some of the best for this season, but they have a lot of time left in HSE wrestling and that means time to prove themselves and develop.

The 126 class will see Senior Ethan Berens as the starter. As the lightest-class senior on the team Berens will not only be tasked with dominating his matchups but also helping the development of Nguyen, Ixba, and Anderson. With both the 138-pound and 145-pound wrestlers still to be determined through “wrestle-off” competitions the next class to look at is 152-pounds where Junior Zachary Lang will attempt to make his presence known. This is one of the more interesting groups when it comes to HSE wrestling because not only will their skills be tested but also their leadership.

Finally, the heavier weight-classes are where some the true excitement exists in Southeastern Wrestling as Zachary Wagner will be the leader in the 182-pound class and Jackson Goodyear will head the 220. These two seniors have not only been committed wrestlers in the program for all of their high school careers but also have been intense competitors on other sports teams. Wagner, this year being his first as a starter on the team, has also been a catcher on the baseball team and a long snapper on the football team. Goodyear was also involved in HSE football, and this year will also be his first start. Wrapping up the teams roster is Dominic Burgett. Coming off an all-conference season as a defensive end for HSE Football there is a lot of anticipation regarding Burgett’s season, if he can get healthy. Ranked as 7^th in the 285-pound/heavy-weight class Burgett has been a force on the mat. However, with various knee injuries plaguing his football season there are worries he could be held back.

All in all, with Burgett ranked in his class and Zach Lang ranked 11^th the excitement around the Royals has some legitimacy. However, there are a lot of questions still to be answered this season. -Story by Alex Boothby.