DARLINGTON — After two years as an assistant coach, Casey Horne takes over as co-head coach of WarBirds program, with Noah Steinmann. Former Darlington star wrestler Kolbe Ubersox will assist the pair.

Returning on the mat for the Darlington-Black Hawk program are Matt King (9-5 last season), Brady Horne (25-9), Owen Huschitt (23-13), Jhovanny Cruz (4-22), Richard Cruz (7-16), Joseph Standaert (2-11), Wiley Zasada (2-12), Bryan Lazaro (0-2) and Anton Evans (4-3). Huschitt advanced to sectionals with a second-place regional finish at 152 pounds. Richard Cruz was third at 132 in the regional. Brady Horne (160) was fifth  at the regiona, and Jhovanny Cruz (145) was sixth.

Newcomers include junior Cade Stietz and freshmen Breylin Goebel, Braylen Boer, Ethan Aird, Carson Mosely, and Tye and Eli Crist.

A season ago as a sophomore wrestling at 152-pounds, Huschitt was one of three WarBirds to qualify for sectionals. The other two — state-qualifier Carson Lobdell (195) and Bailey Schilling (220) — both graduated.

Coach Horne said the upper weights will be team strengths, based on the experience returning with King, Huschitt and Brady Horne. Lower weights, however, will be a problem, give that the team will be “missing a couple of weight classes.”

Another issue facing the WarBirds this year — all schools, actually — are the WIAA restrictions on matches. Essentially, the WIAA is allowing just one dual a week, with no invitationals or tournaments. That means wrestlers will wrestle against opponents less than 10 times before regionals.

The coaching staff said that if their grapplers stay focused, work hard, push each other to be better and simply make the most of each practice, good things are bound to happen on the mat, regardless of the lack of usual opportunity.

“I believe in all of these young men,” coach Horne said. “I expect them to work hard and win a lot of matches.”