HOWARD — The East Knox Bulldogs wrestling team is caught in a numbers crunch this season.
The young Bulldogs are facing inexperience as well as some empty weight classes this year.
East Knox is missing several weight classes at both ends of the spectrum, unable to wrestle below 119 pounds or above 160 pounds.
“(Tournaments) become more individual when you are missing kids,” said East Knox coach Keith Kaufmann. “It’s pretty tough to expect that you are going to win a tournament with few kids. There’s not as much competition in the practice room and that hurts.”
The team has continued to improve throughout the season, as it picked up a pair of important wins against Mid-Buckeye Conference rivals Loudoville and Johnstown, then went up to the tough Fairless tournament in Navarre last Saturday and had a trio of top three placers.
The Bulldogs have freshman Noah Phillips at 119-pounds, but they also have Cole Enderle, another freshman, who is a match for him.
“Noah’s been wrestling at 119 since the start of the season,” said Kaufmann. “He’s being challenged by Cole. They are very even as far as their abilities and technique. They’re going to be battling each other out the rest of the season.”
