Carson High wrestling has high hopes for 2019-2020 campaign

Carson High wrestling will start the year with five empty weight classes, but that doesn’t mean any of the Senators’ goals have changed.

Five absent weights at the beginning of the season doesn’t mean Carson won’t fill some of those weights throughout the year either.

The nine Senator wrestlers who will start the year on the varsity lineup have plenty of experience to build off of as well.

Opening varsity lineup

Carson’s returning experience starts with senior David Remer, who was a 4A state runner-up last year at 182 pounds.

This season, coach Nick Redwine has Remer slated to wrestle at 195 pounds, but the Senators’ head coach has left some room open should Remer work his way down to 182.

“He’s going to be tough to beat,” said Redwine of Remer.

Remer isn’t the only state tournament qualifier to return for Carson as Alex Wells is back for his senior season as well. As a junior, Wells took third in his regional at 152 pounds in order to qualify for the state tournament where he was 0-2.

Redwine has Wells penciled in at 160 pounds and surrounded by other Senators who are looking for a run at the state tournament.

Ariel Vega, Luis Mayoral and Maximus Harris were all fourth-place finishers at regionals last year, missing the state tournament by a lone win in their final matches.

All three wrestlers are back in the singlets for their junior seasons.

Vega will wrestle at 113 this year while Mayoral and Harris will grapple at 126 and 138 pounds, respectively.

“We’re hoping they kind of turn that corner this year in the regional tournament,” said Redwine.

Sophomore Clinton Dewitt will start the season wrestling at 132 pounds for the Senators to round out the lower weights.

In the middle weights, Carson also returns junior Gabriel Madera, who is expected to compete at 152 pounds.

Thomas Leggot and Jeremy Heaton will hold down the 170- and 182-pound weight classes in the season’s early going.

As of Friday, the Senators were without varsity wrestlers at 106, 120, 145, 220 and heavyweight.

“We might be able to get most of them filled eventually with weight descension plans,” said Redwine. “We’re probably going to be short 220s and heavies all year.”

Carson has 28 wrestlers on the roster for its upcoming campaign, meaning Redwine will have wrestlers that could make the jump to varsity before the year is out.

Northern Nevada competition

The goals never change for the Senators and Redwine.

Even with several empty spots in the lineup, Carson still intends to continue winning the league and qualify for state.

“That’s really how we judge how well are season went is by how many kids make it to the state tournament,” said Redwine. “I’m hoping for around seven, maybe eight (state qualifiers).”

As a team, Carson was fifth at the regional meet last season behind Spanish Springs, Reed, Bishop Manogue and McQueen.

Redwine fully expects the Cougars to continue their year-to-year run as one of the toughest teams in Northern Nevada.

In the Sierra League, Redwine has his eyes set on matchups with Bishop Manogue, Damonte Ranch and the rivals to the south, Douglas.

“Spanish Springs, I don’t want to say they are unbeatable at that tournament, but they have six or seven guys in the finals every year,” Redwine said. “They’re a juggernaut.”

Carson opens the season Saturday in Fallon at 9 a.m. for the first varsity duals of the season.