Grinding through the season looking for strong performances.  

Over Christmas break some of the Bullitt East wrestlers had the chance to compete at the Gladiator Individual Tournament and at the Valley Main Event Individual Tournament.

The wrestlers all had a good performance. The Gladiator Individual was held at Fern Creek high school and Valley Main Event was held at Valley high school. The team looks to continue the string performances as the season continues on their road to state.

Eastside Middle Schooler Logan Wells and sophomore Noah Jewell competed at the Gladiator Individual on Dec. 22. Wells placed fourth and Jewell placed second. With Jewell’s second place finish, it was the first time anyone from Bullitt East has placed that high in an individual tournament. Rival Fern Creek was at the tournament too and placed first.

Head Coach Tom Wells is impressed with his wrestling so far. “Noah is wrestling well this year … last year he had only a few wins …this year he has over 20!  Glad we have him two more years as he will only get better if he keeps working hard for it,” said Wells.

Eastside Middle Schooler Logan Wells placed sixth, junior Tucker Wells placed sixth, Justin Smith placed fourth, junior James Nash finished in third, junior Patrick Netherton came in at fourth place, senior Austin Smith finished in fourth place and Jewell placed fifth in the Valley Main Event on Dec. 30. Many wrestlers competed in this tournament.

Only in his first season as the head coach, Wells has continued to grow the wrestling team upward. “Individual wise we need to get a few of the wrestlers to win the bigger matches when they get themselves to the Semis … right now we are getting beat in those battles,” said Wells.

The team had many goals coming into the season. “The teams goal from the start of season is to compete for a Regional championship at years end, but we have experienced some injuries to some key wrestlers in our lineup so it’s gonna take some hard work and for everyone to get better and win their semi final matches,” said Wells. Senior Evan Spurgeon is one of the wrestlers that have been hit by an injury. Spurgeon is out for the year because of a tear in his shoulder in two places. He started physical therapy last week.

“We are at the midpoint in our season and we have had some success winning third place trophy at the Derby Classic Duals and a big dual sweep of Fern Creek, Central, and Fairdale early on,” said Wells. Wells says that the team’s focus is now on two individual tournaments at Fort Knox and South Oldham and then regions and the state tournament which will be held in Lexington at the Kentucky Horse Park.

The wrestling teams’ next meet will be on Jan. 10 at Doss High School as they will face the Doss Dragons. The next home meet will be on Jan. 24 against Pleasure Ridge Park and Shawnee High School.