Nevada wrestling coach David Hawks has a lot to be excited about heading into this winter. He returns a strong stable of letterwinners. The Tigers will also get to test themselves against a tough Big 8 Conference schedule for the first time.
“The new conference poses many challenges from a competition standpoint. There are several great coaches that have traditionally strong programs,” Hawks said. “Getting to compete with the likes of Monett and Seneca, who both are consistently at the top of their classes, is a great challenge. Logan-Rogersville is coming off a great season. The Marshfield program is becoming very competitive. The list goes on and on with wrestling teams that will be fun and challenging to compete with.”
Leading the way for Nevada will be two-time state qualifier Caleb Longbardi. Longbardi qualified for the Class 2 state tournament at 220 pounds, but lost his first two matches to see his tournament cut short.
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“I know that he did not wrestle to his potential at the state tournament, and he would tell you the same thing,” Hawks said. “As disappointed as Caleb was about his state tournament, we talked about how successful the overall season was and how much he had grown from his sophomore year to last year. This year we expect to see that same growth.”
Hawks will lean on a strong group of returning lettermen outside of Longbardi.
“We are fortunate to have several returning letterwinners. Much of our lineup will be made up of two and three year letter winners,” Hawks said. “It is nice to have several returners, they have been through the grind of the season and they know what to expect with our competitions.”
Hawks, a 2005 graduate of Nevada, has simple expectations entering his third year as head coach.
“We certainly expect our team to get better as the year progresses. We want our wrestlers to improve as wrestlers and individuals,” Hawks said. “We preach to our kids about being great in three aspects; in wrestling, in the classroom, and in the community. We want everyone in our program to excel in each of those three aspects.”
