EPHRATA — The Tigers enter this winter with 55 wrestlers on the mats this season, led by first-year head coach Joe Knox.

Knox was a former assistant coach for the Tigers from 1995-2006 before serving as an assistant coach at Columbia Middle School from 2011-2023.

“I’m having a heck of a time coaching these guys, they’re a great bunch of kids,” Knox said. “It shows that they come from good families, and I’m really happy that I’m here. I hope that they’re enjoying wrestling too.”

Ephrata had four wrestlers compete at the 2A Mat Classic in Tacoma last year, with two of them placing; now-graduated wrestlers Hudson Sager, who took second in the 2A 160-pound bracket, and Jose Pelayo, who took fourth in the 2A 285-pound bracket. Ephrata’s lone returning state veteran is senior Zander Boyd.

“I did a bunch of summer wrestling, going to USA Tournaments and camps,” Boyd said. “That really helped push me to actually realize that I had a chance at going to state, so I just tried my best at practice every day, every meet, every match.”

Boyd is sharing that experience from last season with his fellow teammates, he said.

“Trying to show them what’s it like at the state level, showing how a state match would go; putting in the effort, consistency and how you practice,” Boyd said. “Showing them if you practice like this, you can make it to that state level.”

Even with just one returning state qualifier, Knox said he believes many of Ephrata’s upperclassmen have a shot at making it to the Tacoma Dome in February.

“I think that we’ve got some pretty good kids in the upper grades, seniors in particular,” Knox said. “I think those kids have real good shots at getting there; they work super hard, their technique is pretty solid.”

Among the standouts so far have been seniors Alex Gutierrez, Jorge Rodriguez, Walker Fulk and Hunter Keen, as well as sophomores Tavone Mantese, Braiden Stump and Austin Smith, Knox said.

“I feel like the kids are starting to understand what the standard is,” Knox said. “The seniors are leading the way, and you only go as far as the seniors will take you; they set the tone, but everybody’s following along.”

While it’s a long season, Knox said focusing on the minuscule aspects of wrestling will go a long way in increasing Ephrata’s state qualifiers once the postseason comes around.

“It’s all about effort,” Knox said. “I try not to get too hung up on what the results will be — I really believe that if we take care of the little things, all the stuff on a day-to-day basis, then the big things will take care of themselves. And the kids are doing the little things.”

The Tigers open the 2023-23 season with a road dual against Cashmere on Thursday, beginning at 6 p.m.

“I’m just looking for them to do the things that we’ve been training on, and every day just improving,” Knox said. “It’s been a continuous improvement, that’s what our big focus is and that’s what I’m looking for; from one match to the next, are we learning things? Are we improving?”

Ian Bivona may be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.

    Ephrata graduate Jose Pelayo, top, was one of two Tigers to place at the 2A Mat Classic in Tacoma last season.
  

    Ephrata graduate Hudson Sager, left, placed second at last year’s 2A Mat Classic in the 160-pound bracket.
  

Ephrata Boys Wrestling Schedule

Nov. 30 — @ Cashmere — 6 p.m.

Dec. 2 — @ Davis Invite — 9 a.m.

Dec. 5 — vs. Quincy — 7 p.m.

Dec. 7 — @ Ellensburg — 7 p.m.

Dec. 9 — @ West Valley (Spokane) Wrestling Invite — 9 a.m.

Dec. 14 — @ East Valley (Yakima) — 7 p.m.

Dec. 16 — @ Cadet Classic — 10 a.m.

Dec. 29 — @ Royal Christmas Tournament — 10 a.m.

Jan. 3 — @ Royal — 6 p.m.

Jan. 4 — vs. Prosser — 7 p.m.

Jan. 11 — @ Grandview — 7 p.m.

Jan. 12-13 — @ Post Falls — 7 p.m.

Jan. 20 — @ Quincy Mat Animal Tournament — 9 a.m.

Jan. 23 — vs. Selah — 7 p.m.

Jan. 25 — @ Othello — 7 p.m.