THIEF RIVER FALLS Dan LeDuc is a marked man.
LeDuc graduated from Thief River Falls High School in 2006 with a school-record 186 wins in his wrestling career. But that record may be in jeopardy with the likes of junior Jordan Engen, freshman Steve Keogh, freshman Chaz Abrahamson and others emerging as dominant wrestlers.
"Jordan has a shot at it," Prowlers coach Kenny Geiser said. "He'll be close if he has two good years. Steve, if he doesn't get hurt, definitely has a chance to break our record. Chaz could if he has four really good seasons.
"Ten years ago this program, I believe, had only one win that season."
The Prowlers have come back all the way to elite status in Section 8AA. Thief River Falls was section runner-up two seasons ago and now the Prowlers are defending 8AA champions and coming off an 18-7 season.
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And the cupboard isn't bare, not with the likes of Engen (38-7), Keogh (40-7), Kyle LeDuc (36-7), Travis Peralta (36-9) and Kevin Fynboh (32-13) returning.
Engen became the 11th Prowler to reach 100 career wins last season; he's at 105. Fynboh (83), Keogh (79) and Peralta (67) all could join that exclusive club this season. Kyle LeDuc, a sophomore, has 46 career wins. Abrahamson was 12-2 as an eighth-grader last season. And freshman Jacoby Bergeron figures to ascend quickly up the chart when the 90-pounder becomes heavy enough.
"They're a mix of styles," Geiser said of his returning veterans. "Some are really good on their feet. Some are really good pinners, some are more finesse, while others are more physical. The things they all have in common are the competitive spirit and the desire to get better."
That shows in the offseason work.
Geiser said six of the current Prowlers competed in national tournaments since the last high school season. Peralta was runner-up at the National High School Coaches Association sophomore nationals. Bergeron was a freestyle and Greco-Roman All-American. Others didn't win honors but did win matches at the national level.
"We have a really good run of kids coming through," Geiser said. "For years, they've been going to offseason tournaments. Now they're going to see national competition. That makes a difference.
"These kids want to wrestle. And their parents are willing to put in the time and the investment to take them to offseason tournaments. That's huge. The kids who wrestle in the offseason and see the really good competition make the steps forward."
Whether that will get the Prowlers back to the state dual tournament remains to be seen. Offseason realignments shifted Perham into 8AA. The Yellowjackets, Geiser said, are ranked second in the state in the preseason. "We lost to them 37-21 last year and they have a lot of kids back," Geiser said. "They're definitely the team to beat in our section.
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"We lost some good seniors from last year's team. But by the end of this season, as the new kids gain experience, I think we could have a better lineup than we had last year. We'll be more balanced."
The challenge as a team is catching Perham. In the process, many Prowlers will be in pursuit of Dan LeDuc.
"At the time Dan got the record, I knew there was a chance he wouldn't have it for long," Geiser said, "that there were younger wrestlers coming up who had a chance to break that record."
Reach DeVillers at (800) 477-6572, ext. 128, (701) 780-1128 or by e-mail at gdevillers@gfherald.com .
