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Wildcat Wrestlers Open Season in Sidney

The Circle Wildcat wrestling team started their season at the big Sidney Eagle Invitational on Dec. 1-2. The tournament brings in quite a few out-of-state teams which ramps up the competition level. Teams from Post Falls, ID and Lake Stevens, WA have been coming to the Sidney Eagle for years and historically both teams finish in the top of the team placings. This year was no exception since Post Falls won the tournament by a 42-point margin and Lake Stevens finished in 5th place.

The Wildcats have a young team this year with only one senior wrestler, Cierra Norton, who is competing on the girl's team along with sophomore Jacee Richardson. Circle will have several 8th grade wrestlers who will be joining the team in December to add to the current 4-man roster on the boy's team.

Circle had one wrestler place in Sidney – Jacee Richardson finished in 2nd place for the girls at 152 pounds. “She started out her season really strong to finish 2nd in Sidney,” said head coach Ty Taylor. “She dominated on Saturday, pinning her way to 2nd place.”

The Wildcat team is looking forward to a new season with a new team and they also have some new coaches on the staff. Cade Taylor, who has been coaching the junior high team for many years and happens to be Ty's brother, has come up as the assistant coach this year on the high school team as well. “He has a lot to add to our program. We're glad to have him,” said Taylor.

The team also has some former wrestlers helping this year as volunteer coaches, which is a big asset, according to Taylor. “It's awesome to have these guys coming back to help. They have seen success on our team in the past and now they can show these kids how to accomplish the same thing, hopefully,” said Taylor. “This is how programs continue to be successful…having guys graduate and then come back to help. It has a huge impact on the team.”

The Circle Wildcats have been very competitive at the state level over the years. They had a run of five consecutive state titles from 2018-2022 and they finished 4th at state last year. When asked about their past success, Taylor seemed optimistic about their future as well. “We have a very young team with a lot of 8th graders coming up. I see a lot of talent in the future for us to work with. I hope they can see the success we've had in the past and want to be a part of that [success] now,” Taylor said. “It takes a lot of hard work, but it makes the wins all the more rewarding.”