EAGLE GROVE - Six wrestling teams will try to chip top-ranked Ballard-Huxley's armor today in the 71st annual Eagle Grove Invitational.

The Bombers cruised to the team championship here last season, winning nine of the 14 individual titles on their way to a 76-point victory.

Joining Class 2A's best on Saturday will be host Eagle Grove, Fort Dodge, Emmetsburg, Algona, Ankeny, Oskaloosa and the JV All-Stars.

Weigh-ins will begin at 9 a.m. Wrestling action starts at 11 a.m. in the Eagle Grove High School gym. Semifinals will tentavily start at 3 p.m. with the finals beginning at approximately 6 p.m.

The Dodgers are coming off a 41-25 setback to Ankeny in their season opener, but are hoping to get a few of those matches back today.

"Last year Ankeny beat us in the dual and we reversed some of those matches in Eagle Grove,'' said Fort Dodge head coach Bobby Thompson. "This tournament will be tough. Ballard has four No. 1s, Algona is one of the most solid teams. Every team has a couple of solid kids.''

Thompson knows its early so the Dodgers are ready to get their feet weight in the tournament aspect of the season.

"We have 13 guys, so we would like to get at least 13 wins,'' Thompson said. "We want to see everybody get more than two matches and gain some valuable expierence. For three fourths of these guys, it's their first tournament.''

There will be five top-ranked wrestlers in the tournament, all coming from Class 2A. Ballard's Tanner Hiatt (140), Willie Miklus (145), Tanner Weatherman (152) and Brock Weatherman (171) are all No. 1. Manson Northwest Webster transfer Skyler Rice, who is now wrestling for Emmetsburg, is the top wrestler in 2A at 135.

Eight champions return to the field this year, including Emmetsburg's Isaac Lundgren and Jake Morris. Ballard's Dakota Bauer, Miklus, Tanner Weatherman, Hiatt, Brock Weatherman and Algona's Logan Johnson were all champions last season.

The Dodgers enter with junior Matt Birnbaum ranked sixth at 103 and three time state qualifying senior Cole Clarken rated No. 5 at 145.

Clarken will be pitted in one of the toughest weights today with three ranked wrestlers. Miklus won the 125-pound title in Eagle Grove last season. Also at the weight is Oskaloosa's fourth-ranked Brett Sams. Sams was third at 140 pounds last year.

"145 is defintely the toughest weight,'' Thompson said. "You have three ranked kids, including No. 1 and a handful of other solid wrestlers.''

Three ranked wrestlers are also at 189 pounds. Emmetsburg's Jake Morris is sixth, Eagle Grove's Bryce Olson is eighth and Ankeny's Erik Rasmussen is rated ninth.

Morris was the 189-pound champion last year. Rasmussen defeated Olson for third at 171 pounds a year ago.

It will be a tough field once again, but young wrestlers and experienced wrestlers will get some valuable expereince early on.

"This is a solid tournament and a good one for us,'' Thompson said. "We just want to get better every outing.''

Contact Chris Johnson at (515) 573-2141 or by e-mail at sports@messengernews.net