The fifth-ranked Fort Dodge wrestling team will hit the home mat for the first time this season as the Dodgers host a triangular in the Dodger gym on Thursday.

It will be a busy evening for Fort Dodge, which will have its first girl/boy varsity twinbill.

Action begins at 5:30 p.m. on two mats, with both Dodger squads facing Des Moines East.

Junior varsity girls and boys will follow.

Urbandale and Des Moines East will be next at approximately 7 p.m., followed by JV.

The Dodger boys and Urbandale meet at approximately 8:30 p.m. on two mats with JV and varsity.

Fort Dodge is coming off the Dan Gable Donnybrook tournament in Coralville, where 113-pounder Dru Ayala and 138-pounder Koy Davidson both placed third. Freshman Dreshaun Ross (195) was fourth.

“Obviously it’s early, but our guys showed a lot of fight,” said FDSH head coach Bobby Thompson. “We have some things we need to work on, but they are ready to keep competing.”

In Fort Dodge’s first dual action of the season, they lost to No. 1 Southeast Polk.

The Dodgers will have three home meets before Christmas Break. They host the Don Miller Invitational on Dec. 17, then take on Des Moines Hoover, Des Moines North and Bondurant-Farrar on Dec. 22.

“It will definitely be nice to get out in front of our home crowd,” Thompson said. “We have a tough tournament grind in Council Bluffs this weekend, so this is an opportunity to build some momntum.”

Fort Dodge enters the 40-team Council Bluffs Classic with eight ranked wrestlers.

“That tournament is loaded,” Thompson said. “There will be nationally ranked opponents and this will be a bonding experience for our guys. It’s another good measuring stick.”

Thompson sees the value in building early chemistry.

“Everybody looks at wrestling as an individual sport, but the team factor is so important,” Thompson said. “They have so much support from each other, and when you come together as a team, you prioritize doing well (as a group).”

The Dodger girls are coming off competition at Waverly-Shell Rock on Tuesday. Defending state champion Alexis Ross went 4-0 and finished first at 140 pounds. Freshman Mariaha Benedict was fifth with a 4-1 record.

“We’ve talked and they have to find their way,” said FDSH girls head coach Jon Koenig. “We just have to keep getting better every single day.”

PROBABLE DODGER LINEUP

106 — Sam Davidson, fr., (2-2); 113 — Dru Ayala, jr., (5-1); 120 — Max Bishop, sr., (2-4); 125 — Kane Butrick, jr., (5-2); 130 — Rylee Brown, fr., (2-4); 138 — Koy Davidson, so., (5-1); 145 — Bo Cowell, jr., (2-4); 152 — Damarion Ross, jr., (6-1); 160 — Jesse Egli, fr., (2-4); 170 — Mason Liska, so., (1-5); 182 — Cal Hartman, jr., (3-3); 195 — Dreshaun Ross, fr., (4-2); 220 — Colin Munter, sr., (1-5); 285 — Keaton Nichols, sr., (3-3).