-Messenger photo by Britt Kudla Dru Ayala of Fort Dodge will be going for his 100th career win at the Iowa Alliance Conference Tournament.

DES MOINES — For Bobby Thompson, the postseason starts Saturday.

The eighth-ranked Dodgers will take part in the first ever Iowa Alliance Conference Tournament at Des Moines North High School.

Action will begin at 10 a.m., with the finals to start at approximately 2:45 p.m.

“We are excited about having this tournament, considering the pending weather,” Thompson said. “We want to try to get some momentum going and make this the right way to start to the postseason.

“We are working toward the peak and we want to get rolling to regional duals.”

The Dodgers will be joined by Ames, Des Moines East, Des Moines Lincoln, Des Moines North-Hoover, Des Moines Roosevelt, Marshalltown, Mason City, Ottumwa and Waterloo East.

“There is a good mix of teams,” Thompson said. “I was looking at Marshalltown and they have some good guys and Ottumwa and Ames does as well.

“There are some solid individuals in the field.”

Fort Dodge is coming off two dual victories over Mason City and Des Moines Lincoln on Tuesday.

Saturday’s action will kickstart the run to Wells Fargo Arena. The Dodgers will travel to Johnston on Tuesday for a Class 3A regional dual with Johnston and Le Mars.

Fort Dodge has a bye in the first round.

The following Saturday, Feb. 4, will be state duals in Des Moines. District wrestling is Feb. 11 in the Dodger gym.

Fort Dodge senior and sixth-ranked Max Bishop (120) picked up his 100th career win on Tuesday, becoming the 31st Dodger to do so.

Top-ranked junior Dru Ayala (113), a state runner up a year ago, enters Saturday’s meet with a career mark of 99-10 and looks to join that same club.

Third-ranked junior Damarion Ross (160) has a career mark of 87-29.

Second-rated freshman Dreshaun Ross picked up his 31st victory of the season, knocking off top-ranked Iowa State recruit McCrae Hagarty of Waverly-Shell Rock in the 195 pound final.

PROBABLE DODGER LINEUP

106 — Sam Davidson, fr., (13-13); 113 — Dru Ayala, jr., (26-1); 120 — Max Bishop, sr., (20-10); 132 — Rylee Brown, fr., (20-16); 138 — Koy Davidson, so., (20-4); 145 — Bo Cowell, jr., (12-18); 152 — Jesse Egli, fr., (18-17); 160 — Damarion Ross, jr., (32-3); 170 — Cal Hartman, jr., (27-10); 182 — Open; 195 — Dreshaun Ross, fr., (31-2); 220 — Collin Munter, sr., (16-18); 285 — Keaton Nichols, sr., (22-10).