Luke Moffitt can’t wait to see where his Iowa Central wrestling team is come March.

“There are bigger rewards (down the stretch of the season),” Moffitt said. “We don’t put too much emphasis on the early part of the year. We have much more important things to prepare for.”

The third-ranked Tritons will open the home portion of their schedule on Friday, as they square off with Hawkeye Community College inside Hodges Fieldhouse at 7 p.m.

The Tritons have already been on the mat a few times this season, beating Iowa Lakes in a dual and competing at the Yellowjacket Open and Grand View Open. They have four returning All-Americans on their roster, a year after placing fifth at the national tournament.

The team has a few athletes currently fighting through injuries, so lineups right now may look much different once 2026 rolls around.

“It’s a process and you have to be patient,” Moffitt said. “Guys want to practice, but we’ve had to hold them back because of injuries and hold them accountable.

“Some can only run and some can only shadow wrestle. They just have to wait it out.”

Matt Roach, Mikey Myer, Kaden King and Tegan Sherk return after All-American campaigns in 2024-25. A year after finishing eighth at 141 pounds, Roach has moved up to 139 and is ranked fifth.

“He went up a weight after he put in a lot of time this summer and added size,” said Moffitt. “Right now, he’s trying to make the (necessary) adjustments.

“He was at the bottom of the podium last year and wants to move up. He has already knocked off a William Penn kid that was ranked ahead of him.”

Myers (157) was an All-American two years ago for the Tritons, when he placed seventh at 165 pounds.

Also back is Kaden King (165), who grabbed third a year ago and enters the season rated No. 1.

Iowa Central has added an All-American in Tegan Sherk, who transferred from Ridgewater after placing third in the country. Shrek is currently No. 1.

“Tegan came to us looking for a training partner,” Moffitt said. “He liked what he saw and decided to join us.”

In the second part of the season, the Tritons will add transfer Isaiah Powe, who is No. 5 at 141. Powe comes to Iowa Central from Tennessee Chattanooga, a Div. I program.

Powe has been wrestling unattached so far this year. He won the Grand View Open.

Iowa Central returnee Umair Ahmad is the fourth-rated wrestler at 197 pounds.

Jarrel Miller, a former Iowa commit, could be an immediate contributor.

“He’s No. 6 in the country and hasn’t stepped on the mat yet,” Moffitt said. “He was a Fargo champion.”

Other key additions for Iowa Central are Zamin Anwar at heavyweight and Damarcus Powe (197).

“Zamin won both the Yellowjacket Open and the Grand View Open,” Moffitt said. “He will definitely be in the new rankings when they come out.”

Powe, the younger brother of Isaiah Powe, is already off to a 6-0 start. He beat Iowa State’s Justin Helgeson in the Grand View Open.

Area wrestlers for the Tritons will be former Fort Dodge state qualifier Hunter Richardson (149) and Webster City graduate Landon Griffin (heavyweight), a state medalist with the Lynx.