Messenger file photo: Bobby Thompson will coach his final dual at the Fort Dodge wrestling helm on Thursday night.

For the last time in their respective careers, seven Fort Dodge seniors will wrestle a dual in front of their home crowd on Thursday.

It will also be the last time head coach Bobby Thompson will coach a dual in the Dodger gym.

“I really haven’t started thinking about that yet (lasts),” Thompson said. “Hopefully we’ll end on a good note, and more importantly, the kids remember what it means to be Dodgers.”

It will be an Iowa Alliance Conference doubleheader, as both the Dodger boys and girls will face Marshalltown. Both junior varsity boys and girls will wrestle at 6:30 p.m. with varsity to follow.

“This is it dual-wise for the seniors at home,” Thompson said. “I hope they all get matches. It’s a big deal for the crowd and the kids.”

Seniors Sam Davidson, Angel Sandoval, Hunter Kasperbauer, Rylee Brown, Caiden Fraher, Jesse Egli and Dreshaun Ross will be honored with their parents prior to JV action.

Between the seven Dodgers, there are 11 state tournament berths.

This will also be the end of an era for several FDSH families. This will be the last Ross, Egli, Davidson and Kasperbauer in the program’s lineup from the current generation.

“It’s a big era (of seniors),” Thompson said. “After this season, there will be no more from some very familiar families in recent years.

“This group has been around our program for a long time.”

Ross, the Oklahoma State recruit, is charging toward a run at his fourth state championship.

Egli and Brown are both three-time state qualifiers and in search of their first medals. Davidson is a two-time state qualifier.

Thompson, who started his coaching career in Oklahoma, came back to Iowa with two stops before returning home in 2005.

“When I came back to Iowa from Oklahoma it was because my parents were getting older and the goal was to be close to home,” Thompson said. “The Ames job came up, and then I got even closer with Humboldt.

“When (long-time Dodger head coach) Ed (Birnbaum) got the administrative job, I came back home.”

The long-time coach currently has 305 career victories.

“Having that Dodger pride started with Fred Cooper building the program the right way,” Thompson said. “Then in more current times, it was people like (Don) Miller and (Ed) Birnbaum. They had already established the foundation by the time I got here.

“I just wanted to continue it.”

The Dodgers (5-3 overall) are coming off a fourth-place finish at the J-Hawk Invitational in Cedar Rapids.

Freshman Knox Ayala (106), junior Trace Rial (120) and Ross (285) were all champs. Sophomore Damien Yeoman (113), Brown (165) and Egli (190) were second.

Ross (21-0) has won 123 consecutive matches as a Dodger, and is 132-2 overal in his prep career. Ross has not lost since his freshman year, which is also the last time he has been taken down as well.

Both Brown (107) and Egli (106) went over the 100-win plateau this season.

The Dodger girls are coming off a fourth-place showing at the Iowa Alliance North Conference tournament on Tuesday.

Senior Mariaha Benedict (130) won her first conference title, while freshman Tori Jakeman (170) and Ava Potter (235).

Brooklyn Nelson (115) and Shayley Butrick (110) both took silver.

PROBABLE DODGER LINEUP

106 — Knox Ayala, fr., (19-4); 113 — Damien Yeoman, so., (17-8); 120 — Trace Rial, jr., (17-6); 126 — Aaron Perez, fr., (0-0); 132 — Hunter Kasperbauer, sr., (5-13); 138 — Angel Sandoval, sr., (1-11); 144 — Open; 150 — Amari McCaleb, so., (7-11); 157 — Caiden Fraher, sr., (13-10); 165 — Rylee Brown, sr., (17-6); 175 — Jayce Skow, jr., (4-6); 190 — Jesse Egli, sr., (18-6); 215 — Cael Adams, so., (5-14); 285 — Dreshaun Ross, sr., (21-0).

PROBABLE DODGER GIRLS LINEUP

100 — Lydia Cowell, fr., (10-30); 110 — Shayley Butrick, fr., (35-10); 115 — Brooklyn Nelson, so., (30-13); 120 — Adalyn Ford, fr., (17-24); 125 — Greyson Hinds, fr., (4-18); 130 — Mariana Taute, fr., (16-25); 135 — Mariaha Benedict, sr., (36-5); 140 — Desiree Austin, fr., (5-21); 145 — Rey Lacina, jr., (9-14); 170 — Tori Jakeman, fr., (23-23); 190 — Emma Potter, fr., (14-26); 235 — Ava Potter, fr., (35-4).