By RYAN RICHTER

Staff writer

Christmas will come a week early for area wrestling fans Friday at the Marion County Winter Duals, hosted by both Marion and Hillsboro High Schools.

Outside the Trojans and Warriors, 14 other teams from the central part of the state will be in action at both high school gymnasiums.

Of the 16 teams, 13 of them will feature at least one competitor ranked in the state’s top six in both 4 and 3-2-1A classes.

Four of them are presently amidst the state’s top 10 overall with a pair in both classes, and 11 state-ranked competitors with three top-ranked as well as a trio of second from 3-2-1A.

Class 4A will have six of its best in action, including one top-ranked, and a duo or number-two’s.

Marion’s 195-pound senior standout Tyler Palic was runner-up a year ago and ranked second as is Douglass’ 113-pound senior Ashton Dodson.

The Burlington Wildcats are already well acquainted with Marion and are ninth in 4A, headlined by third-ranked sophomore Cael Johnson.

Despite having a quartet of wrestlers ranked in the top six, Clay Center’s rounds out the top 10.

Teams are placed in four four-team pools with two pools competing at USD 408’s Sports and Aquatic Center in Marion and the two others wrestling at Robert C. Brown’s Gymnasium at Hillsboro.

Action starts at 3, 4, and 5 p.m. The top four teams will square off against each other in a championship bracket with additional brackets determined by pool performance.

Top teams in each pool will wrestle for first through fourth and the seconds in each pool will be going for fifth through eighth.

“There’s going to be some very solid teams, including a couple in 4A,” said Trojans coach Scott O’Hare. “There’s going to be a number of solid individuals as well.

“Our schedule has us set to see plenty of top-notch wrestling, this will be one of them.”