Boys' basketball and wrestling season underway in Red Oak

RED OAK - Winter sports for the boys began last week as the basketball started with 29 players out for the team and wrestling has 18.

Neither team starts competing until after the Thanksgiving weekend as basketball tips its season off at St. Albert (Council Bluffs) on Dec. 1, while the wrestling team gets stared in a home triangular against Missouri Valley and Denison, Dec. 3.

The wrestling team is returning sophomore state competitor, Seth Esaias at the 160-pound class.

Esaias lost in the first round of the state meet to the eventual state champion and was pinned by the fourth-place wrestler in the first consolation round.

The Tigers have senior leadership this year with Lucas Orme and Zach Lukehart (wrestled all four years).

The boys basketball team is hoping to rebound from a rough year last season.

After their 2-20 season (2-16 in Hawkeye 10), the Tigers are returning all but one starters.

“We have a lot of experience on the court this year,” Red Oak Head Coach Brad Schlieman said. “Now we’ll just have to put that experience together to win some games.”

Cody Walford and Jackson Miller will have to step up again in the paint as Walford led all returners scorers averaging 7.9 points per game while Miller led the team with 3.8 rebounds per game, both as juniors.