Wrangell senior Jackson Carney enters the new wrestling season with a target on his back — and a state championship to defend.

Carney captured the Division II title last winter in Anchorage, capping a strong state meet for the Wolves. Wrangell placed three more wrestlers on the podium: Della Churchill took fourth at girls 120 pounds, Cody Barnes finished fourth at 215, and Everett Meissner placed sixth at 152.

Now, head coach Jack Carney, in his fourth season leading the program after earlier stints with the middle school and as high school assistant coach, said Wrangell is built to contend again — with numbers, experience and momentum on its side.

“By far the biggest team we’ve had,” Carney said of a 29-wrestler roster that includes 21 boys and eight girls. “This year really stands out.”

The surge has practical implications. Practice space is tight enough that Carney expects to shift workouts to the middle school commons to fit in enough mats. It’s a good problem for a program that, he said, largely runs itself.

“Everything moves like a well-oiled machine here,” Carney said, noting captains emerged organically and practices often start with athletes setting the tone before coaches speak.

The Wolves’ core blends seasoned upperclassmen with underclassmen who already have mat time on big stages. Carney counts wrestlers from multiple grades — “almost all veteran wrestlers,” he said — including athletes who started with him in fourth or fifth grade and several who competed at state.

In addition to other returning veterans, he noted that Hailey Cook and Ben Houser placed at state in the 2023 season, deepening a culture of postseason success.

Weight classes came into focus with early October assessments.

“We typically have more middleweights than any other weight class,” Carney said after Oct. 8 weigh-ins. “The majority of the boys here are between 145 and 171 pounds,” a range that spans four divisions and should produce internal competition for lineup spots.

Two transfers may help balance things out. Carney said he’s “excited about a few additions” that weren’t expected: Curtis Harriger, a former Oregon wrestler, and Carter Howell, who wrestled in Washington state.

“They’ll round out our lineup nicely,” he said.

As the roster grows, so does the travel plan. Carney said the staff is committed to getting everyone meaningful competition before the postseason.

“With 29 kids, it’s a lot of logistics to make sure everyone is getting matches, but we’re committed to making sure everyone travels at least once prior to regionals,” he said.

The season opens with matches Friday and Saturday, Oct. 17-18, at Metlakatla.

Wrangell will host the Tom Sims Invitational on Dec. 5-6, a prelude to region and state events later in the month.

“Most of the region will be here to get ready for regions and state the weeks after, so it will be a show, especially with our upperclassmen,” Carney said. “I encourage everyone to come down for that whether they’re wrestling fans or not; they might be by the end of Senior Night and our final matches.”

Carney believes off-season commitment has pushed the program forward. He praised athletes for addressing nutrition and staying active — many came straight from the cross-country season — and for embracing the daily grind.

“Some of these guys have been wrestling since fourth grade,” he said. “It’s been a treat to watch them grow as wrestlers.”

Health and grades remain foundational.

“If there are any injuries at all, we want to nurse them thoroughly and make sure they get back to 100%,” Carney said. “We don’t want anyone sacrificing their health.” He added that the staff will stay vigilant on academics as travel ramps up.

The goals are ambitious but clear.

“We have multiple wrestlers who placed at region and state last year,” Carney said. “I’m hoping that we’re at least regional champs this year. I think our chances of being Division II champs are good.” Then he put a number on it: “If we do what we’re supposed to, we’ll have a half-dozen state champs.”