Wrestling starts the season with a goal of beating last year’s record, but first they must focus on their opening tournament.

“I like to think that we are favored to win the tournament this year,” said coach Rudy Salinas. “We have a real deep senior line up.”

This will be a 16 team tournament hosted at Vernon Hills High School. Some of the schools that will be involved will be Vernon Hill, Ridgewood, Loyola, Maine East, Maine West, Glenbrook South and Hoffman Estates.

For this season debut, key players who the team will be relying on are senior captains Ben Morton, Malik Pratt, James Marshall Davis and junior David Rivera-Kohr. Also adding to the cause will be heavy weights LaMont Davenport and Anthony Morris.

“We are counting on those guys to have great days,” explained Salinas.

“Our goal this season is conference,” said Salinas. The Kits must risk all in order for conference to fall into their hands. That’s the mentality that coach Salinas is putting into his players. “ Any opportunity that we have we must take it in order to get points.”

Last season the boys took third place after ultimately losing to conference foe Maine West. “I’d like our rematch,” said Salinas. “That’s what it will probably come down to again.”

Malik Pratt finished the tournament undefeated last after he rolled his ankle on the second day of the tournament.

On Dec. 5, the Kits will face Maine South at home. They then will travel to Waukegan on Dec. 12 before taking on New Trier at home on Dec. 18.

“We get the toughest part of the season right away early in the season,” explained Salinas, “Maine South is going to be tough and also Waukegan since we have to go away.”

Last season the Kits fell against Maine South 44-22 but managed to defeat Waukegan with an overall score of 57-45.

But the coach’s personal goal for this season isn’t conference. “We won 32 duals last season, which was a team record. We are looking to breaking it this season,” said Salinas.