Hart has become a fixture at the state wrestling quarterfinals in Kalamazoo, having won five regional championships in a row. But the Pirates want more. Last year, they almost got it, dropping a tough match to Allegan in the round of eight, and they have another strong team this fall.
“Our leaders this year are Logan Jorissen, Halen Boos, Adrian Lara and Haegan Hansen,” Hart coach Rocky Smith said. “We have a lot of hard-working athletes in the room, and I believe all of them will step up when needed in the big moments.”
Of those four, Lara was all-state, as was junior Kole Thomas. Boos, Jorissen and Hansen were state qualifiers, as was Jordan Thies. The Pirates clearly have a great base to start a season and good reason to be confident of another deep postseason run.
“If we continue to work hard and do the right things, I believe we will have this opportunity again this season,” Smith said.
The Pirates also bring back starters Sawyer Boos, Aiden Schaner, Pascal Miller and Abdel Lopez.
Hart will be able to measure itself against great competition throughout the season again, including in the West Michigan Conference, where the Pirates have established themselves as a strong number two to longtime power program Whitehall. Among Rivers division schools, Smith believes rival Shelby will be improved this season behind a strong group of freshmen.
A season highlight will be the Assembly Dual Dec. 19 against Grand Haven. The Pirates hosted their first such meet last year and it was a big hit with students.
“(It’s) a great atmosphere and gets to showcase our athletes in front of the whole student body,” Smith said. “We will also compete against top teams like St. Louis, Freeland, Hamilton, and Cedar Springs throughout the season.”
