The Elite 8 is where every high school wrestling team hopes to end up, but not everyone does. Luckily for Minooka, they made it there last year.

As the season begins, the Indians hope to make it as far and maybe even further this winter.

“We’re really young,” Noah Boles, senior, said.

Although the team is young, the Indians don’t expect anything less than the best.

“We lost a lot of seniors, but we feel pretty good right now,” Boles said.  

Though many seniors graduated, there are people to fill in for them that the Indians are confident will get the job done.

“We are in need of a lot of leaders,” Nick Daniel, senior, said.

Many of the seniors that graduated had been starting since their freshman or sophomore years. The Indians show no signs of nervousness.

“I think we have a chance to be great,” Daniel said.

Along with the players, the coaches are just as ready for the season to start.

“I’m excited,” Matt Harding, assistant coach, said. “We’ve got returning kids that can be important leaders.”

The Indians look to start their season off Nov. 21 at Glenbard North, and they will have their first individual tournament Dec. 14 and 15 at Hinsdale Central.