LHS coach seeks to pair with H-BC in wrestling

Luverne High School varsity wrestling coach Jordan Kopp and assistant coach Lance Ripka met with Luverne School Board members during an Aug. 12 work session.
They asked the board to consider a cooperative wrestling agreement with Hills-Beaver Creek High School to bolster team numbers.
Kopp said 14 wrestlers are needed in each weight division to be considered a complete team.
Weight divisions range from 106 to 285 pounds. Last year LHS had seven to nine varsity wrestlers, leaving five to seven empty weight classes.
Out of 28 duals LHS competed in during the 2020-21 season, the team won two. If the team filled all weight classes, the team could have had a 16-12 season.
Kopp further pointed out that the Luverne youth program currently has 10 wrestlers who attend H-BC.
“Our goal of this co-op is to recruit kids who are actively involved in (youth) wrestling and those who are not out for a winter sport,” Kopp said.
Eligibility in youth wrestling ends by seventh grade.
“(This) program could greatly benefit from them and provide H-BC students with an opportunity that they (H-BC School District) do not offer,” Kopp added.
Because almost half of Luverne’s weight classes remain open for meets, Kopp said no Luverne athlete would be displaced from a position on the team. In the practice room athletes could potentially have a partner closer in weight.
Kopp also said some teams are hesitant to travel to Luverne for less-than-full-team matches.
To field a full team, other schools have turned to cooperative agreements, which Luverne has had in the past with other schools.
“Myself, other coaches, wrestlers and parents feel that pairing with H-BC, we could fill those empty weight classes and provide an optimal experience for all involved,” Kopp said.
“Luverne wrestling is not going to die out because we don’t have that co-op agreement, but we believe it will benefit our kids at school.”
An agreement between schools would divide the estimated $13,000 in program costs.
As a workshop session, Luverne school board members did not make any decisions on a possible cooperative sport agreement.
However, Superintendent Craig Oftedahl said there is a timeline in order to have the pairing approved and recognized by the Minnesota State High School League.
Before the Luverne board can act, a formal request must first be made by the H-BC School Board.