The Fort Dodge wrestling team will try to make the most of their 2025 home opener on Thursday.

The Dodgers (3-3 overall) will host Waterloo East in their third outing of the new year.

Junior varsity action begins at 6:30 p.m. with the varsity to follow.

The Dodgers are coming off two tough dual losses to Waukee Northwest (62-12) and Valley (51-22).

“I’m hoping we can come and compete well,” said Fort Dodge head coach Bobby Thompson who has 295 career dual victories. “We’re not home very often, so we want to wrestle hard in front of our home crowd.”

The Dodgers last regular season home meet will be Jan. 30 when they host Mason City. Fort Dodge will also host a Class 3A district meet in February.

Fort Dodge’s two-time state qualifiers Rylee Brown (157), fifth-ranked (IAwrestle) Jesse Egli (175) and eighth-ranked Joe Constable (285) earned two wins in the triangular. Brown had a fall, Egli won by decision and Constable won in sudden victory against Waukee Northwest.

Against Valley Brown won by forfeit, Egli and Constable picked up falls. Eighth-ranked Trace Rial (106) earned a major decision.

Top-ranked and Oregon State recruit Koy Davidson (18-1) will return to the lineup at 144 pounds for the Dodgers.

Davidson, Fort Dodge’s defending state champion, won his first Don Miller Invitational crown to finish off 2024. Davidson currently sits with a career mark of 126-17. Davidson is currently 14th on Fort Dodge’s all-time win list.

Fort Dodge will be without 126-pound sophomore Bo Marsh who broke his wrist.

“We have a lot of young kids who are still working to get to where they need to be,” Thompson said. “They have been thrown right into the mix and are learning on the mat.

“They are still progressing and working to get where they need to be.”

The Dodgers will head to the Mendenhall Invitational on Saturday.

Joining the Dodgers and Little Cyclones will be Ankeny, Ankeny Centennial, Ballard, Bettendorf, Boone, Cedar Rapids Kennedy, Dowling, Indianola, Iowa City High, Perry, Spencer, Valley, and Waverly-Shell Rock.

Two-time state champion Dreshaun Ross (215), who is ranked No. 1, is still on schedule to return on Jan. 16 when the Dodgers compete in a dual with Ames.

PROJECTED DODGER LINEUP106 — Trace Rial, so., (16-4); 113 — Damien Yeoman, fr., (14-10); 120 — Hunter Kasperbauer, jr., (9-16); 126 — Drake Hayes, fr., (2-0); 132 — Kadince Kisler, fr., (2-4); 138 — Amari McCaleb, fr., (2-3); 144-Koy Davidson, sr., (18-1); 150 — Hunter Richardson, sr., (5-12); 157 — Rylee Brown, jr., (15-9); 165 — Jayce Skow, so., (9-12); 175 — Jesse Egli, jr., (14-5); 190 — Open; 215 — Kaden Nichols, fr. (1-12); 285 — Joe Constable, so., (18-3).