By DAVID WALSH - The Herald-Dispatch

HUNTINGTON -- Huntington High�s wrestling team has learned a lot about itself the past three weeks.

The Highlanders competed in the R.J. Reynolds Duals in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Wendy�s Classic in Tiffin, Ohio; and Blue-Gray Battlefield Duals in Stafford, Va. They went 5-0 to win the R.J. Reynolds title, piled up 195.5 points to beat Groveport Madison (155) for the Wendy�s title, and went 3-2 to place fifth in the Blue-Gray Duals.

"It�s improved our team greatly," senior Mike Waldeck, who�s 24-6 at 145 pounds, said of the early-season grind.

"We knew going in we�d see tough competition," said senior Jeremy Ray, 21-2 at 140. "It shows what we can do and also shows we have a lot of work to do."

In past years, Huntington traveled to tournaments in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Floyds Knob, Ind. Due to schedule changes, the Highlanders missed those two and picked up the three new events.

"When you wrestle 25 to 26 matches before Jan. 4, you just get better," Huntington coach Bill Archer said. "We had better depth at the Reynolds Duals, we placed 11 of 12 at Tiffin and we had some close matches at the Blue-Gray."

Before the three big road trips, the Highlanders opened with wins over Nicholas County and Roane County (at home) and won the St. Albans Duals (10-0 record). 

Huntington High is back on the road this weekend, but the trip is much shorter. The Highlanders seek their third straight title in the 24-team Nitro Invitational. Of the teams entered, nine are ranked in the top 10 in either Class AAA or Class AA-A.

"It�s going to be tough," Ray said. "We get to look at some of the top teams in the state."

In Class AAA, host Nitro is ranked No. 4, East Fairmont sixth, North Marion seventh, Huntington eighth and Beckley is 10th. Among the Class AA-A schools, Point Pleasant is No. 3, Wirt County ninth and Shady Spring tied for 10th.

Ray and Waldeck said it�s special when the Highlanders, who might be seen as outsiders at out-of-state events, leave with the championship.

"It makes you feel better," Ray said. "You see many different styles and you get better at handling what you see."

"It makes for a nice ride home," said Waldeck, who is student body president.

At the Blue-Gray Duals, the Highlanders beat Science Hill, Tenn. (49-13), Hayfield (34-32) in their pool. They defeated Robinson (46-25) in the match for fifth-sixth. They lost to Cox (35-31) and DeMatha, Md. (33-32).

Blair Academy (N.J.), ranked No. 1 in the country by many publications, and Colonial Forge, runner-up in Group AAA last year in Virginia, also competed in the eight-team event. Nitro met both, losing to Blair (75-3) and Colonial Forge (61-12). Blair won the championship, beating Cox (69-0) in the finals. Colonial Forge beat DeMatha in the third-fourth place match.

Ray and Waldeck, along with Jeremy Patick, are the team�s only seniors. They provide leadership on and off the mat.

"We try to keep everyone in line," Waldeck said.

"We help in any way we can," Ray said. "Everyone has to work hard and try their best in every match."