Blair High School's start to the winter sports season is still weeks away.
The seventh- and eighth-grade Bears, however, are already getting after it on the basketball court and wrestling mats. The first events of Otte Blair Middle School's seasons were last week.
This week, Monday and Tuesday, the Bears hosted competitions in their own gym.
Girls wrestling on two mats
The Otte Blair girls wrestling team competed against grapplers from Bennington Middle School, Bennington South, Elkhorn Grandview, Elkhorn Middle and Elkhorn North Ridge on Tuesday.
The Bears wrestled on both home mats set up in their own gym against a barrage of Badgers, Wolves, Nighthawks and more. They won 28 matches and lost 13.
Tilde Hall started off the evening with a quick pin for the hometown team.
“They pick up on things fast,” coach Aaron McClain said when asked for one of his favorite things about the team. “You show them something, they do a good job listening and they can apply it right away.”
After 36 wrestlers participated during the first Otte Blair girls wrestling season in 2023, 32 arrived at the start of practice this year, too.
“They're excited to be here and the numbers show it,” McClain said.
While they've lost a few wrestlers to injury since the start of the season, coaches Jason Meggison, Chris Schuler and McClain have stuck to the instruction they've executed as coaches for years. The Bears are learning to wrestle just as Blair Wrestling Club wrestlers do and just how the high school Bears do.
“It is about learning the basics, and fine-tuning skills if you're a club kid, and just preparing them,” McClain said.
The lessons at all levels apply to one another through a wrestler's progression, meaning they'll know exactly what they're getting into when they join coach Terry Bellamy's high school program as freshmen.
“When they go up there, the first month, they'll know everything that's going on,” McClain said.
First, though, is the middle school season for Blair seventh- and eighth-graders. They opened the campaign at the end of October, hosted five schools Tuesday and will compete at Fort Calhoun on Monday, according to the Blair Activities Calendar.
The season continues through November and finishes up Dec. 2 at Waverly.
Otte Blair boys wrestling, meanwhile, opens its schedule with a Jan. 20 tournament at Oakland-Craig.
Basketball teams play through Dec. 9
Otte Blair supports grade-specific boys basketball teams during the months of November and December before girls' play starts in January.
On Monday, the seventh-grade Bears hosted Norris Middle School in what was their home opener after a loss to start the season on the road at Bennington South. Coach Chris Lord's Blair team led 10-8 after one quarter with Will Lierman scoring a second-chance bucket seconds before the buzzer.
From there, though, Norris earned a 23-14 advantage by halftime and a 31-23 lead through three quarters even as Otte pulled within as little as four points in the quarter.
Ultimately, the Bears lost, 42-31.
“Wins are nice, but my objective every day is for you to get better,” Lord said. “Inside and out. Get better at everything we do.”
Middle School hoops, he said, is all about the lessons.
“One of the mantras we always talk about is, 'We don't lose, we learn,'” Lord explained.
The seventh-grade Bears next host Gretna Middle School on Monday. Play starts at 4 p.m.
“They push each other in practice. They try to lift each other up,” Lord said when asked what he likes about his group. “They're all out here trying to play for each other.”
The eighth-grade Blair squad is at Gretna Middle School on Monday before it next hosts South Sioux City at 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Play for both teams continues through November and into December before both teams play their regular season finales against Waverly on Dec. 9.
OTTE BLAIR MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS
November-December Schedules
BASKETBALL
8th-Grade Boys
Monday: At Gretna Middle School, 4 p.m.
Tuesday: Hosts South Sioux City, 4 p.m.
Nov. 14: At Bennington Junior High, 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 18: At Elkhorn Valley View, 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 21: Hosts Gretna Aspen Creek, 4 p.m.
Nov. 25: Hosts Elkhorn Middle School, 4 p.m.
Dec. 2: Hosts Elkhorn North Ridge, 4 p.m.
Dec. 3: At Elkhorn Grandview, 4:15 p.m.
Dec. 5: Hosts Elkhorn Ridge Middle, 4 p.m.
Dec. 9: At Waverly Middle School, 4:15 p.m.
7th-Grade Boys
Monday: Hosts Gretna Middle School, 4 p.m.
Tuesday: At South Sioux City, 4 p.m.
Nov. 14: Hosts Bennington Junior High, 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 18: Hosts Elkhorn Valley View, 4:15 p.m.
Nov. 21: At Gretna Aspen Creek, 4 p.m.
Nov. 25: At Elkhorn Middle School, 4 p.m.
Dec. 2: At Elkhorn North Ridge, 4 p.m.
Dec. 3: Hosts Elkhorn Grandview, 4:15 p.m.
Dec. 5: At Elkhorn Ridge Middle, 4 p.m.
Dec. 9: Hosts Waverly Middle School, 4:15 p.m.
WRESTLING
Middle School Girls
Monday: At Fort Calhoun tournament, 5 p.m.
Nov. 18: At Winnebago tournament, 4 p.m.
Nov. 19: At Gretna Middle School, 4 p.m.
Nov. 21: At Missouri Valley (Iowa), 4 p.m.
Dec. 2: At Waverly Middle School, 4:15 p.m.
Source: Blair Activities Calendar via easternmidconference.org
