Five things to watch in the second half of the high school wrestling season

After a crucial two-week break, area high school wrestlers are about to embark on the stretch run for their season.

For most, that means getting ready for the postseason run and a chance to qualify for the state tournament.

For a select few, that also means getting ready to take their shots at winning state championships.

For New London High School senior Marcel Lopez, that means taking a shot at history.

The stretch run begins in earnest Saturday with tournaments in many different places. Conference tournaments are scheduled for Jan. 29, with sectional and district tournaments the following two Saturdays.

The state tournament in Iowa is scheduled for Feb. 17-19 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Who will be holding gold medals on Feb. 19? Which teams will have a chance to bring home trophies from Des Moines?

The next six weeks will determine who is left standing.

Marcel Lopez ready to chase history

Lopez is off to a 21-0 start this season and is ranked No. 1 at 126 pounds in Class 1A. Of his 21 wins, 16 have come by technical fall, with the other five pins.

Lopez, who beat Lisbon's Brandon Paez, 1-0, in the state finals a year ago, will have a couple ranked wrestlers to get past on his way to Des Moines. Paul DeJong of North Mahaska is ranked 10th at 126 pounds, while Quincy Happel of Lisbon is ranked third.

More: Three state championships down, one to go for New London's Marcel Lopez

While seventh-ranked New London faced both North Mahaska and second-ranked Lisbon in a dual to open the season, Lopez did not face either of his likely postseason opponents.

The Tigers have a chance to make a run at regional duals once again. With Dominic Lopez, ranked third at 152 and Josh Glendening, ranked sixth at 182, each having legitimate chances to at least make the finals at state, the Tigers should be favored at sectionals, with Sigourney, North Mahaska and Mediapolis also in the hunt for chances to advance to regional duals.

Notre Dame-West Burlington soaring to new heights

With seven wrestlers ranked in the top 12 at their respective weight classes in Class 2A, Notre Dame-West Burlington has a legitimate chance to bring home a truckload of hardware from Des Moines next month.

The Nikes are 14-0 in duals this season, including a clean sweep of the Colfax-Mingo Duals.

More: High school wrestling: Notre Dame-West Burlington/Danville crowns five champions

The Nikes are ranked third in Class 2A behind West Delaware and Osage, with Davenport Assumption and sergeant Bluff-Luton close behind. The Nikes could make a legitimate run at a state duals championship on Feb. 16 in Des Moines, then make a run at a state team title in the traditional state tournament.

The Nikes are led by senior Blaine Frazier and junior CJ Walrath, both ranked No. 1 at their weight class. Frazier is 25-0 at 132 pounds, while Walrarth is 25-0 at 182. Carter West (25-1) is sixth at 106, Tate O'Shea (23-3) is 12th at 138, River Belger (16-2) is ninth at 145, Isaiah Fenton (23-0) is sixth at 152 and Sam West (22-4) is ninth at 160.

Also for the Nikes, CJ Davis is 24-3 at 120, Blake Wilson is 9-2 at 138 and Aiden Kniffen is 13-4 at 285.

The Nikes host Louisa-Muscatine and New London on Jan. 13 at Father Minett Gymnasium.

Fort Madison on the hunt

Fort Madison is quietly flying under the radar in Class 3A.

The Bloodhounds are 8-0 heading into the Lepic Duals Saturday at Iowa City West.

Fort Madison has three wrestlers ranked at their respective weight classes. Senior Gavin Wiseman is 10th at 152, sophomore Teague Smith is 12th at 160 and senior Jakob McGowan is 11th at 182.

More: Thursday's high school highlights: Smith, Thacher lead Fort Madison wrestlers

The Bloodhounds figure to have a shot at a runner-up spot at districts, but likely will contend with 10th-ranked host Iowa City High, along with Pleasant Valley and a vastly-improved Ottumwa squad.

Mediapolis is a hotspot in second half

Mediapolis will see plenty of wrestling activity in the coming weeks.

Under first-year coach Mark Griffin, the Bulldogs are starting to make gains.

Leading the way for the Bulldogs is senior Quinten Aney, who is ranked fourth at 138 in Class 1A with a 19-0 record. He will be looking to make a run at a state title in a weight classes loaded with current and former state champions and state finalists.

Also for the Bulldogs, Will Whitaker is 13-9 at 113, Gavin Gerber is 10-7 at 113, Braxton Davis is 8-7 at 126, Grady Gunn is 9-10 at 132, Levi Arnold is 6-5 at 160, Lucas Wagenbach is 11-7 at 170 and Jackson Woods is 3-3 at 285.

With just three seniors and four juniors on the roster, the Bulldogs are loaded with talented underclassmen, which should bode well for the future.

The Bulldogs will host the 32nd annual SEI Superconference Tournament on Jan. 29.

Burlington buzzing with excitement

While the Grayhounds currently don't have any wrestlers ranked in Class 3A, there is plenty of excitement around the program under first-year coach Pat Pickford.

The Grayhounds have had just one home even thus far, the annual Dick Mellinger Tournament back on Dec. 4.

The Grayhounds will wrestling in the Ottumwa Invitational on Saturday and have three home duals left n the slate.

BHS will host Keokuk and Illini West on Jan. 13, then host Mount Pleasant on Jan. 27, both at Johannsen Gymnasium.

The big dual is scheduled for Feb. 3 against Fort Madison. That dual will take place at Clark Field House and is being dubbed "The Clash at Clark." More to come on that in the coming

This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: What to watch as Iowa, Illinois high school boys wrestling resumes