Eight wrestlers start season for Bulldogs

After scratching two early dates, Colfax wrestlers were slated to head for Davenport Wednesday to start the season with a new coach, Dennis Gransbery, long-time assistant coach at Pullman High who was signed last summer to head the Bulldogs.

Gransbery takes over the program from Jeremy Lanthorn, who headed the Bulldogs for three years.

Colfax has five solid veterans back on the club this year. The team also picked up three recruits this week from the football campaign and could add other matmen as the post-football week sorts out.

Football wrestlers will be unable to compete until the have logged five practice sessions.

Seniors returning to the mat wars will be Cody Evans-130, Dan Kuhlmann-160 and Kevin Nellis-171. Also back are two juniors, Justin King-189 and Ben Cochran-285.

Football recruits include Brendan Lord, a sophomore, Levi Hardy and Evan Lord, both freshman. Lord and Hardie figure to wrestle in the 160 class, and Evan Lord figures to compete in the 210 class.

Ray Compton, a 170 freshman, could also join the team later in the season after he recovers from a football injury.

Gransbery was an assistant coach under Andy Brownson for the last three years. Brownson, who started coaching the hounds as an assistant while attending WSU, has also departed Pullman for another job on the west side of the state.

Gransbery started his nine-year stint as an assistant under Mike Boone at Pullman. Gransbery wrestled at Butte High, his hometown, Montana Tech and for the US Navy.