Michael Cleek still has some experienced wrestlers from last season’s team that finished ninth in the traditional state tournament, but with only four starters from a season ago still in the lineup, the Mt. Zion High School coach is also relying on a talented group of freshmen to make an impact this season.

“A lot of our young guys are having to come through for us. They’re wrestling really hard, really well. (I’m) proud of them,” Cleek said. “We’ll know more in the next couple weeks when we start going to some individual tournaments, and we’ll see how we’re going to stack up.”

Heading into the school’s 7th Annual Screamin’ Eagle Tournament, which starts today at 5 p.m., getting those younger wrestlers as much experience as possible is a major goal for Cleek.

“The best thing we can do right now is get as much mat time as we can,” Cleek said. “And that’s fortunate for us because that’s the way this tournament is set up.”

The setup, with each team in three duals tonight and a double-elimination individual tournament on Saturday, should provide each wrestler with at least five matches.

Mt. Zion will be hosting 10 other schools: Bremen, Temple, Villa Rica, Cedartown, Coosa, Lithia Springs, Model, Pepperell, Rockmart and Stephenson. Bremen, which won the event last season, will bring an “A” and a “B” team.

Javier Martinez has been a pleasant surprise thus far for Cleek this season.

“He was good in middle school, but that doesn’t always translate to being good in (high school),” Cleek said. “And he has wrestled really well for us.”

Seniors Josh Williams at 189 pounds and Adam Broomfield at 215 pounds are wrestling well, and junior Forrest Prater, a returning state qualifier, is also among the team’s leading performers.

The coach is also pleased with a pair of 103-pound freshman wrestlers, Tee Watson and Lucas Stephens, and the progress they are making. And overall, Cleek is encouraged by the way things have been going.

“We’ve had a pretty promising year so far,” Cleek said.

Williams is hoping everyone will rise to the occasion this weekend, particularly with defending state champion Bremen in the mix.

“It’s going to mean a lot if we can all step up,” Williams said.

Prater said the young guys have been adjusting well to the pressure of new challenges.

“I (have seen) some guys having to step up, maybe not do so well at first, but (they) get better,” Prater said.

Broomfield said this season has been marked by guys pushing through struggles to make sure they put in the work it takes to be successful. He said this weekend will go a long way in helping the team prepare for the area tournaments later this season.

“When team area and individual area comes up, we (will) know what we have to come up against and how hard we have to work,” Broomfield said.

Cleek also noted just how much work his guys are putting in as they look to make it another strong season.

“I’m hoping that this team’s going to shape up and be pretty good, something that the school will be proud of,” Cleek said. “We’re working real hard on that.”

Villa Rica coach Steve Fuller said the main thing he is focused on is getting his guys experience that will help them later in the season, as well.

“We’re going to all these tournaments to get these guys experience,” Fuller said. “We’re looking down the road to January and February.”

He’s optimistic the strong competition this weekend will prepare his wrestlers for the tough opponents they’ll regularly face in Class AAAA. Fuller is glad to be a part of the tournament, which he said Cleek does a great job of running.

“It’s not his first rodeo,” Fuller said. “He knows what he’s doing out there.”

Temple coach Chase Wilbanks is also excited about the opposition his team will face.

“We’re looking forward to it,” he said. “It always has good competition.”

Prater is hoping his team just might be able to pull off the upset and win the weekend.

“I hope we can pull it off. It’d be amazing if we won, but hopefully if we can’t win it, get second,” Prater said. “That’ll really help us out a lot.”

Cleek is just looking for a solid showing.

“I hope for good, safe competition,” Cleek said. “And I just hope our boys give a good account of themselves, and I think they will. They have so far this year.”