Lincoln Christian will open the season tonight surrounded by family, as the program looks to take another big step in 2025-26.

The Bulldogs will host "Family Night" tonight at 6 p.m., as wrestlers from all ages will take place in exhibition duals with one another, officially kicking off the season.

After a big growth year for Lincoln last season, second-year head coach AB Stokes sees even more progress for his program in the coming months.

"We have seen significant growth for our program compared to where we were last season," he said. "We have athletes who are willing to take a chance on the program, and that commitment is something I do not take lightly."

Stokes has seen the program grow big-time in his young tenure as head coach, highlighted by huge involvement from the freshmen class.

"In addition, we are bringing in a large freshman class of 15 wrestlers, which speaks to the momentum we are building and provides a strong foundation for continued growth and competitiveness moving forward," he said.

Stokes' high school team will lean on three seniors — Hudson Farris, Gabe Huntsinger and Ethan Uyetake — to lead the program and continue to advance Bulldog wrestling.

"We return 11 wrestlers this season, led by the three seniors," he said. "These young men bring valuable experience and leadership, and we look to them to set the standard for our program."

The Bulldogs were 10th at state last year, which was the highest finish in program history, a week after a program-best 7th place showing at regionals.

Farris finished the season 40-9 as a junior and was 3rd at 132 lbs. He will look to become a 4-time state qualifier, which would be the program's first ever.

Uyetake was 32-19 as a junior and qualified for state last season. 

Huntsinger is looking to get back to the state tournament after qualifying as a sophomore in 2023, where he was 32-17.

"From our returners as a whole, we expect strong leadership, consistent effort, and accountability as we continue to build on the success the team has achieved over the past few years and push our program forward this season," Stokes said.

There will be an adjustment period, as Farris, Huntsinger, Uyetake and others come straight from football to the mat.

But Stokes and his team know patience is required and that they want to be peaking later in the season.

"With several of our athletes coming straight out of football, the key early in the season is focusing on personal growth and steady development," Stokes said. "Our goal is for our guys to continue improving throughout the year so they are wrestling their best when it matters most, in the postseason."

However, things will still be competitive, as they are working to being ready for the biggest matches later in the year.

"We emphasize what we call competitive greatness, which means being at our best in the biggest moments," he said. "That requires a consistent, day-by-day climb and a commitment to getting better every single practice."

Stokes also believes that the winning success and championship pedigree from football only helps drive his program as a whole to match that.

"I also love that many of our athletes come in after experiencing success in football and cross country, as those sports help instill winning habits, discipline, and a competitive mindset that benefit our wrestling program," he said.

Along with the returnees, the newcomers and underclassmen mentioned earlier will play a huge role to the success of the program this season, as Stokes is excited about the group and what he has already seen from them.

"We are very excited about our freshman class as a whole and believe it has the potential to make an immediate impact," Stokes said. "We are looking for big things from several freshmen, including Drake Sheffield and Easton Smith, who both competed at Fargo this summer, one of the premier wrestling tournaments in the country."

"Their high level of experience has prepared them well for the high school level. In addition, we have a few football players coming out for wrestling for the first time, and we believe their athleticism and competitive background will allow them to contribute positively to the program.  

The end goal for Stokes and his program is a championship, but the program is still moving towards that.

That takes hard work, commitment and buy-in, which are three things the head coach has plenty of right away in 2025-26.

"Ultimately, our goal is always the same — to work toward winning a championship," Stoke said. "The key phrase in that statement is work toward. We understand that success comes from consistently doing the necessary things, even when they are difficult. Achieving anything great requires sacrifice, but the process is always worth it."

"Without putting unnecessary pressure on our athletes, many of our guys have been putting in the work for years, and now it is time to bring everything together and see what we are capable of accomplishing. I have great confidence in this group and am excited for the journey ahead."

Lincoln will be east the KC Stampede this weekend on Dec. 19-20 before returning to action after Christmas.



Photos by Lee Talley