FARMINGTON, Minn. -- Intense. Grueling. Hard. But fun?

Senior Ethan Mangowi finds pleasure in the day-to-day challenge of being a Tiger wrestler, "Having fun wrestling. It's hard, but getting better. Every day seeing improvement."

He hopes to return to the state tournament individually after making his first appearance last season, but getting the team there is the main objective, "Everybody needs to be dialed in and focused for practice. Have more of a family (feel) instead of just a wrestling team."

Senior Davis Parrow, with four top-three finishes individually including a state title in 2024, is optimistic about the chances of the team advancing to state, "Our section, there's no favorites. So, as long as we're wrestling hard and coming in every day focused, I think we can win the section championship this year."

The Tigers two state trips came back-to-back in 2015 and 2016. FHS lost in the section semifinals last season to Apple Valley, who fell to Prior Lake in the finals. The Lakers and Eagles are both among the 'Lean and Mean' rankings in the Guillotine poll.
Coach Jon Heeren says it's an open race for the Section 2AAA crown, "It depends on the day. It's going to be who shows up…Prior Lake has a solid lineup up and down. Apple Valley's always got a solid lineup.

"I like the work we put in for the first two weeks and I like what a lineup might look like toward the end of the season. We could have some really competitive wrestlers at just about every single weight class."

He has a long connection with the current senior class, "Davis, Ethan, Chase (Stevens). These are kids I coached in middle school. So, I've known them since they were wee little. Watching them grow and watching them come through the program and seeing all their accomplishments.

"We're building tough, smart wrestlers and we're building awesome human beings at the same time."

Junior Blake Han-Lindemyer wants to give the Class of '26 a parting gift, "It's my last year being with some of those friends that I've made, like Davis and Chase and Ethan. We've wrestled (since) we were younger. Our job this year is we should carry our team to make it to state. I think that's a good goal. It's very possible with how our team's looking. We can sharpen our skills in the wrestling room to make it happen."

Individually
Parrow appreciates his junior season which ended with a runner-up finish at 145 pounds, "Last season went pretty good, actually. I had a really good overall season. Fell short of the state championship but I beat that kid earlier in the season. Beat a couple of other really good kids during the season too."

He says it was a good year of growth and development for him personally, realizing his potential after some standout wins at the Christmas Tournament, "I think that's the tournament that flipped my mental gear last year. I'm unbeatable as long as I'm wrestling at my best."

The Nebraska-commit spent the summer squaring off with the best wrestlers in the country, including a sixth-place finish at a national tournament in Fargo, ND with a broken hip.

Parrow, rated No. 1 at 152 pounds, says his hip is fine and he's ready to dominate, "I'm going out there just to beat up everybody. Nobody even stands on the same mat as me. It's my mat and I own it. That's the way I'm thinking about it this year."
Heeren says Parrow has a long history of wanting to face the best, "Has had the attitude ever since he was in middle school. He sought out the best competition. Everywhere we went in middle school he would ask, 'Who's the toughest kid on that team? I want to wrestle them.'"

He says some others are also considering pursuing college opportunities.

Mangowi, No. 7 ranked at 160 pounds, hopes to get back to downtown St. Paul after going 0-2 in his state debut, "I didn't perform how I wanted to. But I worked hard this summer so I'm going to do a lot better this year…I had close matches. It just motivated me to work harder."

Han-Lindemyer was at state for the second time, "I knew what I needed to do. But I think at the state tournament nerves was a factor and I didn't perform to the best of my capabilities. This year I'm working on that. I've definitely improved a lot. Done a lot of off-season work."

Sophomore Mason Stenson finished third at sections in 2024-25, just missing state. Senior Chase Stevens was fourth.

Girls wrestling
Girls wrestling continues to grow in the state and at Farmington, "We are growing every year. We have six girls this year. Last year we had four. Year before we had one," Heeren points out.

"We got some girls who have been progressing for a couple of years. Now they're up with us. They've got some growth. They've got some experience."

The number of girls at state will double this season as the Minnesota State High School League approved the plan for each section to send two wrestlers to state per weight. The girls individual tournament will remain a single class.
Heeren can see the day coming that the girls tournament will grow to a point that could be held in its own venue, "So the girls have their own experience."

A change in the boys tournament this season creates true double-elimination, "That's been a long time coming. Ever since I've been in Minnesota, it's been that weird, wonky way.
"If you are a projected place winner (and) you lose in the first round, and they go and lose, you season is done (under the previous rules)."

Under the revised format, a competitor could battle back to as high as a third-place finish after an opening-round loss and is guaranteed a second match.

Last season's rule change that awarded three points for a takedown had the desired effect according to Heeren, "It encouraged offense which is what the intent was. It encouraged attacking. That was huge. So, we saw a lot more technical falls last season than previous years."

Schedule
The Tigers spend the first part of the schedule on the road. That started on November 29 as junior Lex Thovson, rated No. 3 at 124 pounds, took first place in Hutchinson. December 5 Farmington went 2-1 at a quad at Eastview. On the same night Thovson and eighth-grader Lilly Stevens captured first place in Lake City.

Thursday, December 11 FHS lost 39-27 to Prior Lake at Burnsville and goes to a tournament at Prior Lake on Saturday, December 13. The girls go to Hopkins on the same day.

The Christmas Tournament is on December 19 and 20 at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester. The girls travel to Owatonna on Friday, December 19.

The first home dates for the Tigers are Friday, January 9 with Winona, Saturday, January 10 for the Koda Classic, and Thursday, January 15 against Eagan. There are also home meets on Thursday, January 29 with New Prague and Rosemount, and Thursday, February 5 against Lakeville North.

Team sections are Friday, February 13 at Rosemount High School. Individual sections are at FHS on Saturday, February 21.