Ready or not, wrestling, basketball and bowling seasons are here.
With some pre-Thanksgiving games and tournaments, Comets fans can have their appetizer before the regular season gets fully underway in December.
The girls’ wrestlers will get the season started on Saturday, November 18 with a tournament appearance at Independence High School beginning at 9 a.m.
They will also compete two days later on Monday, November 20 with a tournament on home mats.
Over a dozen schools will descend on West Liberty for a tournament beginning at 4 p.m. in the high school gym.
The field includes Alburnett, Center Point-Urbana, Durant, Fort Madison, Highland, Mid-Prairie, Mount Pleasant, Muscatine, North Scott, Pleasant Valley, Iowa City Regina, Tipton, WACO, Wapello, Washington, West Branch and Wilton.
Basketball fans can opt for a boys’ varsity scrimmage at Calamus-Wheatland High School for the ACHIEVE Challenge game.
The regular season for basketball does not begin until Tuesday, November 28.
A girls/boys doubleheader will properly open the season as the Comets travel to Cascade with start times of 6:15 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.
The battles against the Cougars don’t stop on the hardwood as the boys’ wrestling team will get a shot at them.
On Thursday, November 30, West Liberty, Cascade, Bellevue and Iowa City Regina link up for a quad-meet at Cascade High School at 5:30 p.m.
It will be a while before the Comet boys have a home meet. It will come on Thursday, December 21 during a triangular with Muscatine and Louisa-Muscatine.
The first home basketball games come one day later on Friday, December 1 at 6:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. for a girls/boys doubleheader against Bellevue.
Not to be forgotten, the bowling season begins after the Thanksgiving holiday break.
West Liberty girls’ and boys’ varsity bowlers will co-op with Muscatine High School this season.
The first matchup of the season is against Bettendorf High School which will take place on the Muskies’ home lanes at Rose Bowl. The start time for both duals is set for 5 p.m.
Looking ahead to postseason competition, girls’ wrestling regionals will go on January 26 with the state tournament on February 1 and 2.
Girls’ basketball regionals begin as early as Feb. 8 and end on Feb. 21. The state tournament lasts from Feb. 26 to March 2.
For boys’ wrestling, the state dual tournament is on Saturday, February 3. The individual state tournament is from Feb. 14 to 17. The district meet begins on Feb. 10.
Boys’ basketball state tournament play runs from March 4 to March 8 with the lead-up games starting on Feb. 12 and ending on Feb. 24.
The co-ed state bowling tournament will be from Feb. 19 to Feb. 21, while the regional competitions are one week prior on Feb. 12.
Coverage of West Liberty winter sports will begin in next week’s edition.