Challenging, but possible.

That was the mantra circulating at the Newton wrestling team's practice Thursday afternoon in preparation for the district meet at Ankeny High School on Saturday.

The Cardinals will face the top team in Class 3A, as well as countless ranked wrestlers, in a challenging bracket. However, the confidence from a second-place finish in the Little Hawkeye Conference tournament hasn't worn off the team in its two weeks off from competition.

"We're carrying all of that confidence over, and we need to just keep bringing it in," said Newton junior 195-pounder Ray Scroder. "We've done a lot of good things this season, and we just need to keep that up."

In the quest to redeem last season, which was the first time in coach Bill Reed’s 15-year tenure that Newton didn’t have a state qualifier, no Cardinals are expected to have a top seed this weekend. That’s also a first for Reed in his career, especially when Newton has multiple grapplers with 30-plus wins.

Reed opted to keep the Cards out of competition between conference and districts to help them rest up. While much of Saturday's field competed in either dualsor tournaments over the past two weeks, Newton has been biding its time in the room.

“It’s good to rest and just relax the body, but you also have the problem of not wrestling an actual match in a while,” Newton senior Derrick Hurt (285 pounds) said. “But we go here really well with a lot of wrestling in the room, so we don’t lose too much in that aspect of not having meets.”

“I’m feeling really good, and we’ve wrestled really well all week,” Schroder added. “I’ve watched a lot of film getting ready and I’m probably the best prepared I’ll be. Even the freshmen have worked their butts off, so I think the whole team will be prepared.”