By CONOR NICHOLL

cnicholl@dailynews.net

Hoxie High School wrestling coach Mike Porsch recently spoke with Scott City coach Jon Lippelmann, in his 32nd year with the Beavers, a person whom Porsch greatly respects. Lippelmann said he always wanted to have 30 athletes out for wrestling. However, Lippelmann would take quality over quantity.

"What it all boils down to is you need to have the quality there as well," Porsch said. "Numbers are great, but the quality is what counts."

Hoxie has won 10 Class 3-2-1A championships, including seven from 1990-2003. During the '90s, Porsch said the Indians had 24 to 25 kids in the practice room. Numbers have dwindled at Hoxie, a Class 1A school in all sports, and one of the smallest schools at the Class 3-2-1A state tourney.

This season, Hoxie had 11 healthy wrestlers for most of the year. The Indians qualified six to the state tournament, a group that also helped earn Hoxie a state runner-up trophy in 2010-11. This winter, the qualifiers could pace the Indians to their first team title since '03.

"We need to win a state championship," 138-pound junior Calvin Ochs said. "As a team, I know we really want it. With the six that we're taken, I know we have a really good chance."

All six went to state in 2011 and three placed. Ochs, the prohibitive title favorite this season, has earned back-to-back second place finishes. Senior 132-pounder Drew Jones is a three-time state qualifier who took fifth last winter. Senior Dalton Snyder finished third in 2011 and is a regional champion.

Three juniors -- 160-pounder Steven Yergey, 182-pounder Brandon Salmans and 220-pounder Kane Washington -- reached the state meet last year, too.

At the Lakin regional, Hoxie finished fourth with 121 points, 13 behind winner Oberlin.

However, 113 of the Indians' 121 points came from the six that qualified for state. Several of the other top squads had double-digit regional points come from wrestlers who didn't qualify for state. Porsch believes each Indian qualifier can place this week. If all six place, that could give Hoxie the team championship in what is expected to be a wide-open race.

"Six placers would put you in the hunt for the team trophy," Porsch said.

Porsch considers Ochs and Jones (20-6) the team leaders. Ochs doesn't compete in any other high school sports and wrestles all year round. He has competed in national competitions, including the Cadet/Junior Nationals and the Fargo National Wrestling Championship. Two years ago, he came within one match of earning All-American honors in Fargo. Ochs had a knee issue last season, but is healthy this year. At the 3-2-1A finals, Ochs was pinned by Thomas More Prep-Marian's Dylan Schumacher as a freshman, and suffered a 2-1 defeat last year to Fredonia's Brogan Humphrey.

Ochs, 91-18 in his career and 26-3 this year, has lost twice to Colby's Konnor Kriss, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, and had a loss to a Colorado wrestler. At the regional, he won all three matches by fall, each in less than 3:39.

"Getting second freshman, sophomore year was good, but this year, really looking forward to a state championship," Ochs said. "Getting second really ain't on my mind. It's more about taking state for me. I have improved a lot on my feet. I am a little more aggressive than I have been the past few years. ... I get a little bit more mean, and it's helped me out a lot throughout the year."

Porsch said the soft-spoken Jones has "a lot of respect" from his teammates. Jones, ranked sixth, finished fourth at the regional, a weight class that featured three ranked wrestlers.

"He has got as good a work ethic as you will find in a high school kid today," Porsch said.

"Just a good kid brought up on the farm. Sometimes we are lacking that, even in our smaller communities right now, sometimes that work ethic that was there years ago, isn't. Drew works hard and he makes the most of what he has got to work with."

Yergey (30-7), considered an athletic, slightly unorthodox wrestler, and Snyder (24-4), help form the solid middle weights.

"We are really competitive from 132 clear through to 160," Porsch said. "Those guys, that's a good mix. They can go up a couple weight classes for a good workout and Dalton has been awful solid for this year, too. His losses have been to good kids. He hasn't lost to anybody who hasn't been a tough competitor. He wrestled them all really tough, too. Just been consistent through the year. I think he was good last year, and he has improved this year."

At the upper weights, Salmans (29-4) and Washington (24-4) give the Indians more talent. Neither placed last season, but could be among six Indian placers -- quality that could lead to a title.

"The kids we have in the room are quality kids, are tough competitors and kids who willing to learn and that's what counts," Porsch said. "It's a lucky situation for us."