There are many new faces on the Tamaqua wrestling team this season.

The 2016 edition features a total of six freshmen and two sophomores."Our goal is to work hard each practice, focus on good technique, and develop a physical wrestling style within our young competitors," said Tamaqua head coach Jon Mashack. "Although we will have several holes in our lineup, if each wrestler does his part, we will have (an) opportunity to keep our matches competitive."Two freshmen could provide a big spark to the lineup.Bronson Strouse was the District 11 junior high champion last season, while Pierce Demetriades was an eighth-place medalist."Our young guys have a ton of potential," Mashack said. "We are expecting them to build on that success this season. We are young and with 12 wrestlers, we'll have our holes. But as a team, we are looking to wrestle physically each match and build our success as the season progresses."The offseason was as active as ever for the Raiders, as the youthful group earned experience in different situations."Offseason workouts went well," the Tamaqua coach said. "We integrated clubs in the spring to ensure we exposed our guys to those opportunities and had many competing throughout the summer. We also attended Bloomsburg team camp, which I'm hoping will help set goals for wrestling after high school."The lone senior on the Raiders' roster is Tanner McHugh, who finished eighth in PIAA state competition last year. His signature win came over Saucon Valley's Jonah Zych, who was the District 11 and Southeast Regional champion at 126 pounds."Tanner is a very disciplined, hardworking individual. "He brings that into our practice room and sets a great example for the remainder of the team. He also does a significant amount of offseason and club work, which he discusses when he is in our room, which helps to motivate others to do the same. He is a very physical and focused wrestler who gives 110 percent every time he steps on the mat. We are looking to him to pass that intensity on to the team."With just five wrestlers with varsity experience, the young Tamaqua bunch will have to adjust on the fly this year, but they're ready for the challenge.The Raiders will open the season Dec. 9 at the DKI Bloomsburg Individual Wrestling Tournament. They'll begin league play against Pottsville Dec. 19 at home.