By Andy Walter

SMYRNA — Jesse Dixon always believed in himself, of course.

But the Smyrna High wrestler admits it took him a little while to appreciate what he had done.

In a career that started when he was four, the Eagles’ senior had accomplished anything as big as winning a Henlopen Conference title.

“It didn’t really hit me until I woke up the next morning,” said Dixon. “When I looked at the medal the next morning, I was really happy.”

With the Henlopen title in his pocket, Dixon wants to see if he can accomplish a little bit more when the DIAA individual wrestling state tournament is held this weekend at Cape Henlopen.

The quarterfinal round is slated for 7 p.m. on Friday. The semifinals will then be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday with the finals at 7 p.m.

Dixon’s conference title at 165 pounds was part of a strong showing for Smyrna, which finished second in the team standings behind only Sussex Central. The Eagles were just fourth in the Henlopen North during the regular season.

For a young squad, it was a step in the right direction. This weekend is another chance for Smyrna to accomplish some more good things.

Last year marked the first time since 2010 that the Eagles didn’t have at least one state champion.

Smyrna coach Aaron Harris wrestled in high school at the same time as Dixon’s dad, also named Jesse. The elder Dixon competed for Dover.

“He was always a hard worker, he was always just a scrapper,” Harris said about Dixon’s dad. “Jesse’s the exact same.

“Jesse’s not the most physically gifted guy. But Jesse always works hard and he always shows up. Like last year, he was not the fourth-best kid in the state but he took fourth in the state. ... Maybe by now he’s proven he is the best guy in his weight class. It’s just a testament to continuing work.”

For Dixon, there’s no bigger compliment than being compared to his father. His dad is the one who got him started in wrestling at a young age.

“My dad is my idol so I want to be like him,” said Dixon. “I’m proud to hear that. Talent gets you so far when you’re a kid. But I feel like effort always catches up to talent.

“I feel I’ve gotten way better from my freshman year on,” he added. “It’s been gradual.”

With a record of 22-12, Dixon goes into the state tournament seeded third in his weight class. That makes him something of an underdog to compete for a state crown.

Dixon was seeded only fifth in the Henlopen tourney last week, though.

“I felt like coming into the tournament I had a good shot to win it,” he said. “That was my goal.

“It (winning the Henlopen title) feels like a good ending. But the ending hasn’t happened yet. I’ve got to finish it out.”

Ian Alfree, a sophomore at 113 pounds for Smyrna, returned from a broken hand to win the Henlopen title in his weight class. DAILY STATE NEWS FILE …

Alfree wasn’t even sure if he was going to return to the mat this year. He’s still wrestled in only 20 matches this season.

Still, Alfree said he was confident going into the tournament.

“All my coaches and my parents were really supportive, saying I could win it,” he said.

This weekend, Alfree is seeded just sixth in the state tournament. But he’d love to pull off some upsets and see what he can accomplish.

In Smyrna’s wrestling room, there’s a large board with the names of the 62 Eagles who have won state championships. There’s spaces for plenty more.

“I feel like I’ve been wrestling my whole life,” said Alfree, who started competing 11 years ago. “When I was little and saw the older guys in high school, I just wanted to be out there doing this.”

Alfree said he’s definitely excited about Smyrna’s potential for the future. He thinks the Eagles’ second-place finish at the Henlopen tournament is a sign of good things to come.

“We wrestled all those guys in the regular season and lost to them,” said Alfree “So for us to come out there and place second was a big accomplishment.

“We’re such a young team, we’re just going to grow together,” he added.
“No matter what type of team we have, it’s first place or bust,” said Harris. “But, at the point we were, losing to a few teams, I kind of anticipated fourth or fifth place.

“So I was really happy. We really did salvage this season. But we’re not satisfied with taking second. We’ll be back.”

Stratton going for three

Sussex Central’s Malachi Stratton will be trying to become only the fifth Golden Knight to win three state titles this weekend.

The junior is the top seed at 120 with a record of 45-7 this season.

Another title would also give Stratton a chance to become a four-time state champion, a club that currently includes only 13 wrestlers.

Codey Combs (2008-11) is the only Sussex Central wrestler with four crowns.

Bonus points

•Laurel’s Stanley Pete (150) picked up his 100th career win in the finals of the Henlopen tournament last Saturday. Pete (39-2) is the top seed at 150 this weekend.

•Caravel junior Eddie Radecki, the top seed at 138, will try to continue his quest to become Delaware’s first five-time state champion. After winning his first title as an eighth grader, he’s going for his fourth this weekend.

•Caesar Rodney has the most individual state champions with 102. Saint Mark’s is second with 92. The rest of the top five is 3-William Penn (72), 4-Smyrna (62) and 5-Sussex Central/Georgetown (54).

Sports editor Andy Walter can be reached at awalter@iniusa.org. Follow on X at @DSNsports.

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