Riverside Bulldogs to Host Wrestling District #9

Junior Drew Anderson and Freshman Max Shanno lead a strong Riverside wrestling team into the district tournament.

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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The Riverside High School boys wrestling team will host the District #9 tournament on Saturday. The Bulldogs are led by junior Drew Anderson, who is ranked #1 at 138 pounds with a 42-1 record, and freshman Max Shanno, who is ranked 5th at 165 pounds with a 42-10 record. Other top wrestlers for Riverside include Jaxon Gordon at 157 pounds and the Shanno brothers, Rex and Max. Head coach Casey Connover is confident his team will wrestle the "Riverside way" against opponents including Bedford, CAM, East Mills, and more.

Why it matters

Hosting the district tournament is a big opportunity for the Riverside wrestling program to showcase its talent on the home mat. The Bulldogs have several wrestlers with strong records and rankings who have a chance to advance to the state tournament with a top-two finish in their weight class.

The details

The Riverside Bulldogs will welcome nine other schools to compete in the District #9 wrestling tournament on Saturday. Junior Drew Anderson, ranked #1 at 138 pounds with a 42-1 record, and freshman Max Shanno, ranked 5th at 165 pounds with a 42-10 record, are two of Riverside's top wrestlers. Other key contributors include Jaxon Gordon at 157 pounds, junior Rex Shanno at 132 pounds, and Wyatt Bell who has moved from 285 to 215 pounds. Head coach Casey Connover is confident his team will wrestle with the "Riverside way" of toughness and determination against opponents from Bedford, CAM, East Mills, Essex, Lenox, Logan Magnolia, South Central Calhoun, Southwest Valley, and West Monona.

  • The District #9 wrestling tournament will be held on Saturday, February 15, 2026.

The players

Drew Anderson

A junior wrestler for Riverside High School who is ranked #1 in the state at 138 pounds with a 42-1 record.

Max Shanno

A freshman wrestler for Riverside High School who is ranked 5th in the state at 165 pounds with a 42-10 record.

Jaxon Gordon

A wrestler for Riverside High School who is likely to be the #1 seed at 157 pounds with a 45-10 record.

Rex Shanno

A junior wrestler for Riverside High School competing at 132 pounds with a 29-20 record.

Casey Connover

The head coach of the Riverside High School wrestling team.

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What they’re saying

“Junior Drew Anderson is 42-1 and ranked #1 at 138 pounds — Head Coach Casey Connover says he is wrestling at a high level right now.”

— Casey Connover, Head Coach (westerniowatoday.com)

“Jaxon Gordon likely will be the number one seed at 157 pounds with a 45-10 record.”

— Casey Connover, Head Coach (westerniowatoday.com)

“Wyatt Bell has made the move from 285 to 215 and his 22-22 record will put him under the radar but Connover believes he has a shot at the top two behind Carson Edney who is ranked 4th for Logan Magnolia.”

— Casey Connover, Head Coach (westerniowatoday.com)

“Overall, Connover wants his boys to wrestle the Riverside way.”

— Casey Connover, Head Coach (westerniowatoday.com)

What’s next

The top two wrestlers in each weight class at the District #9 tournament will advance to the state tournament.

The takeaway

The Riverside Bulldogs have a talented and experienced wrestling team that is poised to perform well on their home mat at the District #9 tournament. With several highly ranked wrestlers, the Bulldogs have a chance to send multiple wrestlers to the state tournament and continue the program's tradition of success.