The Pella wrestling team hits the mat tonight for the first time in 2018, and for coach Jon Mendoza, he returns to where it all began.

Mendoza is in his first year as the leader of the Little Dutch, and in his first year as head coach anywhere. He is a graduate of Norwalk High School, the host of tonight’s triangular meet.

“I know the entire coaching staff, so when they were here at the Pella tournament, we kind of goofed off and talked and caught up a little bit. I know a lot of the fans there and parents there, and some of the kids that are wrestling now were my neighbors and they toddlers when I was there. So there is a little bit of a connection.”

Mendoza says that when talking to his team about the Warriors, the focus hasn’t been on his history there, but rather on how good of a team that Norwalk is. The Warriors have four wrestlers ranked in the latest class 3A rankings.

The other team in the triangular tonight is Urbandale. Action starts at 5:30 at Norwalk High School.