Phillip Miller is an unabashed optimist.

Miller, Polk County’s veteran head wrestling coach, has some good wrestlers. His issue is that he simply doesn’t have enough wrestlers to be competitive against most schools, often giving up some 30 points per match by forfeits.

Miller knows that his team will improve; he simply doesn’t know when.

The Wolverines’ two most recent meets, a 53-18 loss to Hendersonville on Friday, Jan. 15, and to Owen 54-24 on Jan. 14, illustrate the point.

Against Owen, the Wolverines were down 24-0, mostly by forfeit, when Polk’s Chase Underwood earned a forfeit win at 138, to cut the Warhorses’ lead to 24-6. However, Polk gave up four consecutive forfeits after that, swelling Owen’s lead to 48-6.

Then, at 182 pounds, Polk’s Braden Miller pinned Owen’s Cameron Harper. By the time the 285-pound match was held, Polk was down, 54-18, the third win coming on a forfeit win by Gabe Lail at 220 pounds.

At 285, Polk’s Devin Panchyshyn (now 15-7) squared off against his Owen opponent. Working back from deficits of 2-0 and 2—1, Panchyshyn, just a sophomore, was leading, 6-2, when he scored a pin to end the match on a sweet note.

“Wrestling for us is what it is,” Miller emphasized, “an individual sport.”

Team results in this situation don’t help the Wolverines. All Miller can do is help his better wrestlers prepare for the regional tournament.

As for team standings, “It’s not nice going to a meet knowing you’re going to lose,” Miller noted.

Miller said that he’s waiting for several wrestlers to return from illness and injuries, but even at that, the Wolverines will still be shorthanded. All that’s left, he said, is that “each person has to get better each day.”

Polk’s next home meet is against East Henderson on Jan. 28, at 6 p.m.