It’s Kuna, the defending state champions, against Columbia, a program that finished second last year to end a dominant run of three straight titles.

They open their Southern Idaho Conference schedule tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Kuna. Could it be a barometer of how the postseason will unfold? Last year, Kuna won the regular-season dual, then followed with district and state titles.

Or is it too early? The postseason begins in February, which provides plenty of time for roster shuffling and underclassman grapplers to grow into their potential.

One thing is certain: Tonight’s environment inside Kuna High will be spirited and electric, a reminder of the euphoric postseason the teams presented inside Holt Arena last February.

“Kuna is, without a doubt, the team to beat,” said Columbia coach Todd Cady, whose team placed in the top two of 4A competition at the past five state tournaments (champs 2009-11; runner-up in ‘08 and ‘12). “The road to the state title obviously goes through Kuna. They don’t have a weak spot in their lineup — and that’s pretty scary.”

Kuna coach Pat Owens returns eight state placers and 11 state qualifiers, led by nationally-ranked juniors Casey Cobb, Michael Cook and Kurtis Loftis.

Cook and Cobb are both all-Americans.

Start with Cook, who placed eighth in the 98-pound Greco-Roman Cadet division at the 2010 national championships in Fargo, N.D. The ensuing school year, he won the USA Idaho Wrestling Triple Crown (Freestyle, Greco-Roman and IHSAA).

Cook, who is ranked 11th nationally among 126-pound juniors by USA Wrestling Magazine national editor Dan Fickel, has also won two consecutive 4A state titles (103, freshman; 120, sophomore.)

“Three’s next,” he told the Press-Tribune in February.

Cobb won the 98-pound state championship last year. In July, he placed fifth in the freestyle junior classification (Fargo, N.D.), which solidified his No. 4 national ranking among 106-pound juniors by Fickel. (This year, he will likely wrestle for Kuna at the 113-pound division.)

Together, Cook and Cobb helped the Kavemen open their title defense with back-to-back victories against  5A Centennial, a third-place finisher at last year’s state tournament. The latter victory gave Kuna the Buck’s Bags title, one of the team’s numerous goals.

“Last weekend I think was a good measuring tool for us, to find out where we’re at, and what we need to work on,” Owens said. “I feel pretty good about where we’re at right now. We have high expectations for this season.”

High expectations are always rampant for Columbia, a program that opened the season ranked 40th nationally according to InterMat.com’s Fab 50.

The Wildcats, one of 14 schools in IHSAA history to win three straight state titles, return eight state placers and 10 qualifiers.

Cady’s roster contains three wrestlers who won back-to-back state titles: 145-pound junior Tristian Jarboe, who is ranked 27th nationally by Fickel; senior Kam Reddish, an honorable-mention selection at 126 pounds but will likely wrestle at 132;  and senior Tim McDonald, an honorable-mention selection who transferred from 3A Fruitland High and could wrestle at 195.

“We bring back a ton of state tournament experience, some kids with some really good accolades,” Cady said. “We’re real excited.”

The Kavemen rose from a seventh-place state finish in 2010, to a third-place finish in 2011, to the state-championship feat last season.

Seven of their returning state placers are underclassmen. They bring back runner-up Tyler Jaramillo, now a 138-pound junior, and four wrestlers who placed third last season.

Loftis, who can wrestle at 145, but earned his  honorable-mention selection at 132 by Fickel, is one of those third-place finishers. He’s joined in that class by sophomore Jake Lords (132) and juniors Jordan Nolan (182) and Randy Emery (195).

“I think we’re deep and I think we’ve got a good lineup, from top to bottom,” Owens said. “I think we have the capability to be better.”

Columbia features another three nationally-ranked wrestlers who earned honorable-mention status by Fickel.

There’s senior Austin Schaffer (182 or 195), a three-time district champion and state placer who finished as a 4A runner-up twice (freshman; junior); senior 138-pounder Tomaz Gonzalez, who placed second at the state tournament the past two seasons against Shelley’s Chase Call; and 160-pound junior Garrett Grigsby, the stepson of Cady who placed second at last year’s state tournament.

The Wildcats won four straight conference championships and District III titles until Kuna dethroned them for both accolades last year.

Each program has a host of wrestlers outside of the state-placement discussion who could make a difference in 2012-13. As the season progresses, those up-and-coming grapplers will likely factor into the district-title race, and ultimately, the crowning of the 4A state champion.

“In a lot of those weights,  it could very well end up as Kuna vs. Columbia in the state finals,”Cady said. “We know we got some kids that are going to be, hopefully, state champs, and they definitely have theirs.

“It’s kind of nice not having the target on our back and to be gunning for them. But we know they’re definitely the team to beat. They probably return the stronger team as of right now.”

Centennial’s Tuma attracts national interest

The accolades keep growing for Centennial’s Hayden Tuma, a 138-pound junior who owns two 5A state titles.

In July, the multiple all-American won the 138-pound Junior Greco-Roman national championship and placed third in freestyle at the national championships (Fargo, N.D.)

Tuma is ranked fourth nationally by Intermat among all 138-pound high schoolers. Fickel ranks him as the No. 1 junior wrestler in his weight class.

“Hayden has a great opportunity, wrestling-wise, to earn a scholarship to a great wrestling school, because of what he does in the offseason,” Centennial coach Collin Robertson said. “Hopefully as he continues to improve, and do the things he’s done, he’ll be able to earn one of those (scholarships) and move on to the next level, and try to do the same things he’s doing here.”

Tuma, who’s 83-4 entering his junior season, possesses a positive mental attitude and rigorous work ethic that allows his talent to flourish.

He finished undefeated in six matches at last week’s Buck’s Bags tournament. It’s the third straight year he’s earned the achievement.

Robertson says he gets a letter a week from colleges. Nebraska coach Bryan Snyder will make an appearance this weekend at the Reno Tournament of Champions, according to Tuma, who is still undecided of where he wants to attend school.

“I’m keeping my options open,” said Tuma, who says Ohio State is his favorite wrestling program.

History can be made for Melba’s Johnshoy

Melba senior Jared Johnshoy earned all-American status in July. He placed fourth in the 145-pound Greco-Roman junior division at the national championships.

Now, he can add history to his resume.

Johnshoy, who signed with Boise State in November, can become the 17th wrestler in IHSAA history to record four state titles (dating back to the state’s first documented winner in 1967). It would be the second straight year a 2A WIC wrestler accomplished the feat: New Plymouth’s Raymond Evans did it last year.

“Hopefully he can win his fourth state title. That’s certainly a goal of his. But the most important things are the work and time you put in, and that you’re always improving,” said his father and Melba coach Ron Johnshoy.  “Every time you step on the mat, you have to be ready to go.

“There’s nothing given to you. You have to earn it.”

That was evident in last season’s state final. Johnshoy, who battled a high-ankle sprain throughout the final month of the season, suffered piercing pain in the final 44 seconds of his championship match against Ethan Hansen (West Jefferson). A timeout was needed as Johnshoy lay on the mat, sounding off heavy and sharp groans.

But he persevered through the agonizing finish and recorded his third straight title.

“He wasn’t 100 percent, but no excuses,” Ron Johnshoy said. “He still had a job to do, and he went out and got it done.”

The accomplishment tied the school record of three state titles, which fittingly belongs to his brother, Kyle (2006, ‘08, ‘09).

Jared Johnshoy, who is ranked ninth nationally among all 145-pound high school seniors by Fickel, enters his senior year 118-8 with eight pins in 12 state-tournament matches.

He spent a considerable amount of time at Suples Training Center (Boise) in the offseason competing against Centennial’s nationally-ranked wrestlers Jon-Jay Chavez (132, ninth) and Tuma.

“Between Suples, and his summer-time wrestling, that’s played a huge role in his wrestling success on the state level,” Ron Johnshoy said.