The closer you look at the wrestling roster of the 2014-15 Patch Panthers, the more impressive it is.

The reigning Division I European champions will defend their title behind a sturdy roster of 45 wrestlers. Among those are 22 returnees from last year’s title squad, a nearly unheard-of number by DODDS-Europe standards. And among those 22 returnees are three defending European individual champions. In short, the Panthers are well-positioned to be very, very good again.

That’s not an unfamiliar position for Patch. The program won four consecutive European team titles before the Ramstein Royals interrupted their reign in 2012-13. The Panthers emphatically restarted their dynasty last winter, outlasting Wiesbaden and Ramstein by a margin of more than100 points at the European tournament.

Even with history and mathematics squarely on his team’s side, however, Patch coach Norm Matzke is concentrating on simpler aspirations.

“Stay focused, work hard, have fun and do the best we can,” Matzke said

If all goes according to plan, that should be good enough for a second consecutive title. The Panthers’ talent base extends up and down DODDS-Europe’s 14 weight classes, producing Patch points at every turn. Returning European champions Christopher Matzke, Matthew Bolduc and Robert Call are primed to repeat, and at least a few other individual title contenders should emerge from the Panthers’ deep and experienced roster.

The Panthers, however, won’t run to the title unopposed.

While its raw numbers don’t quite match Patch, Wiesbaden appears poised to continue its steady climb up the DODDS-Europe ranks and build on its runner-up finish of a year ago. Reigning 220-pound champion Hunter Lunasin expects to compete at the slimmer 195-pound class, where the standout football lineman’s power should prove even more overwhelming. The senior headlines a cast of 16 returning competitors among the Warriors’ 29-wrestler roster.

Ramstein, meanwhile, will need a lot of things to fall into place quickly if it is to again threaten Patch’s dominance. Coaches Steve Kennedy and Tom Wright have just seven wrestlers back from last year, with no returning European finalists. Kennedy said the Royals plan to “rebuild slowly and methodically,” hopefully unearthing enough raw talent from its 50-wrestler roster to send a substantial contingent to the European tournament in February.

Rebuilding is a buzzword around DODDS-Europe wrestling mats these days. In addition to Ramstein, historically strong programs such as Vilseck, Bitburg, Kaiserslautern and Vicenza report similarly inexperienced rosters. For many, that shifts the season’s emphasis from immediate contention to constructing a solid base for future success. Kaiserslautern head coach Brian Daly’s 33-wrestler team includes 14 first-time competitors.

“Our goal this year is to give our new, young wrestlers enough mat time to gain the experience needed to succeed throughout their high school career,” Daly said.

Perhaps at the end of that process, such a team might have the numbers to rival Patch. But for this season, it just doesn’t appear to add up.

The 2014-15 DODDS-Europe wrestling season begins Saturday with meets at Brussels, Kaiserslautern, Ansbach and Vicenza. Sectional qualifiers are set for Feb. 7; the European championships follow Feb. 13-14 at Wiesbaden.

broome.gregory@stripes.com

Twitter: @broomestripes

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