Blood, sweat and tears: three things that athletes sacrifice for their sports, and wrestling proves to be no exception. With so many injuries and setbacks, the team has had to come together and work side by side more than ever. Home away from home. A phrase many people consider when they think of a team and these Titans believe they need to go above and beyond to embrace that idea.
“This team is like a family, every time we fall someone is always there to help us up. Someone’s always by our side and pushing us, and we fight for every individual on this team. We have our ups and downs but when the time comes to step on the mat, everyone is in their corner rooting for them from start to finish,” junior Santiago Gonzalez Herrera said.
With an exceptionally young team this year, head coach Timmy Allen has had to make some tough decisions on his starting line-up. Having the same standard for performance each year, individuals have had to step up and show out.
“I could mention all the freshmen and sophomores in the varsity lineup from Elias Marquez at 106 to Brennan Wallace at 150. Everyone has stepped up at some point throughout the season,” Allen said.
Although wrestling is seen as an individual sport, team scores are kept at tournaments, duals, tri and quads. Therefore, everyone has to put their best foot forward when they step on the mat, not only for their individual performance but also for their team.
“The team’s been doing well considering all of the injuries we’ve had. There have been broken arms, dislocated elbows, shoulder injuries and knee and ankle injuries. People have also been missing from practice sometimes which affects our progress. Overall, I think we’re doing pretty well,” junior William Minton said.
Even with the team supporting each other, they still fell short in a tough 42-38 loss to Reynolds on Jan. 18. Following this loss, the Titans were bumped out of the state dual tournament.
“The team was disappointed when we got knocked out but I wasn’t disappointed with them. They have put work in day in and day out, we might not get the results we want right now but it’s been amazing to see their progress. I am disappointed that I won’t be able to be a part of this team next year because I know they’re going to do great things,” senior Marcos Sanchez said.
Even though some of the boys might be disheartened, Allen continues to look forward and positively.
“There have been some unexpected and unfortunate circumstances that we have gone through as a team but we are getting better each day. I’m proud of where we are at,” Allen said.
As the season’s final weeks come to an end, wrestlers are putting in the work with the hopes of placing at Regionals and qualifying for the Individual State Tournament. Wrestlers had to qualify for regionals based on their record and seed, with some standouts being junior Ahmadou Diop at 215, and senior Marcos Sanchez. Jared Baldwin was an incredible standout at 165, after wrestling JV for a majority of the season he had to step up to Varsity when the starter was no longer able to wrestle. Although the season has hit a few bumps in the road, they are pushing themselves and their teammates through to the very end. In the words of Coach Allen, Iron sharpens Iron.
