Wrestling

“Wrestling” by Maria Guta

The Hawk’s Wrestling season has proven their relentless pursuit as a family. The Hawks are 4-2 in their conference and 11-3 overall, having faced talented teams from across the state. The team secured first place at the Green Hope Grapple and second at the Red Wolf Invitational.

Captains Jack Varga, Gavin Draper, Cameron Schmidt, Esteban Trujillo, and Luke Rider have stepped up as consistent top scorers. Draper considers his role rewarding: “the captains when I was a freshman were always the ones to help me out. Now the roles have flipped, and I love watching teammates learn from me and utilize it while wrestling.” He remarks that younger wrestlers are improving at each meet and becoming very involved in the sport. Rider defines the team as “a family, and hardworking…we have built lots of trust in each other, and we look after each other.”

The team may be young, but they have created a norm for unrelenting support. Draper describes “bench hype” as a defining factor for the team this season. “It doesn’t matter who’s wrestling or what team we are wrestling, our bench is always encouraging the wrestler.” The athletes have learned to rely on this encouragement as fuel through their ups and downs. The JV team, for example, has consistently improved as a whole, with key wins at difficult meets. Both Rider and Draper hope to shape the underclassmen into experienced wrestlers and dedicated leaders in the years to come. Congratulations to the squad for their successful season!