Junior Matt Crawford, who wrestles in the 285-pound heavy weight class, won the NOVA classic, a wrestling tournament that took place at Fairfax High School on December 10 and 11. Juniors James Cusack and Zac Brooks won sixth and seventh place, respectively.
With experienced players who have been playing for two to three years, the team has “stepped up a notch,” junior Taha Biyik said.
“The beginning of the season has been great so far and we’re hoping to continue as a strong team” junior Sam White said. However, despite the potential, the team needs to focus on individual technique Biyik said.
“Other than strength, technique plays a whole lot in this sport, which is something we should work on,” Biyik said. Skin infections also have already affected some of the wrestlers, which they hope to be more cautious of said senior Herb Boggs.
“We have to be careful because of skin infections, some of us already have infections, and we have to make sure no one gets sick,” Boggs said. The team lost several wrestlers who graduated last year such as Andrew Embree, creating a shift in leadership on the team.
“There’s a lot of potential and a lot of new freshman,” Boggs said. “I could see half of the team taking districts and moving on to regionals.”