by Nick Palmarine |

Coming off of a season in which the wrestling team sent four wrestlers to the state meet, this year’s team is looking to reproduce last year’s solid season. Bouncing back will be the story line of the year, whether it is bouncing back from a tough loss or trying to remain focused through tough times, the boys have already overcome adversity this season. Quentin Underhill, former wrestler and junior, tragically passed away over Christmas Break; his death has given some members of the team motivation for the rest of the season.

“It made me want to push harder and work harder than everyone else,” junior Cannon Trester said. “I kind of dedicated my season to that and to him.”

Dedication is a big thing in the sport of wrestling; you must be dedicated to the team and to the sport. To compete at the highest level of wrestling one must be dedicated to practice and keeping their body in tip-top shape. Wrestlers must be able to give up simple things such as time and even food, to be able to compete. Along with skillful offensive moves and wise defensive play, superb conditioning and strength are a must in wrestling.

“Practices are very intense,” sophomore Keyen Braughton said. “We wrestle for a little bit each practice and do a lot of conditioning. It’s hard work.”

With hard work come great rewards, and this season the boys are looking to take their hard work to districts and state and to compete well at both events. Although wrestling is mostly an individual sport, the team goals are just as important to achieve as the individual goals.

“We want to have a lot of guys to go to districts,” senior John de la Torre said. “After districts, we want to have some guys move on and compete well at state.”

To achieve the goals that the team has set for this season, improvements must be made for the wrestlers. Improvements in strength and conditioning are vital, but improvements in team chemistry can be just as important. Team chemistry can create a special bond in an individual sport, the team will be there to help each other improve and to cheer everyone on during their match. Improvements in all aspects of the sport are needed this season.

“I want to see the kids try and improve on the abilities they have,” head coach Mike Hammer said. “We also want to be able to bond as a team to help achieve our individual goals.”

Ups and downs will come with any season in any sport and wrestling is no different. The boys are looking to celebrate their ups and use their downs as motivation to lead them into district and state competitions. LHS is expecting big things from the mat this year. The boys can show their skills this weekend when they travel to Lincoln, Nebraska for their next meet.