Varsity wrestling kicked off their season with a 12-60 loss at Northwest on Dec. 7. Looking to bounce back the following week, the team faced off against BCC at their home opener. This was a hard-fought match with dominant wins on both sides, but in the end, they fell to the Barons 42-39.

One of the highlights of the match was junior Jake Kelley. Early on in the match, he appeared to be pinned down by his Baron opponent. Channeling his “inner Hulk,” he turned the match upside down by snatching a decisive victory. He gained the support and respect of the crowd by pinning his opponent in a matter of seconds. For the spectators, his display of pure grit and determination altered the course of the match from what seemed to be a blowout, into an emotional, sweaty, and competitive event. “We had taken a couple of tough losses before that and his performance changed the energy in the room. It was a really hype moment,” senior co-captain Maxim Loukinov said.

Next up was a tri-meet at home against Churchill and Walter Johnson where they won their first match of the season against the Wildcats but fell to the Bulldogs, bringing them to a 1-3 record on the season. But they went on to defeat Einstein and Seneca Valley in back-to-back matches, moving them to 3-3, outscoring their opposition 99-60.

Looking ahead, head coach Shane Bramble has high expectations with “the regional duals tournament coming up, which we hope to be seeded relatively high in. We should have 10 wins by the end of the season.”

This is a team-style tournament where they wrestle other teams in the region, and if they win, they move on to the state duals. It has the same format as regions but instead of teams moving on they seek the coveted state championship.

Wrestling not only has team competitions but also includes “individual tournaments, from counties, regions, and then states. [States] It’s the ‘big show’ where all the individuals go to show if they’re the best in the state or not,” Bramble said.

One wrestler who is looking to stay on top of his form and aspires to win states in the team and individual events is senior co-captain Mattias Onel. “We’re very confident so far. I feel that the first half of the season was definitely the toughest part because we had to adjust and learn. In the second half of the season, we’re perfecting our craft as we are supposedly facing some of the weaker opponents,” Onel said.

The next and last home match of the season is Senior Night on Jan. 25 vs Blake, which kicks off at 6:15. “Senior night hasn’t even hit me yet. Since freshman year, time has gone by in a blur. I’m still focused on every single match before that night. I’m taking one match at a time. I just want a good send-off and end things on a high note,” Onel said.

The top individual wrestlers of the season are as follows:

Maxim Loukinov 23-0 (285lbs)
Dangelo Da Silva 22-0 (195lbs)
Mattias Onel 19-4 (160lbs)