The gym rang with the sounds of whistles, bodies slamming down on the mat, and even chants of people’s names. On Jan. 21 the Wildcats competed against the Storm in their first match post confrence.
The end of the conference has not yet stopped the Wildcats’ high adrenaline during every competition they compete in. With many possession changes, the Wildcats put up their all and beat the Storm, 42-40.
While the varsity WEGO boys’ wrestling team is mainly made up of upperclasman, for this match, they brought up sophomore Charlie Weirich. Although he lost his dual, he gained the experience of competing at the varsity level.
Senior Leo Rosas recently came back from a knee injury. With his skill he was able to pin his opponent very quickly to secure the win. According to Rosas, he was previously ranked 5th in the state but now believes he is ranked 7th, due to his loss of ability to compete in a few matches.
“Some of the kids in front of me, I’ve beaten before, and I can definitely beat them again,” Rosas said.
Rosas is hopeful for the end of the season to follow all the way through regionals and sectionals and make it to state. This would be his second time attending state. According to Rosas he had unfortunate injuries during both his freshman and sophomore year. His first appearance, last year, he felt he did not have the mindset he needed for state. This year he believes he is prepared with what he needs to succeed.
“In the beginning, I wasn’t feeling that good, I wasn’t pushing the pace until I got both of his arms and tossed him,” senior Landon Rodriguez said.
The adrenaline shifted in the gym the same way it shifted for Rodriguez.
“I got tossed to the ground first and then got right back up. That’s when the adrenaline came in,” Rodriguez said.
Senior Joey Mercadante closed the dual with an intense match. With the crowd on the edge of their seats, they began to chant Mercadante’s name. “Joey, Joey, Joey” rang through the gym while he pushed for the win. The match went into sudden death, and ultimately ended with his opponent pinning him down with a final score of the match being 9-12.
The Wildcats are eager to get to the next step – state. WEGO has had wrestlers make it to state before, and they plan for a recurring appearance at the state tournament. There is one final match left before regionals begin, and WEGO has nothing but high expectations for the team.
