On Jan. 27, the Aragon boys wrestling team (4-3 Peninsula Athletic League) won 6-5 in PAL Match #3 against Sequoia (4-3 PAL) and Mills (2-2 PAL).
Sequoia led in the beginning, but the Dons soon got back on their feet. Freshman Lucas Haasch triumphed after three intense rounds that lasted almost 10 minutes. Freshman Miles Lim swiftly ended his match in the first round by pinning his opponent. Sophomore Aaron-James Sanchez and junior Xavier McKenzie also won in their second rounds.
“In the match previous to this one [against Sequoia], I think [Xavier] pinned in 30 seconds,” Haasch said.
While playing against Mills, Sanchez and senior Colin Thorneycroft defeated their opponents after another set of matches. The team’s strategy for the fast-paced, high-contact sport is staying calm and alert.
“For me, I try to have a clear mind,” Haasch said. “I always want to think about what the opponent’s gonna do.”
Despite the mental and physical strain of wrestling, athletes adopt strong mindsets and give their all in order to win.
“When you’re wrestling, it’s all about perseverance,” Thorneycroft said. “You just have to push through harder than the other guy. You really need to want that win. After that, the skill and the technique follow.”
Wrestling is a difficult but rewarding commitment with a high dropout rate. The time and effort put into training for big matches are physically demanding.
“A lot of our members that joined at the start aren’t here anymore,” Thorneycroft said. “Now, [it’s] only [the] really dedicated people who have formed strong connections with each other. Everyone knows everyone because [there are] only like 10 people who consistently go to the matches. Wrestling’s brutal. That’s all I can say. Before the match, you feel nervous because you could get really messed up by some of the guys there.”
During meets and practices, the wrestlers wear singlets and ear guards to prevent ear and head injuries. In addition, as a close contact sport, the team takes many precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
“All of our wrestlers are COVID-19 negative and only the people who wrestle are the only people with no masks on,” Thorneycroft said. “We have [facilities] ventilated [and] we keep the doors open.”
The team has matches every Thursday at 5 p.m. In between, the athletes practice by working out and wrestling with one another.
“When you’re wrestling, it’s all about perseverance. You really need to want that win”
“It’s a lot of cardio,” Thorneycroft said. “It’s a lot of just drilling and drilling and drilling [to] get the technique down. It’s hard, but it’s very rewarding.”
Head coach Sean Schochet helps guide the team on how to improve their technique and recognize weaknesses in their form.
“Some other strengths are from the coach helping us throughout our journey, and helping us get our double leg takedown and shooting, which is important for defense,” Haasch said. “[Sometimes] we reach back, which easily exposes the body [and] you can easily get taken down that way.”
The team will attend the PAL Championship tournament on Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. at Sequoia High School.
