Wrestling: Getting to
the Mat
by Stephanie Ringel
It’s wrestling season
and that means it is time to weigh in and put on those singlets.
Get ready to rumble boys; practice has begun.
Wrestling is a full contact sport that tests the physical and
mental abilities of every wrestler. When one takes his place in
the center of the mat, it’s all or nothing, and the whole
team is there to back him up. In practice, these boys have been
conditioning, weightlifting, and drilling. Head Coach Mike Scialabba
expressed, “We have the most challenging schedule this year
in the history of VC wrestling, we look forward to our guys stepping
up to meet the challenges and bringing home a lot of hardware
by season’s end.” It’s a common sight to see
these masculine men running up and down the beloved Skyway hill.
They’ve got to push through the drills that test their skills
to the brink.
Senior Justin Cates said that wrestling is “all about what
you do when no one’s watching.” He joined the team
because he feels that you can never be the best, meaning you can
always make yourself better. Throughout the season, junior varsity
wrestlers will occasionally compete against those in varsity in
an attempt to win a spot on varsity. So there is always a chance
for one to gain a higher ranking. There have been quite a few
new wrestlers in the lower weights, which will help Valley out
when it comes time to compete. This year’s team has four
wrestlers ranked in the Central Coast Sections: Senior Rick Huizar,
119 lbs, junior Chad Greer, 171 lbs, sophomore Ryan Gardner, 215
lbs, and senior Justin Willis, 275 lbs. In retrospect of last
year, Coach Scialabba stated, “We are looking to build off
of the success of last season and have multiple champions in the
West Catholic Athletic League, placers at CCS, and a California
state qualifier.” Although their team has increased to 28
wrestlers, this year they hope to have a team of 35 so that they
will be able to compete annually for WCAL and CCS championships.
With close to twenty matches headed their way in December and
January, these boys will have to discipline themselves on the
rough road to success.
