Sports’ seasons come and go as time passes and as winter changes to spring, a sport ends its time in the ring. This sport is strenuous, involving and physically and emotionally demanding. This year it was the most watched and loved sport by the school with a turnout of a student section larger than any sport this year. The fans were well deserved as they saw the team win the section championship this year and make it to WPIAL finals this year, but losing against Burrell 48-17. This sports team is the Freedom High School Wrestling Team.
Although their season ended in February, they continued to practice for the rest of the month for one purpose. This purpose was to compete in their individual matches that would later follow into early March. Seven wrestlers were able to make it to compete in individuals; these wrestlers were Juniors Kody Komara, Dean Ward, Evan Sweesy and Freshmen ZJ Ward, Jacob Pail, Bryson Miller and Sophomore Chase Komara. All the wrestlers that made it this far had to have been exceptional, even if they lost during it, it is an achievement to make it to this point.
Two wrestlers have made achievements of their own this year. Sweesy and ZJ Ward both were able to make records for either themselves or for, in one case, the county. This was Sweesy’s first year making it to regional finals, and ZJ Ward was able to procure a record in Beaver County for the first freshman to win a WPIAL title.
The seven wrestlers that went all did well. ZJ Ward was able to make it to round 4 before getting a second loss, but this was not enough to get to states.
Pail was able to make it to the second round before losing out of the tournament and is hoping for another chance next year.
Chase Komara made it to the third round before losing twice and getting knocked out of the competition.
Kody Komara made it to the fourth round, until he lost to his old rival Mike Carr. The scores before this match in regular season were as follows: 6-0, 4-0 and finally 1-1, but this time in finals they were tied 1-1. This score followed them to overtime until Carr was able to get a takedown and win the match. Komara was able to procure second in all the disappointment which will send him to states.
Dean Ward was able to make it to the second round as well before his fight for states was lost. He also is looking forward to another chance to prove himself his senior year next year.
Miller, as with Dean and Pail, was able to make it to the second round before facing defeat against some of the other skilled wrestlers in the regional competition.
Sweesy had gone the longest out of all the wrestlers with how his wins and loses occurred in a specific order giving him another two matches when he had lost and got moved to the fifth place deciding match. He ended up winning and being able to move onto Hershey.
In the regionals competition, many of the seven wrestlers that went faced other great wrestlers that would test their skills. Two wrestlers beat enough of their opponents to make it past regionals and make it to states in Hershey. Both Kody Komara, whom placed 2nd, and Sweesy, who placed fifth, will move onto states on March 10 .