The Freedom Bulldogs wrestling team is looking to continue to move forward this year following last year’s success of Senior Levi Bonzo and Junior Kody Komara. With a winning score of 55-12 against Beaver on Dec. 9, this seems to be so.

During this match, there were many moments of upperclassmen encouraging underclassmen during each set. Shouting statements such as “Stand up!”, “Don’t let him pin you!” “Flip over!” and many more giving advice in order to help the underclassmen turn their set around for the win. The match starts with the five JV wrestlers winning their sets, then it was up to Varsity wrestlers to keep that streak going. With a final score of 55, they didn’t hold anything back.

“I feel that the upperclassmen support us a lot more than in any other sport. During a match or practice, they will give me advice as to what I should do next or what I should do to in order to improve. We feel like a family and we work together to get stronger and to improve, not just for this year but for the years that follow,” Freshman Nick Wolfe said.

Each wrestler steps on the mat by themselves, but they’ll win or lose together, as a team. Every wrestler knows that there is something more that they can do after each match to better themselves and the team. But with upperclassmen like ours, improvement can and will happen with practice, patience and positive teamwork. That statement may sound soft and typical of a high school team, but these boys are anything but.

“We lost a few members from last season to now, but we have gained a much better and stronger family. We feel much more together this year than last. We can trust each other much more than we could before, we are much more solid. We will take it, work it and win one match at a time, that is my goal,” Senior Levi Bonzo said.

With the first win of the season under their belts, the team is bursting with energy and they’re continuing to improve on their skills and become stronger teammates in order to win this season and to make it to this year’s WIPALs. With the man power we have this year, their victory is in sight. This is just the start of the wrestling season and the expectations are high, but with the strength of this team we can hopefully meet and surpass through expectations.

“I think that the best thing is that our underclassmen have already proven themselves that they are strong members that will strengthen our team and help us move forward. They have been really supportive and they have been able to fill in the places where we haven’t been very strong in the past,” Bonzo said.