While the mats are being tucked away in the back of the equipment room, the wrestling team concludes their season. Starting their season, the wrestling team hoped to rise above the prior year and take home another section title. In the process, the team secured another title, along with a new set of memories.
Leading the team strong, Gavyn McCray (12) set new records for himself and his team. Coming off of his 100th win, the team took on Hopewell for their senior night match. Finishing off their regular season, the Bulldogs took on Central Valley, hoping to clinch section champions for the third year. With an ending score of 46-20, the team had beaten the Central Valley Warriors and earned themselves the title of section champions.
“[The match to win the section title] made me feel proud that we have come together as a team and put in the work to make us better,” Brayden Reynolds (10) said.
After prevailing in a hard-fought battle, the team took on the next step of the WPIAL. After obtaining section champs, the team headed to the WPIAL playoffs, facing other section champions.
Preparing for WPIAL playoffs, the Bulldogs practiced relentlessly in hopes of perfecting their game as much as possible. The team headed to Quaker Valley to take on section champs, South Park.
In a well-fought battle, the Bulldogs pulled away from South Park and managed to win, ending the match 40-22. Finishing their first match, the bulldogs prepared to take on the winner of match two, Quaker Valley and Elizabeth Forward. Leading into the final game, the team prepared to take on section champs and prior WPIAL champions, the Quaker Valley Quakers.
“We wrestled pretty good, especially since most of our matches we did not have our full team,” McCray said. “It was nice winning a third-section championship.”
Once the clock began, players and spectators shared an intense desire to win the match. The air, almost feeling palpable, caused everyone in the gymnasium to feel overwhelmed with the vigor of the players. After leading off the team, McCray continued his winning streak as he clinched the first start for the Bulldogs. After continuous matches, the Bulldogs fell to the Quakers with a score of 48-23. Even after a hard-fought battle, the team kept their heads held high, hoping to finish the rest of their season strong. With promise in upcoming students and overall skill growth, the wrestling team continues to bring a substantial legacy to the high school.