In a season plagued by injuries, the wrestling team hopes to finish strong at the Mission League Finals. The team currently has a record of 0-4 in its meets but has seen strong performances from individuals. To prepare, the boys have been practicing daily and working on endurance.

Several players said that while they believe the practices are tough, they can see their teammates improving every day.

“I faced and am still facing the challenge of getting better at the flow of wrestling,” Paul Boardman ’21 said. “Thinking of the sport in terms of reacting to your opponent’s actions rather than just thinking in steps is tough to get the hang of, especially after drilling shots in practice on the same person every day.”

Wrestler Lupe Lucero ’20 said that he believes building team camaraderie and chemistry is vital to the team’s success.

“That is also a huge part of wrestling,” Lucero said. “Although each match is between you and your opponent, your teammates are always there to support you and have your back, win or lose.”

Head coach Patrick Cartmill said that he believes the two keys for the remainder of the season are consistency and conditioning.

Despite the injuries to team members, Cartmill said that he believes Daniel Guerrero ’20 and Boardman are some of the team’s best wrestlers.

“Boardman has wrestled well this year, and I’ve been pleased with the guys that have wrestled because our biggest struggle has been staying healthy and staying on the mat,” Cartmill said. “Boardman has really stood out as a sophomore and has come a long way since a rough freshmen year last year.”

Wrestlers will compete in the Mission League Finals on Saturday and those that place at the tournament will become eligible for the CIF Southern Section Championships beginning Feb. 8.

“Being able to wrestle at the speed we want to wrestle is definitely another one of the things that we need to improve on,” Cartmill said. “We need to stay on the mat without running out of gas and need to stay in shape in order to do that.”