On Wednesday January 11, 2023, MVC wrestling faced off against league opponent Palma in their first duel at home. Although the duel was supposed to begin at 5:30 pm, the referee was stuck in heavy traffic, caused by an accident due to the heavy rainfall affecting the Central Coast. Many of the parents in the stands joked that the dual, which normally lasts only an hour, was beginning to feel like a tournament. Thus, the Palma Chieftains, who are ranked in the top 3 and known for being a wrestling powerhouse, had the opportunity to warm up on the mat for an extra 15 minutes while parents and friends waited in anticipation. When the referee did arrive around 5:50 p.m, all the parents in the stands gave him a round of applause. The ref grinned ear to ear. Finally, with packed bleachers the matches began. 

First up, sophomore Gavin Vasquez, who went without food or water the entire day because he was 4 pounds over his weight class, ended up making his weight class of 120 pounds, devoured a foot long sandwich before his tough fought match. Unfortunately he was unable to come up with the win. Next up, co-captain and junior Brayden Cason wrestled for the Mustangs, claiming the first victory for his team. Then sophomore Andrew Thournberg fought a close match, but got pinned by his opponent in the end. 

Wrestling in the 140 weight class, co-captain Rykin Resurrection won his match, joining Brayden in the winner’s circle. In an interview after the duel Rykin said,

“I have been mentally preparing because I know that a lot of mental game happens in wrestling, and even during the match, you don’t think as much; you think about not putting yourself in a bad position and keeping up with what you can do. I have prepared a lot in training, even without a partner, going on runs to prepare me for the match.”

To pin his opponent, the sophomore had a key rush where his opponent was about to come back with a turn, which Rykin was able to prevent. After the match, Rykin stated that his mentality going into the match was that no matter if his opponent was on JV or Varsity, or whether they had experience or were in-experienced, he did not want to underestimate them because he did not want to overestimate himself. His mental preparation paid off. 

Next up, Senior Cody Williams wrestled in the 152 pound weight class, which he won a tough match as well. His favorite moment from his match was when he got his opponent in a half Nelson and threw him. During the match all he could think about was not getting pinned and staying on his stomach. Eventually, the veteran got his opponent on his back and with determination, never let him out. When Cody finally won, his teammates erupted in celebration. When interviewed after the match, Cody admitted that he was a little nervous to begin, but tried to be intimidating. Additionally, he had only been able to make one practice in the week leading up to the meet because he was sick, so he prepared by watching a lot of film. Winter viruses have seriously impacted the team. As Cody stated:

It’s hard to come back after being sick, especially cardio wise.”

Regardless, the Mustangs were able to pull out three big wins against top ranked Palma. The end score was 24 to 60 after wrestlers Jess, Josh, Micheal G, Sevryn, and Micheal V each lost their matches. Unfortunately, Sophomore Ethan Komrosky did not get to wrestle because no one from the Chieftain team was in his weight class, thus it was an automatic forfeit. Many of the Mustang wrestlers had never experienced a dual match before and fought well against more experienced wrestlers. Rykin Resurrection commented that his teammates did well for their first matches, but everyone has a lot of work still to do. If they continue to work, the Mustangs have a big future ahead. Their next match is on Wednesday January 18th against Monterey at home, so come and support your classmates!