All of the hard work and preparation the Jonathan Alder High School’s wrestling team has put in since they started training on November 9 has led up to the sectional tournament that is set to take place on February 19 and 20.

    The sectional tournament could be the end of an up and down season for the wrestling team. The youth of the team has shown throughout the season, but the experience gained by the sophomore and junior classes will prove to be extremely valuable for the future of the program. The team was hit hard by the loss of five seniors last season. The limited number of wrestlers that came out for the team this year has proven costly to successful tournament runs.

    Senior leadership is an important aspect to any high school sport. That role fell solely on the shoulders of senior Jake Davis this season as he was the only senior to go out this year. Davis was there to step up to this role. When asked who he felt was the most looked up to wrestler, junior Zane Johnson was quick to endorse Davis as the unquestioned leader of the team.

    Hopefully an individual wrestler, if not the entire team, will be able to beat the odds and extend the current wrestling season past the sectional tournament and continue on the the state tournament. Head wrestling coach Ron Thomas knows that it will be an uphill battle, but he expects everyone on the team to continue performing to the best of their abilities.