The JP Wrestling team has demonstrated great success and resiliency throughout this season. With a great win over South River to start the season, the team has looked determined from the get-go.

This season may have been seen as a rebuilding year for the team, as only three starters from last year returned for the home opener this year. Nevertheless, both the returning and new members of the squad put in their best efforts for the opening match, which resulted in a huge victory—showing new members of the team that they were capable of winning, no matter the circumstances. This gave all the members a very necessary confidence boost for the rest of the season.

Although the Hawks did end up coming out with the victory, it was not an easy one to achieve. They had dug themselves into a hole, down 15-0 after only three matches, coming from a decision in the first match and two pins in quick succession. However, the Hawks were quickly able to regain these lost points, with two forfeits and two pins. The first pin came at the hands of returning member junior Adolfo Malabanan, in a grueling, 3 minute and 17 second match. The second pin occurred when senior Antonny Bonilla took down his opponent in less than 30 seconds. With each pin and forfeit counting for 6 points, the Hawks were able to come back and take hold of a 24-15 lead. Spirits were high, and the team was confident about their victory. Despite this, the South River Rams were able to quickly take the lead back, with 3 pins and one decision, accounting for 21 straight points for the Rams. The Hawks now faced a deficit of 12 points, trailing 36-24. One more individual loss and the Hawks would suffer a devastating loss.

First up in this essentially sudden death match was senior Kevin Savoth. Savoth had proven to be a veteran leader for the team this year and was able to win a tough, grueling match. In an epic match, Savoth was able to take down South River’s Fillipe Granadeiro in just under 3 minutes. The Hawks were able to escape elimination and tighten the gap between the teams, with the score now being 36-30. The Hawks then relied on sophomore Joshua Palmer, a new member of the squad to help fend off elimination. Palmer showed off his skill set in his first-ever game for the Hawks in another long, slow-paced match. After 3 minutes and 40 seconds of brutal sparring, the scores were leveled: 36-36. In the last and deciding match, junior Isaiah Dennis stepped up to get the win for JP. Dennis had only played in one match prior to the previous season. However, he was able to perform when it mattered most. The Hawks won overall, with a score of 42-36.

Overall, this first meet was deemed successful for the team. The Hawks came out on top in a physical and taxing meet for the team. They pushed through adversity and used it as motivation to get them across the finish line. This early victory is definitely a good omen for the squad, and the team will definitely expect more success in future matches and seasons.