Our Carolina Forest High School wrestling team won the regional championship, and they will be sending some individual wrestlers players to the Lower State Wrestling Tournament on Friday, February 21:  Braedan Bailey, Jonte Crumpton, Brandon Jacoby, Isaiah Poppe, Holden Mays, Zack Preciado, Nick Preciado, Jayson Jacoby, Dominic Gilbert, Brandon Morales, Marlon Morales, Dylan Zajac and Evan Delauter.

Brandon Jacoby, a sophomore, said he enjoyed the matches and tournaments the team was allowed to play. He had to lose 15 lbs and was on a strict diet for three months. “ It felt really good because we are now 4x region champs. I enjoy the feeling I get when I am about to wrestle.”

Many people don’t realize how strict wrestling guidelines are each season.  Having an exact weight is crucial.  According to sportsrec.com, high school wrestlers typically compete in one of 14 weight classes.  The lowest is 106 pounds, whereas the highest is 285.  This can vary, depending on each region.

Coach Harold Blake has high expectations for his athletes to compete well as they continue their journey this season.

“I have enjoyed watching the development of the team as a whole and the growth of the wrestler’s individual skills,” Coach Blake comments.

Junior Zach Preciado said he enjoyed hanging out and becoming closer with everyone on his team. “ It feels great because all of our hard work pays off in the end. I see myself growing and becoming better than I have ever been. I won all of my matches that I needed to win to help my other teammates to become better.’’

Coach Matthew Perdue shares, “I enjoy watching our guys grow in skill and confidence. I think a lot of people thought we would fall off this year after graduating three state qualifiers. However, this wasn’t the case. We have continued to impress and now this may be considered the best season performance by any Carolina Forest wrestling team.”

Wrestling is a physically demanding sport with hours of intense practices.  Our team has worked hard to get where they are this season.  To help with their success, Coach Perdue has two words that he loves: DAILY GRIND.

“ Everyday we preached that practice CANNOT be a routine. The routine will make you better but never great. You have to come into the room passionate and ready to be better than you were the previous day. We loved seeing our guys go 27-2 in the state and 27-1 with our full lineup, but we are hoping this only the beginning of success for this team. We start playoffs this week and they are coming in with the #8 ranking in the state. We are also excited for the lower state individual tournament. On a great day we could potentially take 8 wrestlers to the state tournament and have a great chance on crowning Carolina Forest first ever 5A state champion! So keep watching folks, our story is still being written.”

Best of luck to Coach Perdue, Coach Blake, and the team as they pound their way to Lower States!