TJ Pins Fairview

photo by Hanna Kazlouskya

Wrestlers felt the tension and excitement when stepping onto the mat against Fairview High School on Thursday the 6th, for their 13th match of the season, and the Spartans came out with their sixth consecutive win by a close score of 38-36. This allowed the young team to improve their record to 6-7.

Fairview was tough competition for TJ, because the Spartans have never beaten them before in a match. “They have a strong team of around 50 kids who have good coaching and wrestle at the 5A level,” said Head Coach Mike Laurita. “I have faith in my boys and believe that we are ready to go up against any hard competition. This was a tough match, but we pulled through with a win.”

For the first week after break the team experienced minor changes with the lineup when the coaches moved some athletes around to wrestle at different weight classifications. Sophomore Kenny Ojeda experienced this change when he wrestled his competitor at 130 lbs. while he weighs 125 lbs. “I have been working hard at practice for the past couple of weeks, getting ready to wrestle kids who are heavier than me,” said Ojeda.

The team is heading off to Pueblo South for the Colt Classic Tournament this Saturday, January 15, at 8:00 a.m. “This is going to be another great challenge for the guys so that they can prepare for the state competition,” said Assistant Coach Matt Laurita.