TJ wrestlers close out the long haul with a State Tournament appearance.
Photo by Rebecca Holt
A season is hardly ever defined in moments but, this past weekend, the CHSAA State Wrestling Tournament was a tournament built on moments. Moments of awe, upsets, close-calls, and absolute obliterations. This year’s tourney held high hopes for senior Cody DeLaBarre, and those hopes were dashed by a cruel twist of fate. After successfully pinning his first opponent, DeLaBarre suffered a concussion and was forced to withdraw from tournament play permanently after only the second round. “He took a shot, collided with the kid’s knee, and didn’t really tell us anything was wrong right away. It was not until afterward when he laid down on the mat, and I knew something was wrong when he was not singing and being his typical happy self,” Assistant Coach Logan Vargas said.
Even though it is a shame DeLabarre could not continue on in the tournament, Head Coach Mike Laurita still beams about his stellar season. “He had a great season, and with forty victories he tied the school record. Just like he did last season, he helped the team a tremendous amount, and grew in the process as well. He had a great season, it was just a shame it had to end this way.”
Heading on to bigger things, Cody looks to work further into the future, possibly wrestling along the way. “We will see what happens. I am just excited I got the chance to wrestle here during this time. It definitely was an experience that I will carry with me into the future.”
