The boys varsity wrestling team lost to the Natick Redhawks 53-15 for their first home meet of the season on Tuesday, Jan. 3.

The Warriors started off with a 12 point deficit from forced forfeits because of their lack of wrestlers. New head coach Brandon Bruttomesso said that the team knew about the forfeits but was still looking to wrestle their best.

“Coming into a match and starting off down 12 is a tough one to come back from. I know Natick is a great team, they have a lot of strong seniors, so I knew it was gonna be a tough match,” Bruttomesso said.

Junior and co-captain Jamie Evarts said that wrestling is more about mental strength than experience.

“I like to preach relentlessness, showing our mental strength, that’s what I was talking to the guys about before the match, trying to hype them up. Make sure we’re gonna want it more,” Evarts said.

The meet was off to a rough start with three quick losses in the lower weight classes. Then, in the 138-pound weight class, junior Jack Henry pulled through with a major comeback pin, which is when one wrestler holds their opponents shoulders to the ground for three seconds, resulting in an automatic win for them. This pin put the Warriors on the board.

After another pin for the Redhawks, Evarts stepped onto the mat and began a battle against his opponent. Their match lasted three periods, and Evarts managed to gain the upper hand and score the first point of the 152-pound match in the final period.

During the heavyweight match, junior and co-captain Gabriel Thomas dominated the mat and prevented the loss of any more points while also ending his match with a win.

“I have my moves that I do well and that I drill, that’s what I’m gonna work with whomever I face. I visualized those moves and did it,” Thomas said.

Looking into next week, Bruttomesso said the Warriors plan on using this loss to push forward and build their skills to reach their full potential by next month.

“We’re just going to keep working towards that goal,” Bruttomesso said. “Use this loss as motivation to light a little fire under our butt and improve.”