Varsity wrestling lost to the Wellesley Raiders 50-28 in their Shoulder Check mental awareness meet on Wednesday, Jan. 14, in the Schluntz Gymnasium.
Before the meet, both teams convened on the mat to recognize and reflect on mental health awareness in sports. Junior and captain Liam Christ read a short speech urging listeners to “Reach Out. Check In. Make Contact,” the Shoulder Check mantra.
The meet opened with two forfeits from the Raiders, giving the Warriors an early 12-0 lead. The Raiders responded with two victories in the 120 and 126-pound weight classes and closed the gap to 12-11. Christ reclaimed momentum for the Warriors with a dominant display of control, pinning his opponent and extending the lead to 18-11. However, a pin for the Raiders in the next match leveled the score to 18-17.
According to Head Coach Brandon Bruttomesso, this is the Raiders’ first year in the Warriors’ conference, making them an important opponent. Regardless, Junior Theo Salvin said that he approached this meet no differently from any others.
“They have a lot of good, we have a lot of good kids,” Salvin said. “I thought if we performed well, we’d have a chance at pulling it off.”
Salvin held out strong, scrambling deftly and responding quickly to the moves his opponent threw at him. He maintained the upper hand through the end of his third period, securing his match for the Warriors and bringing the score to 22-17.
The Warriors’ lead did not last. Two consecutive pins and a loss by points in the middle weight classes put the Raiders ahead 32-22. A forfeit in favor of the Warriors in the 175-pound weight class brought the score to 32-28, but a favorable forfeit of their own and two more pins for the Raiders marked the end of the night at 50-28.
Senior and captain Manny Tolkoff ultimately fell to a highly ranked opponent in his match. Similar to Salvin, though, Tolkoff said he wanted to come in focusing on what he could control.
“It’s the same as every other,” Tolkoff said. “You try not to think about who you’re wrestling, and something our coach is always saying is that you’re wrestling yourself. That means that you come in to wrestle your match, you’re going to work your moves and that’s what we always try to do.”
Bruttomesso said he was glad to hear that his athletes are wrestling with his ideas. The Warriors have about a month before they meet the Raiders again at sectionals, and Bruttomesso said that despite the loss, they’ve seen good things and are confident that they can make the needed adjustments.
“I always say that we have to be able to say, ‘Hey, I’m going to hit this move on you, and you can’t stop me,’” Bruttomesso said. “We’re going to have that attitude coming into this matchup.”
