While some athletes enjoy intense gameday routines, it is the opposite for varsity wrestling team member Elijah Ra (10), who prefers to have a calmer routine on match days.
“I wake up five minutes earlier [than usual],” Ra said. “I [woke] up at 8:15, … [and] I went to school.”
After school, Ra also avoided physical activity, as he spent time resting, checking his weight category and eating to prepare for the match against the Rancho Buena Vista Longhorns, which took place on Jan. 29.
Varsity wrestling head coach Michael Bigrigg believes that doing less physical activity on days leading up to matches helps the team win.
Before the match, the team “[takes] it easy” to make sure everything is “nice and precise … where [they] want it to be,” according to Bigrigg.
On the other hand, varsity wrestler Feodor Rubtsov (10) started preparing for the match as soon as school ended. He went to the gymnasium to warm up, which consisted of “sprints [and] high knees.”
At 7 p.m., the match started. The team huddled up, then sent up their wrestlers in a designated order as they wrestled against opponents in their weight class. The team started off slow, with the Falcons losing the first two matchups.
Before it was Ra’s turn to wrestle, he warmed up by running back and forth on the side of the court. When it was his turn, the team huddled around him and chanted his name, and Ra entered the ring, aiming to turn the tide of the match.
Ultimately, Ra achieved his goal.
“[I beat him by] a tech, because I won by 15 points or more,” Ra said.
A tech occurs when one wrestler gains a 15-point advantage over his opponent, which ends the match.
Later, it was Rubtsov’s turn to wrestle. He explained his mentality before walking to the ring.
“I try to stick to what I’m good at,” Rubtsov said. “I try to remain calm, [and] I slap my legs right before I step on the mat.”
Rubtsov also won, and after the other matches, the team finished off strong. They came out on top, continuing a “good” season according to Bigrigg.
Bigrigg described the process of making a successful team.
“[You have] got to make kids understand they’re not winning for themselves or winning for the coaches,” Bigrigg said. “They got to win for each other, [which] is far and away the most important part. Second is the technical aspects, just getting kids wrestling every day and learning new techniques. Wrestling is a very technical sport. A lot of people think it’s just about toughness, [but] it’s all technical, like hitting a baseball.”
Additionally, Bigrigg highlighted Ra’s contributions to the team.
“He’s got two or three high-level tournament [awards],” Bigrigg said. “[He] placed third in the Jim Londos tournament [and] he pinned a state-ranked wrestler at the [La Costa Canyon] duel, which really got the ball rolling on us nearly coming back and beating LCC … Elijah was a big catalyst in that. He was a big underdog, and just wrestled really hard and came out on top.”
Varsity wrestler Ryan Sicat (9) also recognized Ra’s abilities as an athlete and a teammate.
“He’s really good,” Sicat said. “He’s funny, and he’s really good at wrestling.”
Although Sicat lost his matchup, he still enjoys competing with the team.
“[I like] being with the team,” Sicat said. ‘Everyone’s really hyped up and it’s really fun.”
Bigrigg applauded the team’s efforts.
“It was kind of a rebuilding year,” Bigrigg said. “But it doesn’t feel like that anymore. The guys are really stepping up.”
