Sweat, hard work. These are the defining characteristics of real men. Is it surprising that Jesuit houses some of these very men under its roof? No. But in reality, they are underground in the depths of the Terry Center, catacombs forged from the blood, sweat, and tears of past champions. This is the environment that the Jesuit wrestling team endures every day in their practices after school or in the case of a home game. These masters of the mat started off their season with a powerful presence in their first four tournaments.
On Thursday, November 12th, Jesuit wrestling traveled out to The Colony, a tri-meet between Jesuit, Northwest Eaton, and The Colony. The varsity squad was led by Gustavo Saucedo ’16, going 2-0 with one pin, as well as by Michael Clarkson ’17, winning both of his matches and finishing 2-0. Similar in success, Grayson Buchholz ’17 and Derek Dumbrigue ’18 both won their matches with pins. On JV, Mark Hernandez ’17 came out and won 2-0, followed by Gabriel Farrell ’19 winning 1-1, Connor Curreri ’19 winning 1-0, and Grayson Godfrey ’18 finishing at 1-1, a successful fist showing for the Rangers.
On Friday, November 13th and Saturday, November 14th, the Rangers continued on to the Arlington Invitational, confident that they would crush the competition. First up, on varsity, Dumbrigue placed 4th with a record of 2-2, while Saucedo and Buchholz, even though they valiantly fought hard, finished placeless. On the JV team, Clarkson was the champion of his weight class with Mark Hernandez not too far behind, placing 2nd at 2-1, and Farrell and Jonah Brunel ’17 both placing 3rd. Coach Menard concluded, “We are a young team with several of the boys wrestling their first match ever this past week and weekend. I was impressed with their positive attitude and the aggressive style with which they wrestled.”
On Wednesday, November 18th, the Rangers continued their streak of matchups by competing against McKinney Boyd at McKinney Boyd. McKinney’s boys proved to be masterful off the mat, making it hard for our boys to pin them down. Mark Hernandez explained how the season can be “tough for everyone, but we stick to it because we are a brotherhood,” an accurate realization that details the goal that both drives them to win and holds them together. Eventually, Clarkson managed to assert his dominance, winning his match with a pin. Additionally, Stephen Price ’17, mimicking Clarkson’s victory, pinned his opponent and finished out the night with a win.
On Friday, November 20th, and Saturday, November 21st, the team traveled out to Rockwall High School to compete in the Heath Invitational. First, on Friday night, the JV wrestlers faced substantial opposition. After a few grueling matches, both Buchholz and Curreri won their respected weight classes. “On the JV side, we saw a lot of success at this tournament,” added Grayson, commenting on the team’s progress at the tournament. Last but not least, starting on varsity, Farrell and Hernandez hoped to close out the night on a good note, looking to set a solid foundation for the wrestlers competing the following day. Harnessing the same fire and energy as the JV, both varsity wrestlers held their ground, working their way up the totem pole by the end of the night with both Hernandez and Farrell placing 3rd for varsity. Starting on Saturday, both Saucedo and Dumbrigue picked up the torch, each “wrestling aggressively” in both of their weight classes, according to Coach Menard, ultimately ending up with records of 2-2 each. Interestingly, Dumbridgue wrestled at the 106-pound weight class, while Saucedo wrestled at the 220 weight class, substantially different in their weight but equally as skilled in their performances.
On Wednesday, December 2nd, Jesuit hosted its home opener against the wrestlers of Richardson. Invigorated by the crowd massed in Walsh Gymnasium, the varsity wrestlers started off strong, showing Richardson they’d have to fight from the very moment they stepped onto the mat. Brunel, Phillip Villalba ’18, Godfrey, and Clarkson all secured wins by pinning their opponents. Continuing with the JV, Curreri, Trip Hatton ’19, Mathew Schonberg ’16, and Price all had pins to get the win for the Rangers at home. A wise wrestler, Buchholz concluded by complimenting his teammates, saying, “I am extremely impressed with how the new wrestlers are doing as it is their first year wrestling. Most of them have placed at their tournaments and have won the majority of their matches. They include Michael Clarkson, Stephen Price, Gabriel Farrell, Jonah Brunel, and Mark Hernandez. I also have high expectations for freshman Connor Curreri because he won a state title as a heavyweight in middle school.”
If you see any of your Jesuit wrestlers in the hallways or at lunch, make sure and give them a firm pat on the back because not everybody can mimic their magic on a wrestling mat.
