With the holidays limiting wrestlers access to practice, Lakewood put up its best eligible team against Cavalero and Lake Stevens junior varsity Nov. 29, falling in a close match to the south county wrestling stronghold, 48-39.
Contributions came from everyone who stepped on the mat.
It was a first match, we were just looking at getting up and doing it. I think it was a good match, said Lakewood coach Tom OHara. We wrestled tough. There wasnt one person who didnt fight hard. I think it was a good performance to build on.
Two performances that stood out for OHara came from upperclassmen. Junior Billy McKeever had a pin in the season-opening match, while the teams lone senior, Aaron Leonard, won his match by points, coming out 10 points over his opponent.
It looked as good as he did at the end of last year, this year. So hopefully well keep building on that, OHara added.
A trio of girls represented Cougar pride on the mat as well, winning two of their three matches.
While junior Amanda Gregory lost a close match in points to her male opponent, she pushed the contest to six minutes. Additionally, in her first-ever match, junior Christina Ordonez pinned her male rival for a win.
Sophomore and state veteran Keely Caldwell won her match in the 130-pound weight class as well, pinning her female opponent in overtime.
OHara said that he was pleased with the effort of his wrestlers and less concerned with winning and losing at this early stage.
I try not to stress winning and losing. You do what you can when you get out there. Before the match our goals were to do the moves we practiced and not to give up, he said.
His measure of success?
Were all about the end result. The end result are we beating people that we wrestled earlier in the season? Are we beating them? OHara said. Because theyve had the same amount of practices weve had. And over the years weve consistently done that.