As the wrestling team members look toward the impending region and state competitions, coaches and veteran wrestlers look forward to the coming weeks.

“The competition has changed this year,” wrestling coach Jake Fischer said. “The UIL split 5A into one class then 4A into another.”

This new divide makes the competition for the 4A title a little less tough, and the team is looking to capitalize on this new opportunity.

“I think we’ve got a good chance because we are in a different classification,” Fischer said. “Now there is a chance at getting in that top four, and we ought to be able to place quite a few more kids. The expectations are high this year, because of the changes and because of the personnel we have.”

The district tournament takes place on Saturday, Feb 2, with region on Feb. 7 and state following on Feb. 16. Before each of these matches, wrestlers try to attain a certain state of focus and determination.

“You’ve got to zone everything out,” senior Clark Lanning said. Before every match, Lanning puts on his headphones and listens to a special playlist.

“I listen to techno,” senior Cutler McMartin said. “Then I say, ‘alright, just do what you know how to do.’ And then I do it.”

Coaches insist that in order to achieve success on the mat, wrestlers need to get into the mindset that focus and confidence win the match.

“The focus is actually mental,” Fischer said. “You have to have the confidence going in, that you can get in there one-on-one and get the job done.”

Naturally, all wrestlers strive to achieve that focus, and ultimately, victory, but different wrestlers have different motivations for winning.

“It’s good to be the winner of a competition with another human being, just to prove that you’re better than him,” McMartin said. “You get to see the total look of defeat on his face.”

“I think the main thing about winning is that it feels a heck of a lot better than losing,” Lanning said.

The wrestling team plans to maintain their determination and motivation throughout the coming weeks, as they prepare to take on tough wrestlers from all around the state.