Wrestling looks to build momentum at TCA meet

Drew Gager, Staff Writer • January 12, 2019

Sophomore Jacob Underwood wrestles in the CenTex tournament, which he finished in first place.

The boys wrestling team will be meeting at Trinity Christian Academy this weekend. All weight classes for the boys will be competing in this meet.

In order to prepare for the meet, many of the wrestlers have been managing their weight and diet, which coach Mike Eaton has a specific system for.

“We have some wrestlers who are on a very specific nutrition plan,” Eaton said. “The number one way our wrestlers watch their weight is by eating right, or having a good nutrition plan. The average person walks around dehydrated and eats poorly. We teach our men and women how to eat and hydrate correctly, and most often we find that they are able to eat more as they are eating healthy.”

The grind and hard practice is not only a weekday process. Sophomore Dalton Braun says that the dieting and training goes even into the weekends.

“We have to eat healthy food in the right proportions and train every day,” Braun said. “We wrestle and lift in the morning, and condition a lot after school. We also have to work out over the weekends.”

Freshman Trent Rucker spoke high praises of his teammates’ chances of success in both the immediate and long-term future.

“I think when [sophomore brother] Ralph Rucker, [senior] Johnny Dorlan, and [junior girls wrestler] Katherine Heath are in their best conditions, they have a good shot at winning state,” Rucker said.

Eaton highlighted a few of his wrestlers who are coming into the TCA tournament at a high level.

“Some of our current standouts are senior Johnny Dorlon, who just finished first place in the CenTex tournament in Austin where 45 teams from the state were represented,” Eaton said. “Also, sophomore Jakob Underwood just won the CenTex tournament in Austin and is wrestling very well.”

Eaton said his team is expecting an energetic atmosphere over the course of the weekend.

“The atmosphere at these events is very intense and exciting. In any one match, you have two wrestlers battling each other to see who is better. It is not a sport for those who are not competitors. Unlike a lot of team sports, you cannot “hide” during the match. It is one versus one each time.”

About the Contributors

Drew Gager, Staff Writer

During his first year with The Red Ledger, sophomore Drew Gager will contribute as a staff writer. His hobbies include golfing and playing video games. He loves to watch football and wants to be a NFL analyst when he grows up. He joined The Red Ledger staff so he could pursue his dreams to be on ESPN and talk about football all day long.. His favorite movie is “Hateful Eight” and he doesn’t have a favorite actor because he believes Samuel L. Jackson, Will Smith, and Denzel Washington are all the best actors of all time. He plans on going to Oklahoma University to major in journalism. After Drew has made five hundred billion dollars doing something (to be determined), he will spend it all on junk food. Drew is a part of a big family at home. He has two sisters and one brother at home, and he knows being a part of The Red Ledger family will be a great experience.

Grace Nguyen, Section Editor

Fueled daily by three iced vanilla coffees, standing at 5’2”, Grace Nguyen will walk into the E103 door with no problem. Grace is entering senior year, and the only reason she is believed to have survived high school is because of the napping couch in the photography studio. During her time on staff, Grace has been to almost every football game, win or loss, and wouldn’t have changed a thing. Yes, Grace has been tackled by football players, run over by coaches, and body slammed by referees. Nonetheless, Grace will confidently walk on the field this year, bruises and all, alongside her sideline media team. Stepping outside the newsroom, which is rare, Grace enjoys playing softball, hanging out with family and friends, and finding excuses to go to every $3 Pazookie Tuesdays at BJ’s. After high school, Grace hopes to pursue a career in sports photojournalism, so watch out for her still getting run over by athletes on ESPN in the years to come. Although it’s bittersweet to leave newspaper upon graduation, Grace is thankful for all the opportunities that she’s had on staff. Through The Red Ledger, Grace created long-lasting friendships and won a lot of awards that she never imagined was possible. Grace hopes that current and future staffers will think of this national-award-winning publication the same way as she did–a second family and their home away from home.