After shattering St. Mark’s 38-year monopoly on the SPC title last year, the wrestling team enters the final month of the season hoping to see their crimson banner hanging once more.

“We have an excellent chance of winning SPC once again this year,” senior captain Douglas Moody said.

Key players include sophomore Yo Akiyama, junior Orion Hicks, junior captain Raymond Yuan and senior captains Preston Neal and Sean Yuan.

“Each person is essential to our success,” Sean said. “If we lost even one person from our starting lineup, it would ruin our chances of winning.”

The SJS record currently stood at 6-2 going into their first tournament of the new year, Jan. 11, at Seven Lakes High School where they defeated Strake Jesuit, Kinkaid and Lamar.

“We’re looking towards state duals,” Moody said. “It’s our first important tournament. From there on, it’s state individuals and SPC.”

State duals takes place on Jan. 25. Dual tournaments are won differently from individual tournament. In the individual tournament, no one team officially wins or loses, but players win individually. In duals, each players from each weight class wrestle each other and gain points for the school.

St. Thomas and Kinkaid are their biggest competitors.

“We can definitely win state duals. As a team, we are very capable,” Sean said. “We all work really hard and support each other. Pretty much everyone’s having a great season.”“No team is even remotely scary to us,” Moody said.

Senior Casey Cowan of Kinkaid is the team’s main competition at state duals.

“It’s hard work, but it’ll pay off in the end,” freshman Cam Cook said. “The team relies on everyone to pull their weight so that we can do well.”

Winter SPC takes place at SJS on Feb. 15.

Junior Jerald Barbe said, “The amount of work that we are doing in practice will be well worth it to become back to back SPC champions.”

Upcoming Competitions

1/25   State Duals (Away)

1/31   Prep State Individuals (Away)

2/15   SPC at 9:00 a.m. (Home)

2/21   Prep Nationals (Away)