The music echoed throughout the gym, signaling that it was that time again. Time for the WHS boys wrestling team to step out onto the floor for their first match of the season against Linden. The Blue Devils aimed for a commanding victory, and that’s exactly what they secured.
Despite missing their senior quad-captain Jake Zemsky, the team was able to handle their games in dominating fashion. “We won where we needed to win, and we lost some. We lost 12 matches, but overall, the heart of our lineup was pretty good.” Zemsky is currently sidelined with a back injury, however he is expected to return after winter break. He is “excited to get back on the mat” to start wrestling again.
Westfield demonstrated their grit, and after a dominating performance, they executed a 56-24 win. Six Blue Devils secured pins to win their matches, which ultimately gave them the upper hand over Linden.
Senior quad-captain Luke Sluberski delivered one of the pins. He believes the team has a lot of potential this year after also contributing a pin this match. He stated, “We have a lot of varsity guys that are seniors, so I’m just hoping we exceed our expectations to go out there and win some matches we are not supposed to.”
Freshman Anthony Russo competed in his first varsity match. He exceeded expectations by dominating his match 16-3 and proved he has a bright future ahead. Russo stated, “It feels great getting my first win. I got the nerves out, felt a lot better and feel ready for the next couple of matches.” Russo is young but is a huge part of this year’s team and will need to prove himself in his upcoming matches.
The Blue Devils had very dominant matches, but had to forfeit the 215 weight class and 285 weight class due to a lack of wrestlers in those respective weight classes.
Besides the Blue Devils’ performance, the 157 weight class match was a thriller. Senior Lukas Surgent dueled it out with his opponent. It was a back-and-forth matchup until the last 45 seconds of the third period, when he had a massive takedown to secure the win for the team.
The Blue Devils’ persistence will help them build momentum as they continue their season facing Rahway in the next matchup. Head coach Glen Kurz stated, “Rahway is very similar. They wrestle in a similar style to Linden. They’re probably a little bit better at it. So we’ve kind of been preparing for both teams together. We’re going to have to raise our game a little bit.”
The last time Westfield matched up against Rahway, Westfield suffered from a close 37-33 loss. The Blue Devils are preparing for a similar match but are hoping on getting redemption and finding a way to win.
Westfield has a bright season ahead of them but there is a lot of work that needs to be done throughout the season. Kurz stated, “ I tell the guys all the time, get better every day. We don’t want to be peaking in December. We’ll have to get a little bit better and I think we will. We’ll be a better team in February than we are right now.
The team is looking forward to a successful season and have high expectations for the team. Sluberski is eager to “go out there, and when some matches we are not supposed to, and take care of business when we’re wrestling guys, we know we should beat.”
