 "A Higher Standard" |
|
"A Higher Standard" |
|
Sometimes, you schedule the wrong opponent. "This team is so balanced, one through fourteen," Head Coach Chad Parker said. "We set this dual up over the summer, and now, I kind of regret it. This early in the season, with a team as young as ours, Ocala has the chance to destroy whatever confidence we've thus far built up." The Ocala Forest Wildcats are off to what has to be considered one of the best starts in school history. In two weekends, they've won two tournaments. "They've won an dual-style tournament and an individual tournament," Parker said. "That tells me two things: they're balanced and they have stars. Some of those kids have 10 matches under their belt already. We've wrestled just one varsity dual match. So on top of them being a great team, they have in season experience we won't have until the middle of December." Undefeated on the season for the Wildcats are 103lber Paul Villes and 160lber Adam Lessor. "Those two are ranked at their respective weight classes. Automatically, that puts us down two matches," Parker said. The Raiders will have to wrestle tough and smart in every match in order to have a chance to defeat the Wildcats. "At this point, we don't even talk about winning," Parker said. "We talk about wrestling intelligently. Do the little things: stay in position, move on bottom, don't give up reversals. That's not to say we don't have a chance to beat these guys. What it means is that one through fourteen, each wrestler, individually has to wrestle at his best. We do that, we have a chance. A slim chance, but a chance." Individual matchups: |
