The Richard Montgomery varsity wrestling team headed into their second trimeet of the season this Saturday against the Wootton Patriots and Walter Johnson Wildcats, hoping to wrestle well against a pair of very tough teams. Despite the Rockets’ best efforts, this meet held two very different stories. One displayed a tenacity that went beyond all expectations, while the other fell flat, costing the team two very close losses, 37-36 against the Patriots and 50-21 against the Wildcats.

The team started off strong and gained early leads in both matches, performing much better than many would have thought coming into the meet. “We did really good early on, at one point we were ahead 18 points against Wootton,” reflected Coach Romero. “They exceeded expectations for sure.”

Yet as both matches continued, the lead gradually began to shrink as the second half of the roster began to give up pin after pin, making each individual’s performance all the more important. In the match against Wootton, it came down to one final bout, which would clinch the win for the Rockets if it did not end as a pin. However, in the final round, as the Rockets were nearing celebration, their wrestler went down, giving up six points as well as the match.

“We still have some guys who have yet to give it their all, and that’s why we’re losing these close matches,” explained senior Henry Blackburn.

This lack of hard work and spirit displayed towards the end of both events did not seem to surprise some of the other members of the team. As junior Baiquni Iman-Santoso revealed, the problem stems from a similar attitude away from the mat. “Half of our team didn’t show up to practice,” he admitted. “They lost a lot of key matches that very much could have gone differently and gotten us the win.”

Ultimately though, for Coach Romero, the day was more about the positives than the negatives. He believes the problems displayed on Saturday should be an easy fix as the team has always been built on its strong work ethic. “It was bittersweet to come so close, but I’m happy for the performance and it’s only going to improve from here,” he expressed.

With all the talent that the young team possesses, it’s no wonder that the team feels optimistic, and even enthusiastic about the future. “As the younger wrestlers get older and more experienced with the sport, our wrestling program will get a lot better,” stated the usually critical Blackburn.

Based on the rapid upward trajectory the team is taking, Coach Romero believes that this improvement could manifest itself in the last couple meets of the season, boosting the team’s position in the county’s standings. “Based off what I’m seeing, I think we’ll win the last few matches, we’ll cruise through the end of the season,” he predicted. “One week can definitely make a huge difference.”

Now sitting at 3-8 in the standings, the Rockets are hoping to defeat a dominant BCC team at home Wednesday and ride a late surge to end the season on a high note.