RHS Wrestling Team Interview

By Marlon Cuevas and Kat Franklin 
​Photos by Mr. Ryan Vinson 

The Rossview Wrestling team is gearing up for their season, and the excitement from the team is palpable. They have a new coach and a fierce determination to get to state this year. Our team is one of the best in the district, and we commend that here at Hawk Press. We interviewed one of the junior wrestlers, Joseph Wilson, and one of the senior wrestlers, Caleb Lassiter, to see what they expected from the season. The coach was unavailable for comment.

Question: How is preseason?
Joseph: Preseason takes a lot of conditioning and weightlifting to physically prepare for competition when the season starts. We had multiple wrestlers that went undefeated at our first preseason tournament this year and that was very promising, so we are definitely doing something right.
Caleb: It was hard and a lot of weight training and getting physically and mentally ready for my last season.

Question: What are you looking forward to for the season?
Joseph: I’m looking forward to success as a team and as individuals while we gain camaraderie and grow in character. It will be awesome when we put some higher ranked schools in their place as well.
Caleb: Just wrestling and doing good and enjoying my final moments and watching the growth of up and coming wrestlers.

Question: What do you expect out of the season?
Joseph: With everyone working hard to be the best they can, I expect us to do really well. We have high hopes for winning the district tournament as a team this year, going to regionals, and maybe even to state. Our girl wrestlers are also highly favored to win state as a team this year considering they were just points away last year.
Caleb:  To do better than last year.

Question: What weight class will you be wrestling in?
Joseph: 182
Caleb: 170

Question: What do you love about the sport?
Joseph: The best part of wrestling is that you gain success based on your work ethic and even if the team loses it is still possible for the individual to be successful and vice versa.
Caleb: It is a very individual sport and involves a lot of discipline and everybody can see your hard work and it teaches you how to win and lose.

Question: How long have you been wrestling?
Joseph: This is my fourth consecutive year. I wrestled for a year in middle school and two years in high school.
Caleb: 3 years.

Question: Do you plan on doing it in college?
Joseph: Whether I pursue wrestling in college or not will be heavily based on my success this season and next season, but if the opportunity presents itself I will definitely continue in the sport.
Caleb: No, it is best because I can prevent future injuries and I can focus on school.


Question: Are there any wrestling superstitions?
Joseph: Depending on what we need to weigh, they tell us to think heavy or to think light when it is time to weigh in. Other superstitions vary by wrestler, some have certain socks they wear, other have lucky underwear, and occasionally you find family wrestlers who use their older siblings’ gear for good luck.
Caleb: You can't wash your shoes, your gear, or your socks.

Final Thoughts:
Caleb: [Wrestling] builds great confidence and keeps you humble. It is a sport that teaches you how to work on your own and it creates a good work ethic, while also learning how to win and lose.

The Rossview Hawks Wrestling Team will be competing from November through February, so come out and support our Hawks!