12 wrestlers and their coaches are making the drive to Cypress on Thursday for the state tournament Friday and Saturday at the Berry Center.

“It’s a big deal for me because not only does the hard work pay off it proves that every workout and every practice was for something,” senior Ashtyn Stevens said. “It’s really amazing to think that everything that you’ve been through and every practice that has been so hard and working with your teammates and working for this is finally pay off.”

Advancing to state two times before and finishing 5th last year, senior Broderick Green is preparing for the end of his last season.

“This is what we look forward to all year,” Green said via text. “I go to multiple practices a day in and out of school, I lift, run, and take care of my body with diet. A lot of sacrifices go into preparing for this tournament.”

In addition to the adrenaline of qualifying, the school crowded the hallways to send off the 12 wrestlers Tuesday during advisory.

“I feel like wrestling is a little more ignored than some of the other sports, but when the school recognizes how far we’ve gotten as a team, that matters,” senior Andrew Peters said via text. “The send-off made me feel like a big man on campus. I appreciate it.”

Going in with high hopes, coaches think the team will have several wrestlers finish in the top six.

“I fully expect 5 or six state placers this weekend though,” assistant wrestling coach Tim Brennan said via email. “However, knowing this team, they may again exceed my expectations.”