With the end of their regular season, wrestling heads to Prosper Rockhill on Saturday to compete in the UIL District 8-5A Championships.

“I believe the team has demonstrated their readiness to compete for a District Championship this last week at the Coyote Classic,” head coach Cody Bridwell said. “Even though we were short-handed, the men’s and women’s teams both competed very hard, beat some district matchups, and came out on top”

Going in, the team is placing high emphasis on precision, as District 8’s competition forms an obstacle before regional and state progression. Headlining the team is senior De’Leon Freeman, whose season-long success has established him as the number one seed headed into the tournament. 

“I don’t worry about seeding or let it go to my head,” Freeman said via text. “I just wrestle how I wrestle and stick to a game plan.”

With COVId-19 and other challenges faced this season Bridwell finds pride in his group’s ability to adapt to adversity. 

“This season has been filled with many ups and downs,” Bridwell said. “We took quite a hit when covid interrupted our normal season last year. I was proud that they adjusted their thinking and tackled the challenge head on. Overall, I feel we have made up a lot of missing time but still have some work to do.”

Nonetheless, the team’s experiences over the course of the season made the difficulty worthwhile. 

“My favorite part about this season is the time we spent together as a team,” freshman Sofia Castillo said via text. “We’re all very close and I’ve made a bunch of new friends from wrestling.”