On Dec. 12 the wrestling team (0-8) lost to University High in a series of challenging matches. Their next match is against Irvine High on Jan. 9 when they will try to bounce back from this loss.

“I think the effort that we put out there was solid because of our intensity and aggression towards our opponent,” junior Cisco Badar said. “I think over time we can work to become a formidable team in our league.”

Since the wrestling team is relatively new and is continuing to grow, it has faced several tough losses this season against more experienced teams. The assistant coach Joshua Razo said that that over time they will be able to better themselves through their conditioning and technique.

“We can definitely improve our technique,” captain and junior Nathan Oh said. “I’d say the best thing to do now is to master our skills and technique that we have learned during practice, so that during matches it becomes second nature for us to do those moves.”

University High’s focus on certain wrestling takedowns such as underhooks, the fireman’s carry and the half-nelson is what allowed them to defeat the Bulldogs in such a dominant fashion. The Trojans were able to best the Bulldogs both in skill and strength during the match.

Even though the Bulldogs did not come out victorious from this match, they were able to grow as both individuals and as a team.

“We are growing each and every day. As it pertains to improvement, I would say we need to improve on the confidence in our abilities,” Razo said. “Our wrestlers work very hard each day, and we believe the ability is there. We just need to allow our confidence to form.”