By Nalanie Hernandez
Boys wrestling travels to Vacaville for their second tournament of the season on December 2nd & 3rd 2022 at Vacaville High School, in the Harold Youngblood Gymnasium.
The tournament is known as, “Larry Nelson Classic”, eight teams including Redwood, coming together to compete.
Those eight high schools being; Liberty High School, Vacaville High School, Clovis West High School, Granada High School, Exeter Union High School, McQueen High School, Bella Vista High School, and Redwood High School.
The season started off smoothly with the first scrimmage of the 2022-2023 season on November 9th against Dinuba Emperors and the Tulare Western Mustangs.
Rangers have improved themselves and all hope to take it in as a learning experience and use it to prepare themselves.
Preparation is key when it comes to the sport, seeing how it is mentally difficult.
“The sport is mostly mental, people think it’s just a physical sport, it is but it’s all mentality. If you think you can’t win and you keep your mindset like that, you’ll just lose in the long run.” Kai Preisendorf 24′
Photo provided by @redwoodrangerwrestling
Adrian De Leon 25′ has been wrestling since middle school and has been committing to it and doing it ever since.
The pros and cons of wrestling are “Physical strength, mental strength, and it helps with confidence. A con is that I just can’t eat as much.” De Leon 25′ says.
When asked who is he excited to face De Leon 25′ says, “I’m excited for anybody to be honest, anybody is a new challenge, anybody is a new wrestling match and I can win something new.”
Photo provided by @redwoodrangerwrestling
Kai Preisendorf 24′ has been wrestling since he was five years old, his dad inspired him to start because he wrestled growing up. This is his first wrestling season due to the inconvenience of Covid-19 and a injury.
Something Preisendorf and his teammates do to prepare themselves before a match is listen to music and try to stay calm because of the excitement and anxiety.
When asked what is something about the sport you love the most Preisendorf says, “The team definitely, I don’t think there’s any other sport that has this kind of family bond, they feel like brothers.”
Photo provided by @redwoodrangerwrestling
Isaak Mendoza 24′ has been wrestling most of his life and his dad inspired him to do it since he was younger. He pictures the rest of the season going good and better than last year.
“My prediction for tomorrow is that we try our best and do good, hopefully place first.”
Mendoza says, “Its tough, it’s hard, it takes a lot of mentality, but once you get past that mental block it’s the easiest thing ever.”
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