Family. Family is the uniting feeling that many teams experience during the hard grind of the season. The wrestling team is far from an exception to this. The squad experienced many trials this season, but never stopped for blockages along the way.

“It was a tough season,” senior Jack Larchick said. “We had a handful of guys go down with injuries, so a lot of young guys stepped up. They had a big role in our success.”

The injuries to the upperclassman were a huge hit on the squad.  As a family, they took the experience and carried it throughout the season.

“It was really inspiring to see how the coaches helped us,” Larchick said. “Some of our guys had a tough time cutting weight, but [Coach] Peska would come in the morning and workout with them. Seeing them work so hard encouraged the rest of us to push each other and help each other out.”

This season marked a return to high school wrestling for Assistant Coach Brian Peska. Coach Peska wrestled for Skutt Catholic and later at University of Nebraska-Lincoln before taking a job at GHS. He hoped to help wrestlers; as much as he could this season.

“I can connect well with them because I was in their shoes not that long ago,” said Coach Peska. “I understand the grind, and the time, and mentally where you can be at in the season. I think that I can help them through those struggles.”

The coaching staff adapted to the set up that they were given at the beginning of the season by moving the plethora of younger wrestlers up to higher positions, but with the surge in youth more guidance was required. Coach Peska saw a great opportunity to help the team.

“As the year went on, I got to know them even more and they got to trust me more,” Coach Peska said. “Plus I get to wrestle guys in practice and that’s also a huge opportunity to help with those guys and work with them.”

Not only did the coaches assist the younger roster, but there was help from upperclassmen wrestlers. Senior TJ Huber took the liberty of trying to be a positive role model and guide for the team. Huber was injured for more than half of the season due to breaking his leg at the beginning of the football season, so he got the opportunity to help out in a unique way.

“The season went well, but I was bummed that I couldn’t wrestle the first part,” Huber said. “I learned to be happy while I could support the team on the side at meets and help out a little at practice with the young guys.”

With the coaching staff’s help and the examples of some of the upperclassmen, the wrestling squad was able to take nine Dragons to state after a great season. Huber and Larchick soared far in the state competition, while other teammates got the chance to experience that environment for the first time. Of the nine Dragons at state, six are returning to the mat next year. 

“We are looking ahead and looking to make something special,” Coach Peska said. “We have great support from this school and the administration, and we have guys on our team that have a lot of potential. We are really looking forward to developing the rest of these guys and trying to create a really good culture.”