The Saint Xavier Tigers will take the mat on Wednesday, January 15, at home in the Wills Center against the Trinity Shamrocks.
St. X enters the match at 3-0, with major wins over Manual, Atherton, and PRP. The senior leadership has been an integral part of the team’s success so far. One of the Tigers’ senior leaders, Danny Jaso, will be leading the Tigers against Trinity in the 190 lb division. The Tigers have relied on Jaso to be a leader for the team on and off the mat.
“Everyone is going to have to do whatever it takes in order to help the team,” Jaso said. “That could mean winning big and getting a pin or losing small and limiting team points lost.”
Coming off a two-point loss to the Rocks last year, the Tigers are eager to run it back.
“We’ve been practicing five times a week for months, we’ve wrestled in hard tournaments all year, and we’ve watched film,” Jaso said. “Overall, we’ve been more focused than years past.”
The Rocks have gotten the upper hand on the Tigers for the past five years, but St. X is determined to change that. Junior wrestler Braden Woolridge, who competes in the 132 lb division for the Tigers is one of the key members on this road to redemption.
“Losing to Trinity is one of the most gut-wrenching experiences in wrestling,” Woolridge said. “We haven’t defeated them in a dual meet in five years, and I’m determined to change that. This is our opportunity to prove that we are the best team in the state, and I’m ready to seize it.”
The team looks to use their brotherhood and skill to succeed in matches. Woolridge emphasized that on the mat, it is a different story, and the team has a competitive edge. This wrestling team isn’t just about having success on the mat, but about shaping the wrestlers for the rest of their lives.
“Wearing the “X” on my singlet is an honor,” Woolridge said. “It represents a legacy of great wrestlers who have come before me, and it’s a privilege to add to that tradition.”
Jaso offered something similar, saying that being a wrestler at St. X means everything to him.
“It has without a doubt helped shape me into who I am as a person on and off the mat,”Jaso said.
With the combination of their senior leadership and determination to succeed, the Tigers are ready for the Rocks and any other challenges they may face this year.
