The boys wrestling team is in the preseason, preparing to take on their first meet on Nov. 19 against Brownsburg High School. With many of their wrestlers having graduated, the team has heavily encouraged the underclassmen to maintain the high-performance standards of the Warren wrestling program, as seen in previous years.
“The boys [who] graduated [are] multiple state-placers and a state champ from last year, so it is a good opportunity for some of our younger guys to make a big impact and continue the success of Warren Central wrestling,” said Nick Ellis, wrestling coach and freshman seminar teacher.
Despite losing a sizable part of their team, sophomore Travis Gamble stands out as a rising underclassman.
Gamble joined the team last year as a freshman after originally getting into wrestling when he was in the sixth grade. He joined the Warren Wrestling Academy at his mom’s recommendation and later joined his middle school team at Raymond Park. Then he decided to continue at Warren Central.
“Who inspires me on and off the mat are my coaches,” Gamble said. “They inspire me on the mat to work hard and just be tough and how they inspire me off the mat is by being a good person.”
While wrestling can be a very physically demanding and mentally challenging sport that requires athletes to remain committed to practicing and conditioning themselves throughout the season, the friendships and brotherhood that they get from being on the team also make the sport enjoyable.
“My favorite part of being on the wrestling team is probably the grind you do with your teammates and [the] time you spend with your friends and the bond you build with your teammates and all the field trips we go on for our tournaments,” Gamble said.