Feature Photo By: Izzy Honey – Coach Corby works with seniors Bryan Fierro and Tyler Cella to demonstrate a move to the team. The first match of the season is tonight in the Rangeview gym against Eaglecrest. 

Over the recent Thanksgiving break, many Raiders were enjoying time off from school and eating large dinners with their families. However, many of Rangeview’s wrestlers also had to focus on training and maintaining their weight in preparation for the upcoming wrestling season.

This year’s team includes only five returning varsity wrestlers out of the fourteen weight classes, including senior state qualifier Bryan Fierro.

Coach Tim Corby explained, “In unofficial coaching terms, we will be ‘green’ this year –young and untested for the most part.

One new wrestler in particular has caught the attention of the coaches. Freshman Romeo Cortez has been wrestling for ten years, even training with Team X-Treme, the youth wrestling team that practices at Rangeview a few nights out of the week.

“There is a lot more discipline in high school wrestling,” said Cortez. “[I’m] also learning more things to make my moves better.”

Also moving up to a varsity position is junior Kylee Tafoya, the only girl on the team.

“I feel good about moving up to varsity,” said Tafoya. “I’m really glad that I’ll have Corby and Marshall in my corner for matches this year.”

Despite this year’s green team, Corby stated that he is “optimistic about [its] potential for growth this year”.

Tonight, the team goes against Eaglecrest in the first dual of the season, followed by a tournament Saturday morning. In last year’s match, Eaglecrest beat Rangeview.

“[The] wrestling season is tough on the mind, body, and spirit of the athletes,” said Corby. “With luck, we can overcome the obstacles we face as a team, stay healthy as individuals, and grow together in the struggle to improve as competitors and people.”