Everyone is talking about the great expectations of the basketball team this winter season; how they will handle the competition easily, and go further than they have ever gone before. As overhyped as it may be, an unrecognized sport deserving the same respect as basketball is Rocklin High School wrestling.

Each and every day these young men and women must endure the most physically exhilarating practices out of all Rocklin High School’s sport programs. The endurance involved is both physically punishing as well as mentally punishing. Through sweat, pain, and hard work, each wrestler’s goal is to last six minutes on the mat and come out on top of their opponent with a victory.

“It is a challenge every time you step onto the mat” said sophomore wrestler Joey Ramos. “The level of physical condition you have to be at to be a successful wrestler is tremendous, I don’t know that a harder sport exists at the high school level.”

Going a mere 2-4 in League duals last season, the Rocklin Thunder plan on continuing an earlier tradition of winning with a strong Varsity team this year of whom are junior athlete of the week Tommy Williams, senior Brandon Barone, senior Ben Holland, and senior David Waterhouse.

With a team full of talent, including a former State wrestling contender Brandon Barone, the team as a whole as well as individuals plan on going far and representing Rocklin High School’s wrestling and winning tradition.