The average person walking by the gym during a wrestling match may not understand all the in’s and outs of the sport, but experienced coaches and players know that there is a lot that goes into making a successful season. Last year’s 120 lbs state runner up, sophomore Korbin Shepherd, knows what it’s going to take to get to the state championship again.

“Everyday even if it’s not on the wrestling mat I try and do little things. Last year I came up short and got second, so anything I can (d0 o get back,) I do it,”  Shepherd said.

According to Shepherd, there’s more to it than just takedowns to be a state champion.

“(I) try and push my limits everyday and surround myself with the best possible situations and act like a state champ and do everything I do like a state champion,” Shepherd said.

This mindset of acting like a champion on and off the mat is something that Head Coach Bobby Lowe is very big on.

“The ways my players act off the mat are just as important as when they are on the mat. I have even told them to be at school on time so their grades don’t suffer,”  Lowe said.

Coach Lowe trains his wrestlers have to have a good foundation of skills.

“The basics are something we work on everyday because if we don’t have the basics you can’t get a hold for the rest of the fancy stuff you do later on in the day,” Lowe said.

The basics are important from the smaller weight classes to the larger ones. Sophomore Michael Infranca probably knows this better then anyone.

“Usually it’s just kids that are big and strong usually seniors since I wrestle 170 and I know that it’s going to be a fight for who ever wins the match,” Infranca said.

For Infranca, it’s important to keep a routine going that helps him stay calm and level in wrestling match.

“I have to stay loose cause if not everything tenses up and it’s just not good,”

This Friday, the wrestling team travels to Winnetonka for a tournament.