Varsity captain senior Neils Hazen pins his opponent during his final District match, capturing his spot in the Regional meet Feb. 13-14 and earning his team an additional six points. Neils took third in District in his weight class.
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Team falls short of District; captains reflect on career Jake Webb
At the District 26 tournament Feb. 7 at Leander High School, the varsity wrestling team was able to advance nine wrestlers to the Region IV tournament in San Antonio. The Chaps fell short of winning their third straight District Championship, falling to Vista Ridge and taking second. Five Chaps claimed individual titles, three of which were repeats from last year. Juniors Chase Betzer (130 lbs.), Sawyer Morris (145 lbs.) and Peyton Burns (152 lbs.) all brought home gold for the second straight year. Other first place finishers include co-captains seniors Alex Hershey (160 lbs.) and Grant Perry (171 lbs.). Also advancing to Regionals are sophomore Connor Shults (119 lbs.), c0-captain senior Neils Hazen (135 lbs.) and junior Jim Gianakopoulos (140 lbs.). If wrestlers qualify in the top four of each weight class at Regionals, they will move on to the State Tournament Feb. 27-28 in Austin. “It’s exciting. ” Peyton said. “We have a chance to send more people to State than we ever have in the past. ” The varsity team brought home the runner-up trophy from the Sally George Invitational in Marion, Ohio Jan. 30-31. The Chaps had 10 place winners, in addition to five finalists. A placer is anyone who places in the top four or six depending upon the tournament. A finalist is in the championship match for first or second place. For O’Harra it was a trip down memory lane. He began his coaching career in Ohio after graduating from college in 1993. He was inspired to coach by his high school wrestling coach. “I went back and coached with him after college,” O’Harra said. “It was my best sport, and I always loved it. I still get very excited during the matches. ” On Jan. 22 the team defeated Leander 75-6 winning 14 out of 15
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matches. Then, on Jan. 28, the team beat Cedar Park in 12 out of 14 matches to finish their regular season. Freshman Sammy Ivester, sophomores Curtis Loeffel and Trevor Hershey, juniors David Durham, Zain Khan, Chase, Sawyer and seniors David Nickelatti, Neils, Grant and Alex all put up wins against the Timberwolves. “I was very happy for the seniors to go out in such a nice way,” O’Harra said. “Cedar Park was a nemesis of ours for years. They are a little down this year, but really wellcoached. ” The captains, Alex, Grant and Neils, have handled the responsibilities O’Harra has given them well. “They do what you hope captains will do—come to the head coach about team concerns and motivate and lead the other wrestlers during practice,” O’Harra said. “They are all excellent role models, both on the mat and in the classroom. ” As the senior captains start to look back at their high school wrestling careers, they remember the struggles and hardships as well as the victories Barrett Wilson and fun. “The constant training, watching your weight and the two and a half hour practices [are the hardest part],” Neils said. “But my favorite part is getting to be with all the guys. ” The underclassmen are anticipating a bright future for next year’s team. “I think it will be a good strong season,” Trevor said. “We’ve got a lot of juniors who are returning next year like Chase, Sawyer and Peyton who will step up and take the leadership role. I think I will have to step up some but we will have really good leadership in our seniors next year. ” —Ryan McGrath
I was very happy for the seniors to go out in such a nice way.
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—coach Pat O’Harra
Varsity junior Chase Betzer wrestles his Cedar Park opponent during the dual Jan. 28 at Westlake. The Chaps won 66-12.
Varsity sophomore Trevor Hershey controls his opponent during the Leander dual Jan. 22 at Westlake. Trevor won the match, helping the team to a 75-6 victory. Jake Webb
Jake Webb