I'll take these guys to battle any time ...

Photo Credit: Amber Cloy

Give me athletes like Fowler, Maldonado, Eller, Wilder, Larson, Moody, Bankston, Curtis, Calderon, etc.

You know what it is like.  You’ve been there before or have at least have heard the stories.  Preparing to go out and compete against some of the best in the country and knowing full well that people are watching.

Watching to see if you will succeed.  Or fail.

The list above is not exhaustive. I’m quite certain others were called at the last minute and manned the same post (in fact, I know that is the case as Black Mambas had several flying in last minute from Colorado).  The names above are just the ones I know of. 

They answered the last-minute call from a coach said “I have an opportunity for you to go out with less than a week’s notice and compete against some of the best high school wrestlers in the nation.  You up for that?”

Several of them – Logan Fowler, Logan Eller, Ryder Wilder, and others – did so on little to no rest after competing at NHSCA’s the weekend before.

Yet each of them …

• Logan Eller

• Gianni Maldonado

• Logan Fowler

• Ryder Wilder

• Seth Larson

• Mason Moody

• James Bankston

• Kendrick Curtis

• Allen Calderon and so many others

went out to compete this past weekend at Elite 8 Duals.  Do not judge them based on their wins or their losses.  Their character and willingness to step in on a moment’s notice is all you need to know. 

So give me the dogs the next time we got to compete … I’ll take these young men on any team I put together.

Hats off.