Blair wrestlers eager to start new season

After a disappointing 3-11 season last year, Blair's varsity wrestling team has been training all year in anticipation of the 2003-2004 winter season, determined to regain its former glory as a MCPS powerhouse.

Since the first month of school, the team has been holding regular preseason workouts under the guidance of Assistant Coach Son Luc. However, many of the wrestlers who originally attended these training sessions soon dropped out due to their intensity. Among them was senior Mike Tennessee, who wrestled for Good Counsel before transferring to Blair this year and had been an anticipated addition to the team.

Despite the decreasing number of wrestlers, Head Coach Jake Scott says that he does not foresee another year of unfilled rosters, a key issue that plagued Blair throughout last year's season and contributed heavily to its disheartening record. According to Scott, the twenty-some wrestlers who are still attending practice are more than enough to fill Blair's lineup and provide backups in case any starter is injured.

According to Scott, this year's team will be anchored by returning seniors Hansel Cedeno, Muamba Muanankese, Herbert Morsha-Taylor and Scott Nguyen. All four placed high in the regional tournament at the end of last season, and Scott anticipates that they will perform even better this year. Several other wrestlers show promise as well, Scott says, including sophomore novice Josh Osorto.

Blair will take on Blake, its first opponent of the season, at Einstein on Saturday, Dec 6.