Back on the Mats: Wrestling Season Preview

By Joseph Stair, Jimmy Mitchell, John Pokorny, and Nate Black

SEATTLE—The O’Dea wrestling team is back on the mats. As of November 18, practices have begun and the team is preparing for the season ahead. This year they are led by junior team captain Justus De Jesus, who has positive feelings about the team despite losing almost their entire starting lineup from last year. 

“You know, losing the seniors from last year is hard for sure, but it’s not something new; it happens every year. We just need people motivated and working hard. If they do, we will find success.” 

Some of the key losses from last year include Michael De Jesus, Nathaniel Badley, Adam Kloppel, and Jonah Martin, all of whom either won or placed 2nd in their respective weight classes at the Metro tournament. Last year, 12 wrestlers competed at the Mat Classic (state tournament), with three others weighing in as alternates. Only four out of the 15 are returning this year. 

“We need people to step up this year; there are definitely holes in the lineup. However, I have hope that a lot of guys will be able to. Guys like Danny, Bugsy, Parker, and Jomie I expect to be big parts of the team this year,” said De Jesus. 

After earning 2nd place as a team at Metros and only losing to Ingraham, the Fighting Irish hope to be contenders for a Metro championship this year. Their biggest competitors to watch this season include Ingraham, Ballard, and Roosevelt. 

“Ingraham is a team that’s always hard to face in both duals and tournaments, but with the right work ethic and motivation from the team, we can beat them.” 

The Irish are led by new head coach Marcusio Hamaker. After being an assistant coach last year and focusing on the conditioning aspect of the team, Hamaker has the wrestling team expecting to be one of the best-conditioned programs in the state. Hamaker is stepping up in place of Alan Badley, who was head coach for only one year. With a 2nd-place finish last season, Hamaker has a lot of pressure on his shoulders to make sure O’Dea continues to be a dominant program within the Metro League. The wrestlers are excited for the new coaching change, as it seems his goal is to develop well-rounded wrestlers compared to last year’s focus on takedowns and an on-the-feet approach, while also making sure to keep and emphasize the fundamentals. 

“I’m excited to see the changes coach makes throughout the year. I expect the practices this year to be harder and more fast-paced than last,” said De Jesus. 

The Irish are looking forward to their first tournament of the year, “The Return of the Seahawk,” on December 6 at Chief Sealth High School. They will continue to have duals and tournaments throughout the season until the Mat Classic the goal for every wrestler each year: to qualify and place at the state tournament.