You’re surrounded by your team, a team of thirty-plus members, as they call out your name you emerge from the circle and run onto the mat. As you meet with your opponent the referee blows the whistle and you start wrestling. After an intense battle, you put your opponent onto their back, the referee calls the pin, and the gym explodes with cheering. You finally realize this is what a wrestling duel meet is like.
As 2024 came to an end, the AHS wrestling team hoped to experience that same scene to kick off the new year. They began their first duel meet on January 7th. Tensions were high leading up to the meet. Not only was it the Tiger’s first duel of the season, but it was also the first duel in the county. Following last year’s undefeated season, the AHS Tigers came prepared to face off against the Fortuna Huskies. The Tigers dominated the meet with a 54-18 win over Fortuna, thus continuing their undefeated record into another season.
“I think the Fortuna meet was easier than many anticipated, “ junior Jacob Mola said after the Fortuna duel. “And the highlight for me was when Jackson [Hicks] reversed his opponent right into a pin.”
After the Tigers celebrated their dominating win, they began setting their sights on their next opponents, St. Bernard’s and Hoopa. Unfortunately, the Hoopa and St. Bernard’s duel was postponed and rescheduled due to most of Hoopa’s team being sick. Instead, the team began preparing to battle against Eureka and Ferndale on the 22nd.
Eureka, a team that typically fills most of its weight classes, was a good opportunity to determine the Tigers’ lacked weight classes. The duel ended with a score of 48-20, with the Tigers securing the win. This win added to the Tigers’ understanding of the team’s needs.
“I would say we were lacking 175 and 215, and I believe it showed this time against Eureka,” senior Gavin Smith said.
That same evening, the Tigers expanded their record even further by beating Ferndale 60-18.
As the Tigers returned to practicing, they prepared for one of their most anticipated events, the duel against McKinleyville, and the AHS senior night. With the Tigers having ten senior wrestlers, they used this duel as an appreciation for the soon-to-be graduates and an opportunity to continue their winning streak. After each senior walked out with their family and loved ones, they gave a speech to those they cared for. The captains then gave a speech to the team. Afterward, the seniors lined up and took one more team photo before the duel officially began, starting at the 138 weight class. While both teams battled, the Tigers were able to secure a 45-26 win over McKinleyville. They also beat the Hoopa Warriors by 64-18 just before facing McKinleyville.
As the Tigers held their 5-0 record they prepared for their final and most difficult duel meet—the duel meet against Del Norte and St Bernards on February 4th.
What is a duel meet?
A duel meet is a team vs team wrestling event, where both teams wrestle through all fourteen weight classes. Wrestlers weigh in before the meet, they then choose to wrestle at either the class they weighed in at or one higher. The starting weight class is decided randomly by the coaches and referees. The team with the most points at the end of all fourteen matches wins. Points are earned through five different wins:
- A Decision is a win by 7 or fewer points, it gives the team 3pts
- A Major Decision is a win by 8-14 points, it gives the team 4pts
- A Tech-Fall is a win by 15 or more points, it gives the team 5pts
- A Fall is a win by “Pin” or “Fall,” it gives the team 6pts
- A Forfeit is when one team has a wrestler at that weight and the other team does not, it gives the team 6pts
14-weight classes in-lbs (Males): 14-weight classes in-lbs (Females):
108 152 102 137
115 159 107 142
122 167 112 147
128 177 117 157
134 192 122 172
140 217 127 192
146 287 132 237
