Starved for victory, Samo wrestlers feed off middle school programs

Neil ThomasOnline EditorAll Omar Solorza wants to do is go eat ice cream, but he has to wrestle.Before every tournament, Solorza has to cut 11 pounds to make his 112 pound weight class, and of all the things wrestling has made him sacrifice, he misses food the most. Solorza is not alone in his lack of food — he estimates a 10 pound average weight loss per wrestler per tournament — but he is unique in that he is one of the few juniors this year who has not been wrestling since eighth grade.This year's varsity team is comprised mainly of kids recruited from the newly implemented John Adams and Lincoln feeder programs, where eighth graders can jump-start their wrestling careers. Over half of the team has been wrestling together since then, resulting in a team that has one more year of experience than any previous Samo team."For the juniors, this is where the last three years of work will pay off. It's the equivalent of their senior year," said Wesley Evans, one of two seniors on varsity.The team works so much as a unit that there is no definitive leader. In the past, seniors have assumed the role of captain, and played the mentor to the younger team members. While the general consensus seems to pin junior Enrico Cascio as the leader, the lack of a clearly defined captain has taken its toll on the team."There is no clear leadership, no one wants to stand up for the captain's position" junior Gianni Forster said, "[Without] the senior leadership, it has been harder to practice, harder to focus, and harder to compete."However, what the cohesive unit loses in individual performance, it has made up in team success. Last weekend, at the Warrior Invitational in West Torrance, the team placed 2nd overall, with many of the wrestlers nabbing silvers and a few nabbing golds.Last weekend's success took its toll on the team, though, injuring four of their regular, lighter weight, varsity wrestlers: Omar Solorza (112lbs), Sam Gleitman (119lbs), Jake Keller (125lbs), and Gianni Forster (135lbs)."I have a broken finger, but if I had a serious injury, like a stomachache, I wouldn't be wrestling," joked an injured Tanner Miller, wrestling at 130 lbs.Even with their lower weights struggling, the wrestling team pulled through in Friday's duels against Bell and Mira Costa, beating Bell with a flurry of pins, and decisively defeating Mira Costa.With a major meet at Rosemead next Friday, and looking into the future, the team is focused on solid performance across the board."For the past eight years, we've sent at least one person to Master's and State. But rather than focusing on individuals, I think we need to focus on getting a larger group a distance [through CIF]." Cascio said.Cascio also has high hopes for the team's success, citing Robert Forster's Phase IV fitness program and the middle school feeder programs."We're only going to get better," said Cascio.Forster, however, puts this optimism into perspective. "The season is only going to get harder," he said.And for Solorza, with some wrestlers considering dropping an additional weight class for Rosemead (an extra 5-10 pound loss), ice cream prospects are grim.nthomas@thesamohi.com