By Sayellor Taylor

   Wrestling is an incredibly demanding sport, but TPA sophomore Joey Jones and his teammates succeeded in many matches and created friendships within the team.

   “There were some of us who didn’t know each other at first, but now we are all friends,” says Joey. 

   These friendships also last outside of school. Joey says, “The bonds have been carried in and out of the sport, in that we all hang out at and outside of school together.” This year, the compatibility of the wrestlers was unmatched. “We all worked well as a team and were there to support each other at all times,” says Joey

   Belief in one another can make or break any team, and Joey says that the wrestling team had  this trust in each other. Sticking together through wins and losses is also a key to maintaining friendships and a powerful team. Joey says that even losses are “a really big helper to our mental growth because losses help to train you to become stronger.” 

   Joey and his teammates had many successful matches, putting them in a good position for the important end-of-the-season competitions. Joey says, “(We) have all been getting in as many matches as we can and training as hard as we can to maximize our chances of making state.” State-level competition is a feat for any school, but with fewer students at Tempe Prep, the team’s presence in the competition will be even more impressive. 

  This mighty team’s season is coming to a close on a great foundation of improvement, wrestling experience, friendships and wins.