Winter season has come and gone and the wrestling team has had one of the best seasons they ever had. This year the wrestling team finished at the top of the CAP7 4A group going head to head against schools such as Cardinal Gibbons, Leesville Road, Broughton and Enloe. 

“We felt great doing so well this season, it feels like the program has really gotten better since last year and has a lot of momentum for next year,” said athlete Zaid Marjan. 

According to Maxpreps, Athens Drive went 4-1 overall giving Athens an 80% overall win rate in meets. After the first loss they went on a 4 win long win streak for the rest of the season. The team aimed for that recognition, dedicating their efforts to the season.

 “During the season we had thirty guys and girls that lift and wrestle after school, we practice five-six times a week,”said Marjan.  

“My favorite moment was winning against a wrestling I lost to twice earlier in the season. It showed me how much all the work I put in paid off,” said Hamzah Elshwike.

This progress can be owed to the improvement of the wrestling program.  The team was able to perfect their technique and work harder toward becoming better athletes. Marjan mentions that training during the summer plays a big role in keeping the momentum into their next season.

“Next year we will continue the same thing but we have everyone training during the off season and summer. Going to the tournaments during the summer will be important if we want to get better,” said Marjan.

Coach Pyper, head coach of the Athens Drive wrestling team, has given the team a season to build off of, going into next year. The wrestlers on the team recognize that a strong coach makes for a strong team, and they allocate a part of their success to Coach Pyper.

“The hard work definitely paid off but I think we have gotten so good from the great coaches and all of the matches we had this year,” said Marjan.