Butterflies entered my stomach while sweat trickled down my face. “Come on Matt, you got this guy. Look at him! He looks like he is in the 3rd grade!” said my wrestling buddy Zach. Colerain went undefeated in 2006, and this year they look even better. I was the last match to go, and I wish I hadn’t been. It was my first year wrestling, and I was facing Colerain’s captain. Although, I was probably the biggest in my weight, class maybe even the strongest, but I became tired very quickly during conditioning, and in practice. Our team was up 58 to 47, but this last match could change the whole match. The sky was dark, a pitched black dungeon waiting for the day to die. I could feel the coldness outside as the snow hit the ground and as my hands became more cold and clammy as my nerves grew stronger.

The buzzer sounded for the 104 weight class. The butterflies in my stomach scattered quickly, almost making me feel like getting sick. I took off my warm up shirt and put the top of my singlet around my shoulders. I studied my opponent as I walked onto the mat. He was very small, but was very ripped, which was the intimidating part. We strapped on our colored straps, and the referee forced us to shake hands. Nervously, I shook the hands of my opponent like a beginner, and he shaking my hand like a pro. Slowly, I went into my stands. The referee blew the whistle.…

“Wrestle!”

We tangled up right away, which my coach never told me to do. I straddled my leg in between his, forcing him to become off balance. I slammed on top of him as he went belly down, making sure he wouldn’t get pinned.

“2 points!” Shouted the ref.

Excitement grew inside me, killing those pests inside my stomach.
My heart beat fast, and I started breathing out of my mouth. My arms grew tired, my legs grew weak, and my body seemed to slowly shut down as I tried to work a pin.

“Bam!” My head smacks hard against the mat, and the mat pulled me into his black hole, keeping me from staying on my belly.

“Ring!” The buzzer went off, signaling the end of the first period. The score seemed to lie to me, making me believe that he was winning, not me. But, the scoreboard was telling the truth as it yelled the score to be 6 to 2. My body was being attacked by sweat, and my mouth was being attacked by the dryness that kept me from succeeding the pin. The second period had started, and right away, my opponent controlled my wrists, and taking me down hard and fast.

“2, takedown, Colerain!” The ref cried.

I hated being in a losing situation! I fought hard to get up, but my anger was making me waste more of my empty energy, making me even more tired. His sweat rubbed against my body, making his grip loosen on me. From a blink of an eye, I stood up, making an escape like a criminal would escape from a cop. It paid off. I was free from the mat, and only the toes of my feet were sucked in by the mat.

“Ring!” The buzzer yelled again, ending the second period.

“What!” I yelled, showing the anger that swam inside me, “There’s no way, the period just started!” Once again, the scoreboard never lied, stating that the score was now 13 to 3. My confidence seemed to drift away, now that it was the final period and I was down 10 points.

“Wrestle!” The 3rd and final period had begun. Right from the get go, my opponent tangled me up and threw me to the ground to get his 2 points for the takedown. My anger once again grew, this time, surprisingly, giving me the energy that repelled from my grasp. I grabbed his arm, then at the same time, rolled, making me get on top and him on his back.

Time was running out… “3 points near fall, Plains!” Screamed the ref. My adrenaline built up and my strength returned to me. His shoulder blades were almost to the mat, and my win was right in my reach where I can grab it and run away with it.

“Ring!” The match had ended.

“Great job Matt!” said my coach, letting his excitement splatter in my face. Everyone started patting my back, as if I had one. I thought in my mind, did I really win? I mean, my head did banged up a few times. I looked on the scoreboard, but it told the truth, I had lost 15 to 6. My first match ended up being a loss, which isn’t what I wanted it to be.

I grabbed my headgear and listened to everyone chant my name. “Why are they doing this?” I thought. I looked once again at the truthful scoreboard, and below my loss, was a statement, saying Lakota Plains 64, Colerain 62.