On Saturday, February 18, four Ranger wrestlers went to the division two individual regional competition with hopes of securing a spot in the state competition, and with all four boys fired up and ready to go, hope was in the air.

“Regionals are tough,” junior Alex Korff said. “Unfortunately we did not have anyone place for states. The seniors will be greatly missed. They really brought the team together for us this year.”

Seniors Michael Campbell, Blake Jacobs, Landon Cooke, and lone junior Alex Korff took their competitors head-on for a chance to go to the state stage at Ford Field, and unfortunately, the team did not make the cut. The four boys sadly did not make it past the first round despite hours, days, and weeks of hard training and practice. This meant that the three seniors would say farewell to their high school careers and pass the torch down to the returning juniors next year to take their place.

“I feel like we put our everything on the line, even though we came short we learned some valuable lessons,” Landon Cooke stated.

Although this was an unfortunate outcome, the boys are very proud of how they did and the experiences they had thanks to the amazing connections made on the team.

“I feel like I’ve made friends that I’ll have for the rest of my life and memories that I’ll never forget. I’m beyond blessed to have this experience,” Landon Cooke said.

No matter win or lose, the boys proved that hard work always pays off in the end and put a strong finish to their season this year, but in some cases their wrestling career overall. This competition concludes the 2022-2023 wrestling season and after a roller coaster of events, it is safe to say that the team gave it its all and showed us all what it means to be a Ranger. Stay posted for a season recap to follow later in the week.