As a third grader, sophomore Jake Ellis began wrestling, an activity he has carried through into his high school career.  His freshman year, Ellis wrestled on varsity and qualified for state, earning a record of 25-12.

“One of my best friends wrestled when I was in third grade,” Ellis said. “He always talked about how much fun it was. [When I was] club wrestling in third grade, I could really pick and choose the tournaments I went to. I didn’t have to practice, I chose to practice. It was pretty laid back.”

The time put into preparing for wrestling matches has changed, with Ellis attending summer camps and making wrestling a part of his daily life, but his determination to succeed in the sport, both as an individual and as a team, has not.

“The team is pretty young this year but we have a lot of heart. We practice harder than any team around this area and I have high expectations for this year,” Ellis said. “Also, I want to wrestle at a Division I college but it just matters how my high school career finishes.”

Ellis’ expectations are high for this season.

“I’ve been practicing hard enough to win state,” Ellis said. “If everybody wrestles to their potential, I think we have a high chance of winning state.”

Although he has been wrestling since third grade, there are some things about the sport that Ellis enjoys above others.

“The only thing I don’t like about wrestling is cutting weight,” Ellis said. “But I like the physicality, the way wrestlers carry themselves around.”