There was some high level wrestling going down in the Comox Valley last Sunday (Jan. 12), that’s for sure.
Hello and welcome back to Tyson’s thoughts. I write one of these wrestling-related columns after every tournament that I’m in attendance for as the assistant coach of the PHSS wrestling team (shoutout to head coach Paul Cagna).
I write these primarily because it gives me a chance to recap how our students performed and how the atmosphere at the tournament felt from my perspective as a coach instead of a journalist.
I’d never attended a wrestling tourney in the Comox Valley before, this was the first time I can remember one being held since the pandemic ended, but it felt very similar to all the other ones on the island, with the exceptions being the Alberni Invitational and the Island Championships. Those are the two prestigious island tournaments held every season, and you definitely feel the pressure when you enter the gymnasium for both of them.
I have to say though, for a smaller tournament that was missing a few key schools, it was a pretty entertaining day in Comox with a bunch of epic highlights.
Personally for me, my favourite moments are just getting to see my students compete and hit the moves they’ve been working on in the gym, and win or lose, we always shake our opponent’s hand afterwards.
As the tournament moved ahead at a quick pace, it was great to see Filipe finally hit the mats and show everyone what he can do. He wasn’t able to make it to the Nanaimo Novice tournament in November and didn’t train at all over the winter break, but that didn’t seem to matter as he still ended up going 3-1 with three lopsided victories by technical fall, including one over an Alberni District Secondary School wrestler, which I think was the first time one of my students has ever beaten one of theirs in the last three seasons I’ve been coaching.
ADSS is a tough club, and probably has the best high school wrestling program on the island, so anytime you can force one of their students into a real battle on the mat you know you’re starting to get pretty good at the sport.
Before I end this, I want to also say that Jayden and Hunter both showed great improvements in their skills as well, with Jayden wrestling up a weight class and losing a nail biter to an ADSS wrestler and Hunter scoring four big points against another ADSS wrestler and almost making it to the second period. Both guys are class acts and excellent teammates.
I’m looking forward to seeing how my students do in Campbell River on the 18th. I think we'll hold our own and have some fun.
Tyson Whitney is an award-winning journalist who was born and raised in Port Hardy. His family has lived in Port Hardy for more than 40 years. He graduated with a degree in writing from Vancouver Island University in 2008. Email: editor@northislandgazette.com
