Sports
PREVIEW: Knights Wrestlers Rely on Senior Leadership
STMA beat Centennial handily this morning which sets the stage for a match up against no. 4 seed Albert Lea
After earning the no. 2 seed in the Class AAA state wrestling tournament, the STMA wrestling team (31-4 overall) is preparing for big things at the Xcel Energy Center this weekend.
The Knights took on Centennial High School (21-12) at 11 a.m. this morning and recorded an effortless 59-3 team victory. In its semifinal match the Knights will face Albert Lea (27-3) who beat first-time state wrestling tournament participant Hopkins 60-9.
If the Knights win their second match the stage will likely be set to face STMA's arch rival.
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"Our biggest competition is always the Apple Valley guys," assistant coach Ross Lefebvre said. "They're the top team in the nation. That's not just a title. They're the real deal. In every weight class they have guys that are outstanding."
Keeping the team focused after enjoying an 88 percent success rate this season is something head coach Dan Lefebvre admits can be difficult.
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"(Keeping them focused) is a challenge sometimes. After all, they're high school kids," Lefebvre said. "But we set a standard early in the season about working hard and being disciplined. We have great senior leadership and they guys trust in our system. That's key."
It is that belief in their preparation and program that will guide Knights wrestlers as they continue to compete in the team competition today (Mar. 3) and move on to the individual matches on Mar. 4-5.
"The mindset of the guys right now is to win one match at a time, work hard and see what happens," head coach Lefebvre said. "Right now they're ready to go. At this point in the season we want them believing they can beat anybody."
For a wrestling team with 12 seniors and no captains leadership comes in many forms.
"We have 12 seniors on the team who lead by example. They're not super vocal guys but they all have team and individual goals. We look to them to guide the younger guys," Lefebvre explained.
Let's hope the leadership those seniors provide is enough to get the Knights through the next three days.
