The Lakeview Bulldogs have slammed their way into the wrestling mat this year, sparking a new chapter in the history of Lakeview sports. For the first time, Lakeview now has their own boys wrestling team and the student body could not be more excited. Saturday December 7th marked Lakeview’s first wrestling meet, with much uncertainty surrounding the team. Squaring up against the Poland Bulldogs, many were concerned with Lakeview’s lack of experience, with this being the first season a majority of the team has ever stepped foot on a wrestling mat. Despite these challenges, Lakeview arose victorious 42-29, going on to go 3-1 against all schools present at the meet. 

With so much success as a team with little to no experience, many are left wondering what sort of challenges the players were left to face as they looked toward their first season.

When sophomore Liam Haines was asked what was the toughest part of learning the sport as a first year wrestler, he replied, “The toughest part was learning all of the moves and how to beat other people who are trying to get you down and score points on you.” 

With the Lakeview wrestling team developing their skill set to this degree in such little time and experience, it is safe to say that the future of this program is bright.  Despite their athletic capabilities, many athletes were still hesitant to join the team when it was first announced that Lakeview would wrestle through the 2025-2026 season. 

When the wrestling team was announced, many athletes were concerned with the challenges of starting a new sport while in High School and on a team of players who have never competed before. Yet while looking to the freshmen class, this new program established a new opportunity for our young students.

Freshman Bryant Westbrook was asked what motivated him to join a brand new program instead of an already established one, to which he replied, “I’m not really good at other sports, but I wanted to give wrestling a chance.”

This new opportunity has breathed life into his young athletic career, as for many others in the freshmen class, with Bryant on track to have a stunning start to his High School wrestling career.

The addition of a wrestling team to Lakeview High School has had great benefits to our student body, giving our athletes the opportunity to shine at a new sport and allowing those who do not thrive in other athletics a chance to take the spotlight. Our student body has shown immense excitement at the opportunity to watch our classmates face off in a new competitive sport.

Senior Trent Nale stated that he thought, “The wrestling team is a great new addition to sports at Lakeview and I look forward to seeing what they accomplish.” 

This new sport has shined a new light on athletics at Lakeview and gotten people all across the student body excited.

The future looks bright for wrestling at Lakeview, without athletes performing tremendously despite the obstacles placed in front of them ahead of the season and the doubt many had in their minds when the wrestling team was first announced. The team is sure to further hone their skills as the season progresses and only get better, making Lakeview a fierce and upcoming contender in the wrestling scene. Looking ahead on the season, Lakeview is set to compete in a tournament at South Haven High School on Saturday, December 13th. With a team of athletes bound to shine bright and a student body that will continuously show unwavering support, the Bulldogs are bound to come out with a great victory.