Preforming on the biggest stage of his wrestling career, under a not so bright spotlight, senior wrestler Ben Bard held on for dear life, didn’t get pinned, and eventually helped the Wolves beat Glenbrook South 33-32 in a senior night showdown that will forever be remembered.

The Wolves looked like the better overall team from the get go, as junior Anthony Underwood won his first match by the mercy rule almost before the spotlight had descended onto the ring. West lost its next match as junior captain Vaughn Monreal-Berner lost on points (1-0) which brought the team score to (5-3).

It didn’t get better from there as the Wolves were down (20-5) after their next two matches. Then West caught a break and scored six on a weight class forfeit, which began to turn the tide of the match.

Junior Tommy Williams and sophomore Matt De La Vega both pinned their opponents putting the Wolves back on top by three (26-23).

Then, in the final match of the night with GBS needing a pin, it was up to Bard to shine like the light above the ring. He did just that, escaping several almost pins in the final two rounds and even with eventually losing on points, secured the victory for the Wolves.

Senior wrestler Andrew Matias said that the entire team wrestled really well and showed alot of heart in achieving the win.

“The seniors wrestled their hearts out on Friday, and that’s all that mattered. They left it all on our home mat one last time, and came up with a victory in the end,” said Matias.