For as long as wrestling coach Michael Jernigan has been a wrestling coach, he has set multiple goals for the team. This year however, Jernigan only has only one: 75 points.

“In the state tournament, scoring 75 points traditionally puts you in the top 10” Jernigan said. “Everything else is individual and we had the players set their own short term and long term goals, and seasonal goals.”

The players have been working hard this year to be able to attain their individual and team goals. For two weeks the team had two-a-day practices in the morning and after school. They have also been having mind building activities to help them prepare for the season.

“[Mind building] has seemed to help us so far,” Jernigan said. “We are weeks ahead where we have been in the past.”

Junior Darlondo Hill has also been positively affected by the changes in how the team is practicing this year.

“This year we switch off what we are focusing on,” Hill said. “Certain days we focus on our strength, other days we focus on our endurance and some days we focus on our performance.”

The team is coming back this season with 14 returning varsity players. Besides Hill, other key wrestlers this year are seniors Drew Sorrell, Jacob Kent, Bryce Confer-Wood, sophomore Mickey Wilson and a talented freshman group.

This year, Westside’s top competitors will be Millard South, Millard West and Creighton Prep.

“Week one we said, ‘We don’t need to show any moves’,” Jernigan said. “We’ve been trying to implement a predator vs. prey mentality and it has been working well so far.”

The team’s first match is a dual this Saturday Dec. 5 in York.