Freshman Declan Sons and junior Brogan Sons, brothers, qualified for wrestling’s sectional competition this past February. Together, they demonstrated their values for hard work and accomplishment.
“It was just a cool feeling,” said Brogan Sons. “My brother was on the sidelines, he was cheering me on and coaching me.”
Practicing in and out of school to hone their athleticism, the brothers worked incredibly hard this year to earn their qualification in a notoriously difficult regional competition. Training amongst the best in the area prepared them well for their upcoming season under the guidance of their coach and the support of their team.
‘This area that we’re in right now is probably the toughest conference and regional in the state of Illinois. I would put up this regional against any regional anywhere. I mean, there is truly just that quality of wrestler in the area,” said Dave Drews, varsity wrestling coach.
To excel in such a difficult environment, the brothers have found themselves striving to be the best they could and rising to the challenge. Returning from a three-year break from wrestling, Brogan spent the first part of the season “knocking off some rust” before “really taking off” alongside his brother, who in contrast had been wrestling for over ten years.
“[Declan] was a top wrestler [before high school], he’s a top wrestler now, and he’ll continue to be a top wrestler,” said Drews.
While neither qualified for state this year, they are looking forward to next season and have high hopes, as the boys have taken their achievement in stride and are motivated by their shared love of the sport to fully commit themselves to their team.
“Me and my brother, I don’t think we missed a single practice this year, and that just goes to show [because we made it to sectionals] so I feel like that’s a big deal; commitment and hard work pays off,” said Brogan.
With their dedication came not only the satisfaction of doing well individually, but the excitement of seeing each other succeed. Encouraging one another and growing as athletes together pushed the brothers to work even harder this year, pushing themselves to learn new skills and improving alongside each other.
