High School match By G responses to GFlm@aol.com We'd been riding in this van for almost an hour now, just the five of us and the coach. He told us this was a special invitational meet. That he was only bringing his best wrestlers. He said that this was a special challenge and that he wanted us to make a special effort, and that we had better not embarrass him. After about another forty-five minuets we finally stop at a very old looking school and leave the van. We were taken directly to our locker room and began to dress for our matches. First up at 118lbs would be Bobby Driscol, Bobby was having a great year being 10 and 1 having lost a decision to last years state champ. Next is Nate Bishop at 138lbs, he is 11 and 0 with 9 pins. At 146lbs Paul Nelson is also undefeated and looks like he's headed for the state title. Tim Cosgrove is our 162 pounder and although he is only a sophomore he is 9 and 2 with 6 pins. And finally there's me I wrestle at 174lbs and I too am undefeated this year. The five of us spread out in the locker room and begin to change. I strip out of my shirt and jeans step out of my underwear and grab my gear. I step into and pull up my jockstrap. Next comes a new part of our uniform black tights. We call them tights but they are really dark pantyhose a sheer nylon that you can almost see thru. They are suppose to keep us from getting leg burns off the mat. Last comes my very tight white spandex singlet. I slip on white sox and lace up white wrestling shoes. When all five of us are in our singlets and ready to wrestle coach calls us together, he tells us that we've been challenged by this privet all girls' school. He tells us that each of us will be wrestling a girl from this school. He also says that all five of their wrestlers have agreed to wrestle up several weight classes. This means that we will be wrestling girls who are lighter that we are and smaller than we are. We are all a little stunned by this, but we all agree to wrestle. Heading out into the gym we are all immediately sorry we agreed so fast. The gym is full of shouting, screaming girls. Across the mat sits the opposing team five gorgeous blonds, with fantastic bodies wearing skintight light blue singlets. They stair at us as we leave the dressing room and head toward the mat. They look like they want to kill us. From somewhere in the crowd a girl yells out, "Look their wearing pantyhose". With that many of them start laughing and pointing at us. It takes several minuets for them to calm down. The sound of the match buzzer quiets things as the matches are set to begin. Each match is three periods of six minuets each. A full match takes 18minuets plus two one-minuet rest periods for a total of twenty minuets. Five matches should last about an hour and forty minuets plus time between matches. Twenty minuets after the start of this duel meet the first four matches are already over. In the first match 118lb Bobby Driscol wrestled a 103lb girl. At four minuets and eight seconds in the first period she had Bobby down 7 to 0 having scored a take down and two near falls. Three seconds later she hooked Bobby's leg rolled him up and got his shoulders down for the pin winning the match in four minuets and eleven seconds. The look on Bobby's face was hard to see, it was clear that he was humiliated by loosing to this girl so fast. He lay on the mat for a long time after he was pinned. Next up was Nate Bishop at 138lbs he is wrestling a girl at only 123lbs. Before he steps on the mat we all gather around him and slap him on the back telling him to go get her, pound her into the mat. The ref calls both wrestlers together and they shake hands. The ref blows the whistle to start the match. Before we can even return to our seats next to the mat, Nate has been taken down and is on his back fighting to keep his shoulders up. The girls in the stands are screaming over and over "Pin him, pin him, pin him". Seconds later they get their wish, the refs hand slaps the mat signaling that Nate has been pinned. It took only 8sec for his blond opponent to pin one of the leading wrestlers in the state. Watching in stunned silence we see Nate face down on the mat hands covering his head as he begins to sob. The ref kneels beside him placing a hand on his back. " Come on son you've got to stand up. She pinned you fair and square, I've Got to raise her hand." Slowly Nate gets to his feet. Keeping one hand in front of his face the ref takes his other wrist holding it out. As the score is posted on the scoreboard the ref lifts Nate's opponents hand signaling her victory. The entire gym can see the tears running down his cheeks. The next two matches went just about the same. Paul Nelson lost a 15 to 0 major decision that counts as a pin in only one period. Tim Cosgrove wrestling at 162lbs was easily pinned in just four minuets of the first period Next is my turn, I'm the last wrestler of the meet. The girl I'm wrestling is only 142lbs I out weight her by over 25lbs. At 5ft8in tall she is almost 4in shorter than I am. I slip off my team jacket and begin to loosen up, stretching out as I sike myself up for the match. Many of the girls in the stands shout and whistle at me as I loosen up. Across the mat my opponent is doing almost the same things I am. I try not to look but I manage to sneak a peek at her. She is gorgeous if I wasn't going to wrestle her; I love to ask her out on a date. Blond hair pulled tight into a ponytail, great body and perfect legs. The ref calls us together and before I step on the mat I adjust my jockstrap and singlet. Once again the girls start whistling and shouting at me. We come to the center of the mat and bend down in a wrestlers crouch. We shake hands and right away I notice how strong she is. The ref extends her hand and blows the whistle to start the match. We circle and spar for a few seconds. I make a move and she quickly counters me she is very fast. I try to set her up for my next move, however she attacks me first. In a lightening fast move she ducks in and hooks my right leg with her left arm wrapping it around my thigh and lifting it off the mat. Working her arm down my leg she has me off balance and hopping on my left foot. Pulling my leg out straight she drives her right forearm high on my chest wile pushing on my trapped leg. I hop backwards a few steps but I am off balance and cannot hop fast enough. I topple over on to my back. In just 12sec she has scored a 3point takedown on me. Working quickly to increase her advantage on me she slips her arm under my neck getting a reverse headlock on me. She is so fast and so strong I am unable to fight her off. She now has me in a cradle and is trying to roll my shoulders to the mat pinning me. I kick my free leg wildly and twist my body as far as I can trying to keep my shoulders off the mat. We struggle for a few seconds then the ref raises her hand and three fingers signaling a near fall. I quickly glance at the scoreboard; my opponent has me down 6 to 0 in just 16seconds. Releasing my head she shifts positions so fast I an unable to counter her. Her speed is overwhelming me. Hooking her legs around mine she get a leg split on me. Trapping my arms over my head she again has me in a pinning combination. Struggling as hard as I can I am just able to keep my shoulders off the mat. For the second time the ref's hand shoots up showing 3 fingers. She has scored a second near fall on me. In just 35seconds of the first period I am behind my opponent 9 to 0. Again this girl shifts holds on me, and again she is way to fast for me to counter. She shoots across me in a cross body and hooks my leg with her right arm. She works her right leg under my left knee and hooks that leg. With both of my legs trapped and lifted off the mat I can't bridge up. She hooks my head and tries to work me into spadle. I fight her with all my might but she is very strong. She is slowly rolling me up onto my shoulders. At 53sec into the match the ref's hand shoots into the air for the third time to signal another near fall. I am now loosing this match 12 to 0 only 3 more points till she gets a technical fall win over me. The match is still less than one minuet old and I'm nearly exhausted, I'm drenched in sweat and gasping for air. Slowly she has managed to work my legs high in the air she now has the spadle locked on me tight. With her left hand she grabbed my left arm and pulled it across my chest locking it down. With only my right arm free I can't fight her off me. Wiggling and squirming as hard as I can she rolls my shoulder onto the mat. At 1minuet and 3seconds of the first period the ref's hand slaps the mat signaling that I've been pinned. I lie on the mat stunned; I can't believe what has just happened to me. Looking up I see her standing over me, she's looking down at me and smiling. I was unbeaten the favorite to win the state title. " Oh god, I may have to wrestler her again at states. Slowly I get to my feet, even now I'm still gasping for breath. I feel a little shaky, as I stand bent over at the waist with my hands on my knees. Coming together at the mat circle the ref takes both our wrists in her hands. As the buzzer goes off she raises my opponents arm in the air signaling her victory. This is the first time all season that my arm has not been raised. As the ref steps back my opponent and I shake hands, before we break she pulls me toward her and whispers to me " I'll see you at the state championships". As I walk off the mat and head for the dressing room a new feeling comes over me, I've never been pinned before. This is my first lose since 9th grade. I the dressing room I am alone in my cubical I sit on the bench with my head in my hands. I can hear someone softly sobbing somewhere and wonder who it is. Lifting my leg I untie my wrestling shoes and slip them off. Slowly standing I peel off my singlet, wiggle out of my tights and slid my jockstrap down and off. I quickly run into the shower and turn on the hot water. As the water runs over me tears fill my eyes and I begin to cry uncontrollably. In my mind I can see the match over and over, how easily she beat me. How it felt as she pinned me to the mat. I am embarrassed by the loss but more afraid that she will pin me again at the state championships.