Sophomore CJ Skokowski stepped onto the mat and stared his opponent down. His muscles tensed up as he anticipated the start of the match. All eyes in the gym were on him as the match began.
Skokowski has been wrestling for 10 years. His favorite thing about wrestling is that it is “builds good character” because “it is hard and challenging.” So far, his biggest achievement has been winning the state championships when he was in eighth grade. Last year, Skokowski was unable to participate in the states because he broke his arm.
As a freshman, Skokowski wrestled for JC in the 106 weight class and switched on and off between varsity and JV. Wrestling Coach Keith Watson also bumped him up to participate in the 113 weight class.
In this heavier weight class, Skokowski would be wrestling “very good kids, state-ranked,” according to Watson. Although Skokowski didn’t always win, Watson said that he “wouldn’t give up, wouldn’t get pinned.” Because Skokowski wouldn’t allow himself to get pinned, even in the higher weight class, the team would save a couple of points, according to Watson.
Last year, Skokowski went 25-0 on JV and 18-7 on varsity. The team was 21-4, “largely because we were able to move [Skokowski and another wrestler] around,” Watson said.
“[Skokowski] is one of those kids who will do anything you ask him to do. He is one of the hardest workers,” Watson said.
Skokowski ran JV cross country in the fall “to keep in shape for wrestling.” This year, his biggest competitor is freshman TK Menogial from McDonough, whom Watson described as a “redshirt freshman,” a student who has repeated a grade. Menogial repeated eighth grade and will be “15 or 16 years old,” Watson said.
Skokowski’s biggest matches are the St. Benedict’s Tournament the weekend of Dec. 1, the Battle of Bel Air on Dec. 15, and Wrestlepalooza. Both Wrestlepalooza and the Battle of Bel Air will be held at JC.
Rebecca Driver is a Copy Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.