The gym was dark and the spotlight was shining. The crowd roared as the two wrestlers fought. The shaking stands and deafening noise created an electric atmosphere. He picked up his opponent, threw him to the mat, and put him on his back. He pinned him down with power and will and secured the victory.

The wrestling team upset the previously second ranked Tigers of Oscar Smith in a tightly contested match. The team headed into the match with high expectations and the goal of reclaiming their legacy.

Head coach and former wrestler Colin Dozier brought back the use of a spotlight in a lights out gym. Fans packed the gymnasium wearing white and cheered loudly to support the team.

“The crowd was really into it and it added a lot of energy to the match,” Dozier said.

The Falcons were leading until Oscar Smith won several late matches to put the Tigers ahead with one match to go. The team looked to senior heavyweight Chris Haller to bring home the victory with the contest on the line.

“I knew it was going to be a close match, but I had the will to win, and I had the mentality of pinning my opponent and winning the match for us,” Haller said.

The win propelled the team to a tenth-place ranking in the region. Meanwhile, Oscar Smith dropped to 3rd. The team hopes victory shows that that the wrestling program is still a powerhouse and will continue to be for years to come.

“It shows that the legacy of [Falcon] wrestling hasn’t died, and we’ll continue to win with Collin Dozier,” Haller said.