Falcon wrestling has made a comeback in a major way as they they recently won their 7th State Championship in the school’s history, their first since 2010. The team sketched their names into the history books, earning the win at the Virginia Beach Sportsplex last weekend.
State winning Head Coach Dalton Head has proven himself dedicated to his team as he continues to lead the next generation of wrestlers in the Great Neck area.
Q: What is your reflection on the 2024 season?
A: ” We had a great off-season, team camp, pre-season training, first month of practice; but then got off to a slow start when we lost one of our first duel meets to the Knights of Kellam. Slowly but surely, we started to get kids in the right weight classes, and better conditioned to make a run in the post-season. In January, the team really came together. We had a fun trip to North Carolina where we were able to watch the N.C .State vs Oklahoma State wrestling match. The following day, we won the Rocket Invitational down in North Carolina. We followed with a strong showing at the Virginia Duals Tournament with a huge win against rival Grassfield High School on senior night. At Regionals, we placed top six in all 14 weight classes, qualifying 12 wrestlers for state. Once we made it to the state tournament, we utilized our strong first round to take the lead, to bring the state championship back to Cox for the first time in 14 years.”
Q: What led to your team’s success?
A: ” Team Work. All twelve wrestlers scored points at the state meet; that was the difference between us and the rest of the field.”
Q: How important was keeping everyone healthy throughout the season?
A: ” This is the hardest part. Although we were able to avoid major injuries this season, the flu was running through our guys one after another. Throughout December and January, we had all kinds of kids stepping up to the varsity lineup so we didn’t lose matches or momentum.”
Q: Which factors, besides skill, led to team success on the highest stage?
A: ” Hard work, timing, and a little bit of luck. We kept positive energy and stayed focused on the goal ahead of us throughout the entire season.”
