Among the Mats of Gold by Brendan Doshi

802 Terry has a unique culture. A culture that runs through the hallways, the courtyard, the breezeway, and through Roy F. Simperman Gym. That's where the greater O'Dea way meets Wrestling.

For the most part, few freshmen who join the wrestling team arrive with experience. In the case of the Irish's seven seniors, none of them did.

"We're all walking in on that first day not knowing what to do," Conner Richardson ('22, 138 lbs.) commented, "But I think that put us all in the same spot."

This is what makes wrestling so special for those who decide to get on the mats. It's also what makes the wrestling program one of the best sources of mentorship in O'Dea sports.

Richardson added, "We had to wrestle guys a couple of years above us who knew what they were doing…But it really forced them to show us freshmen how it's done."

Those guys really did show Richardson how it's done. The senior opened his '21-'22 campaign with a first-place finish at the Return of the Seahawk Tournament, dominating with 2 pins and only 4:22 of total time.

This senior season means more to the seniors than just results, though. Now, they’re the ones mentoring. Raising a new generation of Irish wrestlers. And to the 138-pound mat-machine, it never felt so rewarding.

“Teaching up the youngins,” Richardson said jokingly, “it gives you a sense of pride in how far you’ve come. You know? You can step in their shoes and remember what it was like. They’re gonna be a disgusting generation of Wrestlers. Metro [League] needs to watch out.”

There’s another reason seniors are proud to be a part of this program, too.

“Anderson.”

That was what Jack Farmer (’22, 160 lbs.) mentioned when asked what he was most proud of as an O’Dea wrestler.

The eight-letter last name conjures memories of a 30+ year legacy. Coach Jeff Anderson's tenure as the Irish head coach came to an end in 2021 when he felt it time to retire. It feels special to so many to have walked into a tradition under the same coach.

“It’s really cool to have been a part of that Anderson era. There’s a lot of fellas who’ve gotten to be a part of it in the past. For a lot of us [wrestlers] it was the first time we felt like a part of something bigger. And it all sorta started with Anderson.”

There’s a consensus. That with a change in leadership in Joseph Balinbin, who had previously been the Assistant Coach, there is a new legacy, one that these same athletes have an opportunity to shape as well.

“I mean, you’re basically a part of two things. You have the Anderson days, obviously…but also a new era in Balinbin. I really want us to make it a legacy of winning. That’s where results come into play,” Farmer added.

History is not just history at O’Dea. Everything seems to have a significance, and everything these athletes do is to contribute to that significance.

Another senior, Rogan Bruce (’22, 182 lbs.) added, “It all starts with being a little selfless. You know? We’re here to represent this school and this program. Then we can start to think about ourselves…at the end of the day, it’s just you and another guy. You have a job to do.”

That’s exactly what these Irish know. And that’s exactly how they plan on kickstarting a new era of O’Dea wrestling.