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The only lingering distraction that kept Derek from being
completely happy was Scott. It became increasingly difficult
300
Wrestling With Desire
by D.H. Starr
to draw his attention away from Scott in the English and
history classes they shared. Each time he peered into those
blue-green eyes, he couldn't shake his regret at Scott's pain,
evidenced by his slumped posture and the dark circles under
his eyes. Derek tried to summon the courage to talk to him
several times during the week, but couldn't bring himself to
do it.
At Friday's practice before the division championship
tournament, Coach sat the team on the mat. "Today will be a
short practice. I've spoken to your teachers and you've been
excused from your weekend homework. Please don't make a
big deal out of this because it isn't fair to the other students
and won't help the other coaches to negotiate special
treatment for their teams when they are in a position to win a
championship. Today we'll just warm up and practice basic
moves. Our journey together has built team spirit. Each of
you plays an important role in the overall success of our
team, but for the next two days, you need to focus on your
own matches. You need to dig deep and make a decision...are
you a champion or not? I already know the answer, but my
opinion doesn't matter when you're on the mat. Good luck
and I'm proud of you."
On Saturday morning, the team gathered in the athletic
building parking lot at 7:00 AM to board their regular bus.
The shuttle bus was already packed with students. When they
arrived at Newton High thirty minutes later, they were
amazed by the sheer size of the auditorium. Eight wrestling
mats covered the center of the room surrounded on all sides
301
Wrestling With Desire
by D.H. Starr
by bleachers. The sixteen schools with the best overall
records from the regular season were competing.
One of the refs walked to the center of the auditorium with
a microphone, calling for the crowd's attention. "Before we
begin the first round today, I would like to explain how the
next two days will commence. Today will consist of two
rounds. In the first round, sixteen wrestlers in each weight
class will be reduced to eight. In the second round, those
eight wrestlers will be reduced to four. Tomorrow there will be
three rounds. The first will be semi-finals. Next, the wrestlers
who do not win will wrestle to secure third and fourth place
for their weight class. The finals will take place last,
determining the champions. Once the top four places at each
weight class are determined, team points will be tallied. First
place wrestlers earn four team points, second place wrestlers
earn three team points, and so on. The schools with the top
three overall team scores will be recognized. The champions
will receive a school trophy and banner. I want to wish
everyone good luck."
By the end of the day, seven of the eleven wrestlers on the
Brampton team progressed to the semi-final round: two
wrestlers in the lower weight classes along with Derek, Frank,
Scott, Josh, and Power. Only five wrestlers from the
Lexington team moved on along with eight wrestlers from the
Waltham team. Waltham held the advantage because they
had more players guaranteed to earn team points, no matter
whether they came in first or fourth. To win, most of the
Brampton wrestlers would have to come in first or second in
their weight class.
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Wrestling With Desire
by D.H. Starr
The sun was still high in the sky when Derek got home.
Restless and excited he decided to go for a run. He would
only hurt himself and his team if he allowed his nerves to get
the best of him. Heading towards the river, he began thinking
about wrestling, but pushed his thoughts aside.
At the Foot Bridge, he stopped and leaned against the
railing, looking down over the water. It seemed angry,
creating small whirlpools where it rushed past the cement
legs. This water wanted to flow and nothing was going to stop
it. A few feet past the bridge, the whirlpools reintegrated and
the water's surface returned to one mass of raging,
tumultuous motion.
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