Despite dealing with an up-and-down season and facing some strong opposition from other teams, the wrestling team has leapt into the ring and tackled the competition.

On Jan. 20, the Cardinals speared the Stuart Hall Lions in an outstanding 54-30 victory. The Cardinals forfeited more matches than the Lions, forfeits caused by two weight classes lacking members. But the valiant team still emerged victorious because of pins. “Every match we won was with a pin,” senior Javier Perez said.

On Jan. 19, the team was narrowly defeated 36-48 because of the 12 point disadvantage caused by the same issue of missing players. “We didn’t have the people to fill the two upper weight classes, 215 and 285,” junior Manuel Varguez said. This lack of players led to costly forfeits, a major contributor to the loss.

On Jan. 12, the Cardinals bounced back from a previous loss and pinned the O’Connell Boilermakers 48-29, part of the score was enabled by the competing team’s undermanned resistance and forfeited matches due to “bys,” which are automatic wins for the opposition when a team cannot fill a weight class. “They only had six wrestlers. We had a lot more, so we got a lot of bys,” said freshman wrestler Cynthia Law of the Lowell team. The team has a total membership of 32 wrestlers, led by three coaches — head coach Colin Ikeda and assistant coaches Francisco Vargas and Michael Wise — and varsity captains Andy Lee, Taylor Takao and Emilio Wise.

A week earlier, on Jan. 6, the Cardinals lost 27-45 because of missing key players. Several core varsity wrestlers couldn’t compete, including sophomores Lorenzo Pesino and Carlos Yanes, and juniors David McKenna and Taylor Takao, due to injuries through either wrestling-related or outside events. Pesino has recently recovered, and is focusing on rehabilitating from his injury. Despite these injuries, the Cardinals were still able to fill all weight classes except 215 and heavyweight (285).

In the first Academic Athletic Association game of the season on Jan. 4, the Cardinals started strong, taking the Lincoln Mustangs to the mat with a 54-28 victory. “It was here at Lowell, so we weren’t going to let them win,” sophomore wrestler Mohammed Suleman said.

The positive mindset helped, but other, more physical variables were on the Cardinal’s side, too. Impressively, seven out of eleven matches were won with pins. “We had numbers and size,” sophomore wrestler Roberto Ramirez said. “We also feel our training is superior.”

In wrestling, a complex system of scoring includes in-match scoring, where a wrestler competes for the higher score against an opponent, and team scoring, according to Ramirez. In in-match scoring, points are awarded for near falls, reversals, penalties, or other situational factors. A wrestler can win points for the team most commonly by pin or forfeit, but sometimes by in-match points. In a fall, or pin, if any part of both shoulders or shoulder blades is touching the mat, the player wins six points for their team automatically and the round is over. This is harder to do, so if the shoulders are near to but not touching the mat for long enough, a near-fall, worth two to four in-match points, is earned. If at the end of the match, there were no pins, but one wrestler leads in points, three to five points are awarded. If a wrestler wins by default, forfeit or disqualification, six points are awarded. This often happens when a team can’t fill a weight class. At the end of the match, the team score determines the winning team.

This year, the team is focusing particularly on improving attendance and collaboration, two challenges that come with every sport. “We want to improve our technique, strength, stamina and teamwork,” Ikeda said. “We wrestle individually, so our challenge is to pull together and work as a cohesive unit. I try to make our team like family.”

According to junior wrestler and co-captain Emilio Wise, the Lowell team feels that their dedication and closeness is contributing to their growth. “We’re hard workers, dedicated to getting better and winning,” Wise said. This year the wrestling squad is looking forward to a high level of competition and they do not expect any victories to be handed to them. “We are starting off slow with wrestlers out, but we’re working on intensity and perseverance,” Perez said.

Last season, Washington took first place undefeated, with the Cardinals in a close second and Galileo in third place. But this year, the Lions are setting themselves up to challenge the status quo. “Washington is usually dominant, but this year Galileo beat them,” Wise said.

To successfully grow as a team and reach for the trophy, the team needs an infusion of fresh blood of either gender. “We can always use new wrestlers,” Ikeda said. “If we had people to fill our upper weight classes, the team would be significantly better.” Smaller wrestlers are also always welcome.

In the words of Suleman, “You don’t have to be big to win.”

Come cheer on the team at 4 p.m. Monday at Lick-Wilmerding as they take on the Tigers.

A version of this article first appeared in the Jan. 28, 2011 print edition of The Lowell.