Wrestling teams throughout Central Illinois are trying to keep the sport alive during the pandemic | High School Wrestling

Monticello typically has a high crossover from football to wrestling participation and wrestling coach Andy Moore hopes his wrestlers are conditioning through that and on their own. 

“During the summer, we really weren’t able to do anything inside and you had to have a mask on and so I didn’t think you could do too much wrestling stuff with a mask on,” Moore said. “As far as conditioning goes, I’m relying on them to be self-sufficient under these circumstances. It is usually about 75% that play football, give or take each year and we also have weightlifting as one of our classes and a lot of students take that.”

Moore believes the move of wrestling to the summer may not be enough on its own to allow the season to move forward.

“Everything that has been said before was that with the physical nature of wrestling, it is going to require a vaccine,” Moore said. “I know right now we are trending in the wrong way and I just don’t know if the numbers will get low enough for the governor and the public health departments to say that we can go do it. I think it is truly going to require a vaccine in order for them to consider it to be safe to do.”

Wrestling is Wilkin’s only sport and hopes to be a leader for the Sages when the season begins. 

“Wrestling is something that has been natural for me and I’ve tried just about every sport you can do but that is the one that really clicks for me. I really enjoy the people in it and the environment and everything about it,” he said. “It will be odd (to wrestle in the summer) but looking at COVID and everything that is my best hope for the season and to make sure my season isn’t cancelled to move it as far back as possible. I really have no idea what will happen but I am trying to keep high hopes.”