The Fossil Ridge wrestling team finished in fourth place with a total of 128 points at the conference tournament last Saturday. 

The Sabercats moved up six spots from their finish last year, ending the same meet in tenth place in the 2021-22 season. This includes the enlargement of the Front Range League, as it expanded from 12 to 16 teams. One of the new teams, Brighton High School, ended up winning the meet with 223.5 points.

Fossil finished with eight wrestlers cracking the top six in their respective weight classes. One wrestler was senior Andrew Herrmann, who finished in 6th place. Herrmann spoke about how the team has greatly improved not only from last year, but throughout the season as well.

“As a team we’re peaking at the right time,” Herrmann says. “I thought we did really well as a group.”

Hermann was victorious in one match at the tournament and he did so in style, defeating his Broomfield opponent by pinfall in forty seconds flat.

The 190-pounder is known for his quick, take-care-of-business approach, with most of his matches not going past the first round. 

“Before I go on the mat I just get really angry,” Herrmann says. “I just think about tearing the guy apart.” 

This year for the Sabercats has been all about improvement. After finishing nearly dead last in the conference tournament last year, the team turned it around and nearly finished on the podium. 

A major piece came from the ten seniors wrestling for Fossil. Unfortunately, Fossil Ridge will not receive a senior night dual, as opponent Erie was forced to cancel the week of. As a result, the next time the Sabercats hit the mat will be at the state tournament at Ball Arena in Denver on January 16-18. After participating at state last year, Herrmann is ready to do more than qualify.

“I’m ready to go for placement,” Herrmann says. “Last year my goal was to qualify, this year my goal is to place.”