This past weekend, the Scouts Wrestling squad took on the Tom DuBois Wrestling Classic, an 11-team tournament at Richmond Burton High School. The team amassed a point total of 205.5, more than good enough for first place. The RBHS Rockets (160 points) snagged second place, and Woodstock High School (112) edged out Winnebago (104) for third.

Some highlights from the day included Bennett Duggan’s win in the 126 lbs division, senior TJ Cottam’s victory in the 145 lbs division, and Truman Thuente’s win in the 195 lbs division. All three of these wrestlers’ current records are 11-1, and Cottam, the recipient of last year’s NSC Sportsmanship Award and an All Conference Honorable Mention, in particular has been a standout player this season.

“He has put in a lot of work to make a state run in his final high school wrestling season,” said Head Coach Matt Fiordirosa. “He’s a really scrappy kid and is continuously getting better.”

Cottam and juniors Chase Waggoner and Bennett Duggan are the current captains of this year’s team, and with underclassman making up around 60 percent of all participants (and juniors accounting for 30), leadership is crucial.

“The transition [from last year] has been smooth so far,” said Fiordirosa. “These kids all work hard, love the sport of wrestling, and know how to communicate with teammates.”

These new captains received some key mentorship from recently graduated seniors Quinn Daley, Caleb Durbin, and Joey Pasquesi last year, who themselves learned from Corey Knudsen, a past graduate who “set the standards high.”

“Corey was the type of kid that showed up early, stayed after, would give teammates a ride to and from practice, and genuinely cared for people. He mentored Quinn, Caleb, and Joey and then they passed on his leadership to the new captains,” said Fiordirosa.

Last year, the Scouts’ 16-12 dual meet record tied the school record (set in ‘16 and ‘17) for wins in a season, and for four of the last five years, Lake Forest has sent a wrestler to state. So far this season, the Scouts are 10-0, a record start in itself. With wins at both the Carmel Dual-Team Tournament as well as the Tom Dubois Wrestling Classic under their belt, the team hopes to smash the record this year.

Meets against Warren (Dec. 7), Lake Zurich (Dec. 14), Zion-Benton (Senior Night, Jan. 8), and Stevenson (Jan. 25) constitute key matchups coming up. If the Scouts keep their focus and intensity, this could very well become yet another record-breaking season.