Hopi High wrestling team optimistic about season

By Stan Bindell

POLACCA, Ariz.

Hopi High rookie wrestling coach Terrance Morgan is upbeat the Bruins can improve on last year’s season.

Hopi High placed tenth at state last year, but Morgan hopes they can move up to eighth this year. They qualified seven wrestlers for state last year, but they hope to qualify nine this year, even though most of last year’s best wrestlers graduated.

Wrestling remains popular at the school with 23 wrestlers out for the squad including 20 returners from last year. So, they have all 14 weight categories filled.
The Bruins are led by five seniors with Kyle Secakuku, Marco Raccio, Macadio Navasie, Kent Nuvayestewa and Aneyla Koyawena.

“Although it’s my first year as head coach, I feel confident because we have a good group here,” Morgan said.

Morgan said the key to winning for the wrestlers is preparation, conditioning and mental focus because once they are on the mat it is them against one other wrestler.
“You have to have heart to wrestle,” he said.

Morgan said the one-on-one competition is the reason he likes wrestling. He wrestled at Holbrook High School before he attended Hopi High School his senior year, the first year it had a senior class in 1987.

“It’s not like basketball where four other guys back you up,” he said.

Morgan said he tells his wrestlers that if they can get through wrestling that they can get through life.

“You learn that when you fall down you need to get back up,” he said. “Wrestling is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical. You have to outthink your opponent.”

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