Dual wins propel Cosmos wrestling into weekend tournament
By Ian Perrotta
Let’s hope there are a lot more meets next year – Cosmos wrestling is a fan favorite.
On Wednesday (Jan. 5), Hamtramck High hosted its one-and-only wrestling match of the year at the Community Center. And much to both the amazement and delight of Head Coach Adam Mused, the stands were full of cheering students.
“This is great,” said Mused. “To think, we came from barely having a program to speak of, wrestling in the upper deck of the gym in front of no one, to having kids screaming at the top of their lungs for our guys. It’s incredible.”
The screams weren’t in vain, either. The Cosmos managed to win both matches in their doubleheader, bringing their total win/loss record to an even 4-4. Senior captains Ahmed Fadhel and Norealdan Alkusaimi finish 2-0 on the night, taking each of their individual records to 12-0 for the season.
As a team, in the first match of the night Hamtramck defeated a significantly outmanned Ypsilanti Willow Run team by a score of 66-18. The second match was decidedly closer, with Hamtramck ultimately defeating Romulus Summit Academy 44-36. And with a majority of the varsity team being relatively inexperienced, it was an impressive display of athleticism and a testimony to the preparation taken by the team in its daily practices.
“Nine of our 14 starters are underclassmen and that’s why we prepare even harder at practice,” said Mused. “Improving on tonight’s dual wins is even more key because the students we have in this program are tough, from first year wrestlers all the way up to the few seniors we have.”
Though the wins were a good boost to team morale, Mused said there was no time to dwell on them as the Cosmos next matches will be at a 10-team tournament tomorrow (Jan.8) at East Detroit High School. Mused is confident his wresters will do well
“I always remind our wrestlers that the journey has just begun, and you choose your destiny,” he says. “Because the colors and name on the front of your singlet does not make you – you are the program!”