NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Granby High School is where many consider the birthplace of wrestling in Hampton Roads. The Comets boast a rich history on the mat that dates back more than a half-century and includes 21 state championships.
"Billy Martin Sr. kind of dominated here from the '50's all the way to the early '70's and really started wrestling around Hampton Roads," Granby head coach Caleb Richardson noted.
"It's something that's grown a lot more," added Comet senior Alexis Vasquez. "It used to be something really big and I think it's starting to come back to what it used to be, but only time will tell how big it gets."
The current team is looking to pick the torch back up and run with it. Friday's wins over Currituck and Maury put Granby at 12-0 to start the season and the Comets aren't satisfied. A lot of their success this season can be attributed to extra work put in by most of the wrestlers during the summer months.
"The summer is when a lot of people aren't working," pointed out junior Walter Smith. "In the summer you can make the most jumps. You can really get over other people that may have been better than you the season before."
"A lot of guys working hard offseason, working out during the summertime in the heat," Vasquez said. "Got to get good for the winter time when the real season comes."
Winning is becoming a habit for the Comets as they have handled every opponent in their path so far. That includes defending Region 5A champion Nansemond River, which topped Granby in last year's region tournament. The success has the team's confidence sky-high.
"Winning makes us feel great," Vasquez said. "The sport's fun, but losing definitely isn't so we all just want to win. That's what we're chasing."
"I'd say very confident," Smith said of his squad. "We feel like we can really do big things this year."
Of course, an undefeated start to the season is a good first step, but if you ask the Comets, they'll tell you the goal is to continue that success when it really counts.
"It's all about the postseason," Richardson said. "For me, we're looking to get multiple guys on the podium and bring home a couple state champions."
"The ceiling makes it kind of seem like we've got limitations, but I don't want to say we have limitations," Vasquez said. "It's only up from here in my opinion."
A team state championship would be the program's first crown since 1971, but Richardson is not ready to look too far ahead just yet.
"I won't go and make that prediction," the head coach said. "A lot of good guys, a lot of good teams, but we'll make some noise."
The Comets return to action on Tuesday when they take part in a tournament at Clover Hill High School in Midlothian.
If you have a nominee for Esprit Decor Student-Athlete of the Week, send an email to marc.davis@wtkr.com.
