The Weyburn Junior High Cobras wrestling team is ready to roar. The team this year is made up of approximately 50 wrestlers, of which over half are rookies.

"The team ranges from some Grade 7 wrestlers weighing 60 pounds up to some Grade 9s who weigh 120 pounds," said coach Kevin Butz. Although the team is large now, Butz said in past years the team has tended to start big and gets smaller through the year, especially with early morning practices.

The team practices every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 7 to 8:30 a.m. The team was in for a treat at their practice this morning, Dec. 12, when Don Gorring, the Technical Director of the Sask. Amateur Wrestling Association, ran the practice.

Gorring remained at school all day to also work with all the Physical Education classes. "(Gorring) will be working with the kids in all the gym classes. It's a chance for all the students who thought of going into wrestling but weren't sure what all it involved," says Butz.

The team will also be having a practice tournament on the weekend against wrestlers from Pangman. Their first tournament will be in Swift Current on Jan. 26.

The team will also be heading to the Winter Games tryouts in Indian Head on Jan. 19. The students will be wrestling against Grade 7-10 students in their weight categories. Prior to the tryouts the junior high will have a wrestle-off to determine which two students from each weight category will go on to Indian Head.

The team will host their home tournament later in the year, to which there will be competitors coming from Pangman and Indian Head.