Following a historic football season in which Trinity Classical Academy’s Hudson Sweitzer led the Knights to their first 11-man playoff win in November, the senior isn’t letting the wear and tear of the football year ruin his start to the wrestling season.  

After placing third in the Downey 32-way tournament in early December, Sweitzer followed up the performance by earning the top step of the podium in the Coyote Classic in Bakersfield on Dec. 13.  

“The tournament was so good, I got a lot of time to work on new moves and really get back into my wrestling mindset,” he said in an interview with The Signal. “The Coyote Classic was the first varsity tournament I had ever participated in in my freshman year. It taught me so much that I still carry on to this day. It’s nice to return to that same tournament and dominate for my last year of high school wrestling.”  

In the Coyote Classic, Sweitzer competed in the 215-pound bracket and scored back-to-back takedowns in the first and second round against Gavin Colbert of West High School and Ezekiel Rocha of Liberty High School  

In the quarterfinals, Sweitzer faced off against Silas Anderson of Tehachapi High School and won 5-0 as he recorded a takedown and near fall.  

Sweitzer advanced to the semifinals and defeated Mykell Kelly of Del Oro High School with a takedown and clinched his spot in the finals.  

“All five matches were good for me. The only challenging ones for me were my last two, but they were all a great way for me to get back into my groove,” he said. “It was a great tournament to remind me what I’ve been missing for a year.”  

Sweitzer didn’t seem to have missed a beat.  

In the finals, Sweitzer landed a takedown on Randy Lenoir of East High School and earned first place in the bracket along with recording five pins in all five matches he participated in, with two of them coming under 19 seconds.  

With the win, Sweitzer takes the first-place medal and gives Trinity Classical Academy a wrestling champion, a feat that makes him feel honored to represent his school.  

“I’ve had so much support throughout the school and to give them progress and a champion means so much,” he said. “To be able to carry Trinity’s name to the top in a sport I love is such a great honor, and to do it in a dominating fashion is even better.”  

Sweitzer wrestles again in the Ed Spring Holiday Classic throughout Friday and Saturday at Brea Olinda High School.