Quincy High School - Goldenrod Yearbook (Quincy, MA)

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CROSS-COUNTRY GOLDEN ROD DEBATING CLUB BASKETBALL

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SOCCER NEWSWRITERS STAR CLUB ? V v ill? 3!il ■ ■ TENNIS

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THE ROOKIE GRAPPLER By Maurice Battista, ’40 fjl suppose you are all wondering what this title means. Well. I'll tell you. It means a person that has never been in a real wrestling bout, but who has one all lined up with a rival school, and is shaking like a leaf. We are seated in a gymnasium and the rookie is the first one to go on, but he doesn’t know it. In walks a line of wrestlers and he says to him- self, “Wow! Who are all those tough fellows?” They seat themselves, and onto the mat walks the referee, who, by the way, has cauliflower ears as big as potatoes. A bell rings, and oh, the rookie feels sick! His name is called, and a volley of cheers echoes through the half-empty gym. But there is a doubt in his mind whether those cheers are for him or for his rival. He strips off his jersey and walks onto the mat. His opponent follows his example. Boy, what a bruiser! He is all of six feet six, with hair on his chest and a murderous look in his eye. The rookie backs away from him but is grabl ed by the coach, who gives him the last minute instructions. The two opponents meet in the center, they shake hands, the referee repeats the rules, and the wrestlers return to their corners. The bell rings and out they come to the center and clinch in a routine start. They jump around like jitterbugs, as the crowd eggs them on. They’re up; they’re down; no, they’re on their feet again! Oh! the opponent makes a dive and the rookie goes to the mat squirming. They are both fighting hard. The rookie is flat on his stomach! It looks like the finish now. The opponent slaps on a half-nelson, rolls him over, and Gee!—he’s pinned! No he isn’t; he’s up; he’s down; they’re off the mat. The referee brings them to the middle and puts the rookie on the bottom. At the word “wrestle,” they’re off. Five minutes to go and the rookie rolls and falls on the opponent’s back. The crowd cheers, but he can’t hear it. The sweat streams down his body. He slips on a scissors grip, pulls the opponent’s arm back, pushes down his head, and starts to roll him onto his back. But grunt and groan as he may, the opponent won’t budge. There are three minutes to go. The fans arc getting restless, and waiting for a fall. They boo. cheer, and make all sorts of noises, but it’s no use. The wrestlers squirm and wiggle in vain. The opponent is tiring fast. The rookie sees his chance. He pulls the foe over on his back and squeezes his stomach as he would a sponge. The referee is bending over them. He raises his hand and hits the mat. The crowd roars, the referee raises the rookie’s hand, the coach congratulates him, and he is off to the showers. Boy! What a battle! It lasted six minutes, but the rookie has over- come the dread of his first bout and is on his way to a championship. page Fourteen: