Throughout months of work, sweat and practice the Birmingham Groves Wrestling Team has showcased their incredible talents and determination to bring their best throughout the entire season. The season is starting to come to an end, and with that comes various exciting meets and closing thoughts from our senior wrestlers. As these events are taking place and the end of the season draws nearer, we want to share the season’s highlights.
With the Groves wrestling season coming to a close, we spoke with a few Falcon seniors about their season ending.
“I won’t say I’m sad but I do know I will miss it” Groves senior Jovonni Webster said. “ But at the same time, I have no regrets, I’ve left everything on the mat each match, every time I step on the mat I don’t hold back I unleash everything that I have,”
This mindset has gotten Webster and Groves many more wins this season. Webster reflected on his past seasons and his growth and said, “I still go into meets with the mindset of the wrestler I was last year, not winning much and having low self-confidence. That is not the case this year, but it’s hard for me to understand that”.
For the first time in years, Groves defeated their cross-town rivals Seaholm in the regular season. When asked how he prepared for the meet, Webster said “I honestly didn’t put too much pressure on myself because I already beat the guy who I was supposed to go against.”. After years of heartbreaking losses, beating Seaholm was monumental for them and the program.
In her reflection, Groves senior Samantha Koch spoke about the individuals who have played a significant role in her wrestling journey, where she warmly reflected on her mother’s unwavering support, ”She has been my biggest support since I started wrestling at the age five or six. No matter where I competed, she was always there, attending every tournament, meet, and match without fail,” Koch said. Her mom has not only attended every tournament but also provided emotional and motivational support, helping Koch navigate the challenges of the sport. This consistent presence has been a source of inspiration for Koch, empowering her to push through tough matches and celebrate her wins and four state championships.
Koch was excited that the team won their first match against Seaholm where they doubled their score. While they lost the district finals to Bloomfield Hills, they did very well at the individual districts over this past weekend. She elaborated on the individual accomplishments, stating, “Three of our boys qualified for regionals, with Eli placing fourth and Josh also placing third in the district. Additionally, I won districts,” Koch said.
The team had a chance to host and compete at the boy’s district wrestling meet at Groves High School. One such wrestler was Groves Senior Ray Glory-Ejoyokah. With this being such a big meet, Glory-Ejoyokah had to prepare for the challenge in multiple ways. “I took some losses before, so I know what it’s like to win and lose, just have to get rid of that fear. Just go out there and have fun and control what you can control”. Glory-Ejoyokah said.
This confidence led Glory-Ejoyokah to a good showcasing, even though eventually he did lose. Luckily for him, wrestling is about the team, and he’s a team player.
Wrestling is a team sport and this team is close. It was apparent from the way they cheered each other on, and interacted as a team as if they had known each other since kindergarten. “I keep my teammates accountable and myself, plus work hard and that’s all I need,” Glory-Ejoyokah said. Overall, the district meet for the boys went very well and actually, a few of the boys went on to compete at the regionals meet, and if they move on, they get a shot at the state title.
Groves senior wrestler Caden Filthaut has been a captain for his senior year and has heavily contributed to the team for all 4 years of his high school career. Filthaut spoke about his wrestling experience. “My experience on the Groves wrestling team, I feel like it’s been very inclusive and it’s like a family, we all help each other and we all raise each other up when we’re feeling down and it’s just a very good experience overall and a good group of people,” Filthaut said.
This shows how supportive the whole wrestling team is to each other and how there is never any bad energy. When someone doesn’t do as well as they want, there is always someone there to lift everyone’s heads up.
“Every time I win and I can just look over at that sideline and see all my friends and all my teammates, they’re just as excited as I am that I want and they share the joy that I’m feeling when I win,” Filthaut said.
The fact that the team is bonded so well with each other is part of the reason they are so successful as a team. Motivation and support from others is always very beneficial to performing well.
Not only is bonding a huge role in the success of the team, but having good coaches always plays a major factor. “I’d say the most influential person in my wrestling career has probably been one of my coaches, Coach Takata, because he really helps us out. He helps us meditate, just getting the right mindset for the challenges that face us during the season,” Filthaut said. There are no weak points in the team as a whole. The coaches do everything they can to get their athletes in the right state of mind to wrestle to the best of their abilities. Takata has been a coach for the team for only 3 years, yet he has made such an impact on the team’s success.
Although the wrestlers receive generous support from their teammates and coaches, they also have the responsibility of having a good mindset and working as hard as possible every day to improve. “I stay confident by just reminding myself that even though it is very important to me, it’s just a sport and it won’t affect me in five, ten years. Then I also know that I have to go back and I have to work harder in the room and get better so that loss doesn’t happen again,” Filthaut said.
This message is exactly why Filthaut has had so much individual success in his wrestling career. He uses his losses to fuel his motivation during practice, figuring out how he can improve. His helpful teammates and his hard work during the season led him to an amazing 28-13 wrestling record. This means he wins nearly 70% of his matches with people of similar weight.
All in all, the 2024-25 Groves Wrestling season has concluded with a great performance from the entire team throughout the season. In addition, two of our girl’s wrestlers, Koch and Freshman Irulan Hrydziuszko, qualified for and competed in the State wrestling tournament at Ford Field on February 28, 2025. As our seniors move on and take the next steps in their wrestling career post-high school their contributions to the team will be missed.
