Plagued with injuries, the Raider wrestling team had some difficulty matching up against an overpowering team in Fresno. Struggling to even win an individual match, the Raiders fell to the Rams 44-6 Thursday night at the Moorpark Pavilion.

Despite the disappointing home opener, Coach Aaron Jackson seemed positive and upbeat about his team’s overall performance.

“The guys played a tough match and played good tonight,” said Jackson. “We have young players, with some playing in their first collegiate match tonight, and they performed well under the circumstances.”

Jackson does not see this loss as a way of hindering his team from reaching its ultimate goal, the state championship.

“Our goal this year is to finish in the top five in the state,” said Jackson. “We want to continue playing at a higher level we traditionally have played at.”

The Raiders have been hit with a rash of nagging injuries, forced to use only three starters in the match. The rest were young players, in which most were playing in their very first collegiate match. As a result of the injuries, the Raiders had to forfeit some matches, including the 157-pound, 174-pound, 184-pound, and the 197-pound matches.

On a positive note, the 149-pound match featured a decision for the Raiders. Shane Crosley performed well, pinning his opponent in just over a minute. Crosley, who has also been injured, was excited to play in a match again.

“I have not trained much due to my injuries, so I wanted to make the fight quick,” said Crosley.

Crosley thought that he had a fine match, considering the circumstances.

“You’ve got to be mentally prepared out there,” said Crosley. “You have to think you are going to win in order to give yourself a chance.”

The Raiders have a lot to look forward to once the team is healthy.

When healthy, Moorpark has a team that will compete for another Western State Title, 22 of which they have won since the college opened in 1968. Coach Jackson is looking forward to their match next Saturday, hoping some of his starters can recover from injuries.

“The guys need to get healthy again,” Jackson said. “When they are healthy, we can compete at a higher level and reach our team goals.”

The Raiders wrestling team hopes to bounce back from a disappointing loss Thursday night, and be ready to play next Saturday at Palomar College. The Raiders’ next home game is not until the South Duels on Saturday, Oct. 18. In the meantime, the Raiders play Palomar College next Saturday, and then travel to compete in the Santa Ana Tournament Saturday, Oct. 4.

Despite a team ravaged with injuries, the Raiders seem confident and upbeat about this season’s team. The team truly believes they have a chance, when healthy, to win a WSC Title for the 23rd time, and be within the top five in the state.