Central Catholic senior Chris Rossi has been on winning teams before, most notably the Vikings' football team that made the WPIAL Class AAAA championship game this fall.
Being part of a winning wrestling team is new experience.
Central Catholic is 5-3 overall and 3-2 in Section 5-AAA and has a chance to make the playoffs for the first time since 1987.
"We have a chance to do something," Rossi said. "There is a buzz around the school about it. We've got some experience."
It's also a welcome change to coach John Aiello, who has been with the program since 1988, head coach since '91.
"It is tremendously different than the last couple of years," Aiello said. "Overall, this is probably the best team, certainly since I've been the head coach. We've always had a couple of good individuals as long as I've been here."
Central Catholic has been limited in its depth because it does not have a junior high or Junior Olympic feeder program. That means a lot of wrestlers coming out for the first time as freshmen.
"We've been young for so long," Aiello said. "Several years ago, we went a couple years with only four or five kids out each season. The last four years, our numbers have been increasing. We have more and more kids who wrestled prior to ninth grade. That has made us better. We're much more experienced. We do not have kids out there that we have to teach the basics to."
Central Catholic started slow, in part due to the football team's success. The team's top three wrestlers - Rossi, Nic San Doval and Andrew Sherry - all played football and got a late start on the season.
"I only had a week before my first match," Rossi said. "I was out of shape. I forgot some things. I was rusty and it showed.
"I'm getting there. I feel I am still going to be better."
Rossi is 8-2, with both losses coming early. He was 26-5 a year ago, reaching the regional tournament.
"Rossi is having a good year," Aiello said. "(The late start) hurt Chris in particular. The two losses this year came early in the season before he was really in the condition he should have been to wrestle, but I couldn't keep him out of the lineup. The only way he was going to get in shape was on the mat."
Rossi also has a shot at the school's all-time victory record of 81. He has 67 after his victory Wednesday.
"It's one of my goals," Rossi said. "My main goal is to make states and place there."
Aiello said that Rossi, San Doval and Sherry all have a shot to get there, although none will be favorites.
"Those three will be our best shots," Aiello said. "(In each class), there are guys who should go to states, and then, there are four or five more who could get in. Those guys are definitely in that mix. I'd consider the three of them dangerous."
"The last two years, I was missing experience," Rossi said. "I only started wrestling as a freshman. This year, I have the experience.
San Doval, a junior 189-pounder, and Sherry, a sophomore at 140, both came to the program with some experience. Both are 10-1 this season.
Sherry wrestled in the youth program at Northgate, then went 20-10 and reached the regional tournament at 135 pounds last season as a freshman.
"I think he has more raw talent than Chris does," Aiello said. "He's one of our better kids this year."
San Doval was a starter at Shady Side Academy before transferring to Central Catholic this year, but missed most of last season with a back injury.
"He's a tough wrestler, a hard-nosed kid," Aiello said. "He knows how to get up for big matches. He has been a big asset for us.
Senior captain Joe DiRenzo is also off to a strong start. He won his weight class at the Fox Chapel Invitational, knocking off highly-regarded top seed Coleman Craig of Avella along the way.
Junior Daron Pfab is also a part of the strong middle of the Central Catholic lineup. The Vikings also have two solid freshmen - Joe Maddigan at 130 and Nino San Doval, Nic's younger brother, who wrestles at 145 and 152.
"We've had some nice additions and surprises," Aiello said. "(Maddigan) came out of nowhere. He's wrestling really well."
The Vikings will have a good test as individuals Friday and Saturday at the Allegheny County Wrestling Invitational - a new tournament that features most of the programs in Allegheny County.
"That will be a very good benchmark for us," Aiello said.
Central Catholic has lost to the top two teams in Section 5-AAA, McGuffey and Waynesburg, but still has a shot at the postseason.
"Our first goal is the team goal," Aiello said. "We beat Baldwin the other night, which was a big one for us. They had beaten us four or five years in a row. We beat Keystone Oaks. I still think we have a shot."
