This 2024-2025 boys wrestling season at Riverside Brookfield High School, senior Edgar Mosquera has been on a roll. Competing in the 120-pound weight class, Mosquera has an overall record of 33-3 in addition to a second-place finish in the Upstate Eight Conference (UEC) meet on February 1. Next up is the sectional tournament February 14-15, where the top four individual finishers in each weight class advance to state.
Mosquera was the state runner-up last year in the 113-pound weight class. This year, he moved up a weight class and has higher aspirations: trying to win state in his last season of high school wrestling. RB has had several individual state champions across various weight classes, most recently Dave Vohaska (167 pounds) in 1982-1983. Mosquera joined wrestling as a freshman with little prior experience and through hard work and determination has been able to have incredible success all four years.
“It’s been extra special because I’ve been his only coach, and we’ve been able to build him up to where he’s at,” said varsity head coach Nick Curby. “He’s been able to show the other wrestlers that what we’re doing works and puts you in the best position to compete at the state level. That’s the proof in the pudding that what you’re doing is working.”
Curby has been coaching at RB for 22 years and he has been Mosquera’s only coach throughout his high school career. The key to success has been hard work since he didn’t have prior experience in wrestling compared to his peers.
“It means a lot to me that I’ve progressed really fast,” Mosquera said. “Training [has led to success]. I’ve been staying after practice for workouts.”
Curby, who competed as a wrestler as well, knows about the mental challenge that comes with preparing for big meets and matches. Especially towards the end of the season, pressure mounts on wrestlers, so being mentally ready is important for the sport.
“I think I’m able to draw on many years of experience, not only competing but coaching to put them in the best position possible,” Curby said. “Whether that’s a certain technique or cleaning up certain wrestling that they’re doing, or just making sure that we’re mentally preparing them for the grind that’s going to happen over the next couple weeks.”
Wrestling is a very difficult sport that relies heavily on having good technique as well as physical strength. For this reason, the wrestling community is tight-knit. Hard work and determination are values that will carry on through their lives. Mosquera qualified for the state tournament in the 2021-2022 season when he was a freshman but missed state qualifying the following year. After finishing second last year, he is laser-focused on performing well at state.
“I’m looking forward to winning state and having a good record,” Mosquera said. “It’s made me work harder.”
