Joliet West girls wrestling takes down Plainfield Central, loses to Rickover Naval in season-opening meet

Joliet West girls wrestling opened its season with a strong showing, defeating Plainfield Central 54-18 in a head-to-head matchup while showcasing it’s young roster on Tuesday night.The Tigers, who feature 15 freshmen, showed off their depth in the three-team meet against Plainfield Central and Rickover Naval Academy. Rickover beat West 48-36 and won the meet, as Central also fell to Rickover 36-30.For Tigers coach Erik Murry, however, the biggest takeaway Tuesday had nothing to do with the results, but simply the opportunity to see what his young team could bring to the mat.“Having so many freshmen and underclassmen on the team this year and having the opportunity to watch them wrestle was all I wanted to see tonight,” Murry said, “As coaches, we’re very happy for a bright future.”West’s youth was on display throughout the meet, with several wrestlers contributing to the Tigers’ victories.Leah Gonzalez, a sophomore, particularly caught the coaching staff’s attention with her performan