The Student News Site of PCM High School

The PCM Outlook

The Student News Site of PCM High School

The PCM Outlook

The Student News Site of PCM High School

The PCM Outlook

PCM senior tackles rugby

by Wes Cummings

Senior Jacob Ponder has no fear when it comes to trying new things, and it is very evident when you take a look at this young man. The senior decided to go out for wrestling this past winter which he hasn’t done since second grade, and he did fairly well, finishing third at the sectional tournament. Now that wrestling has concluded, Ponder has a new focus; rugby. For the past few weeks Ponder has been taking a trip to Southeast Polk High School every day after school in order to play the sport.

“I felt that I was too big for soccer, and I was already in shape from wrestling, so I thought I might as well try it out,” Ponder said.

Rugby has been a test for Ponder with tough practices and the fact that he’s learning a completely new sport, but he is handling the challenge well. He is using all his experience from past sports and putting them in a mixing pot.

“Rugby is a lot like soccer in the sense that there are formations. It is also nonstop action, unlike football where you stop and start, and there is 30 seconds in between each play. It’s a lot of go go go. It is basically a cross between football and soccer, but it is also similar to wrestling because when you tackle it is just like doing a double leg takedown.”

Ponder’s inspiration to try new things can be traced back to last summer when he attended Boys’ State, “At Boys’ State, there was a speaker who said if you’re not afraid of failing then you aren’t challenging yourself. No matter what I do, whether I fail or succeed, I want to say that I challenged myself. I felt that I have really been looking back at that this year with wrestling and rugby and all that.”

Ponder is excited for the season and ready to take on a new challenge.

“I’ll try anything once, and I am not afraid.”

 

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