The ninth-ranked Warhawks have won nine matches in a row and senior heavyweight Corey Anderson has been a big part of this success.

Anderson credits his teammates and assistant coach Russ Davie.

According to Anderson, Davie pushes him and the rest of the team to their breaking points. Anderson said he loves competing at home because of his teammates, seniors Adam Latella and David Dwyer, whom he wrestled with at Hononegah High School.

Anderson attributed the team’s success to the atmosphere in practice that makes it like a match situation.

“You’ve got your teammates sitting on the sidelines saying things they would in practice,” Anderson said. “It puts you back in that mode that you’re in the room and you keep pushing it further and further.”

Anderson, Dwyer and Latella have a combined record of 52-10 this year. Anderson said their success is because of the time they spend together at practice and hanging out playing Xbox and watching TV.

“It’s like being there with your family,” Anderson said. “Like being at a Thanksgiving dinner, but we’re still wrestling. It’s a happy time.”

On Saturday, the ’Hawks wrestled in the Pete Willson Invitational at Wheaton College. The ’Hawks advanced as a team to the semifinals, while Latella, Anderson, sophomore Cedric Gibson and junior Cade Sarbacker advanced individually to the semifinals.

In the 149-pound bracket, Sarbacker went 5-0 and won his respected weight class.

Anderson said the team expected to come back with the first place trophy, but fell short.

Of the 31 teams at the tournament, the ’Hawks’ 102 points placed them second behind UW-Parkside, which had 117.5 points. Mount Union finished in third with 92.5 points.

UW-Parkside has won the Wheaton Invitational three of the past four years.

The Warhawks will wrestle at home Friday against UW-Stevens Point. The Pointers are 7-11 this season with a 1-1 record in the WIAC conference.