Opponents tangling with the Sterling wrestling team this season will have to try to chop down a virtual garden of Lillys.

The Golden Warriors have three of them on the team: returning starters Curtis and Bryant, who will man the 285 and 170-pound positions, respectively; as well as Makayla, a freshman who is seeking to find her niche on the squad.

Curtis and Bryant have been wrestling since they were youngsters, having been nudged toward the sport by their father, William, who was a 4-year wrestler at Rock Falls in the early 1990s. When Makayla was entering fifth grade, she was asked by her father if she had any interest in picking up the sport.