Oscar Bosket didn’t set out to become a standout high school wrestler. In fact, he didn’t even know wrestling was a league sport when he was first encouraged to try it. “Initially, I was playing football, and Coach Lopez—who was coaching at the time—said, ‘You know what, Oscar? I think you’d be good at wrestling,’” Bosket recalled. “I was like, I didn’t even know it could be a competitive sport.”
That leap of faith would lead Oscar on a journey filled with challenges, triumphs, and personal growth—on and off the mat. What began as a confusing and difficult experience turned into a passion that shaped his high school career and now influences his future goals.
His first year wrestling, as a sophomore, was tough. “It was a really rough first year with me not having experience. “I was accustomed to playing sports at the park with family and friends.” But as the season progressed and he began to understand the mechanics of the sport, something clicked. “I realized how much I did love the sport. I started to enjoy it—not for the fame, but because it was like a puzzle you had to solve.”
Wrestling soon became more than just a sport—it became a mental and physical proving ground. “I liked it because I’d get beat by a guy, and I’d have to figure out how to beat his moves the next time. It was fun,” Oscar said. “It wasn’t about getting high-fives when you came off the mat. It was about solving that puzzle.”
By his junior year, Oscar’s growth was undeniable. After taking third at regionals and third at state as a junior, he returned stronger. “My third year, I showed up first at two different tournaments. I placed fourth at the huge tournament in Reno, and then claimed first in regionals and first at state,” he said. “After that brutal first year and then a better second year, the puzzle pieces started coming together.”
While wrestling offered personal victories, it also demanded sacrifice. “The biggest challenge is the weight,” he explained. “You’ve got Thanksgiving, Christmas… turning down those treats is tough. But if you’re focused and dedicated, you find a way.” He recalled skipping holiday meals with his brother—also a wrestler—to make weight for tournaments. “We’d go down to the basement and watch football instead, just to avoid the smell.”
Tournament weekends were grueling. “You’re wrestling all day—eight to ten hours—and then you go back to a hotel, try to sleep without eating so you can make weight . Then do it all again the next day. Resting in the bleachers with whatever blanket you could fit in your backpack and the noise was pretty impossible .”
Mental stamina, he found, was just as important as physical conditioning. “At first, I’d wrestle really strong the first day of a tournament, blowing through guys. But then I’d get hesitant on day two,” he admitted. “I was scared to fall back down the ladder. I learned you’ve got to trust yourself and just do what you’ve practiced. That’s how I pulled off first at state.”
Beyond the mat, Oscar found other ways to develop discipline and character. He balanced football in the fall with wrestling in the winter and even dabbled in ballroom dancing on the side. “I was surprising how much it helped,” he said of the dance lessons. “It improved my footwork a lot. It’s like this little secret weapon—not many people know about.”
His educational journey was just as unique. Oscar and his seven siblings were home educated their entire lives in Pahrump. “We were completely independent,” he said. “My parents didn’t use online programs. They purchased what was needed to build our curriculum from Lakeshore, libraries, thrift stores and yard sales to obtain whatever they thought we needed. Our school developed into Seven Pillars Institute—my dad named it.”
Their education at times included trips to museums and historical sites. His mother dedicated her time to teaching all eight children. “She made it work,” Oscar said.
Oscar remained home educated for the majority of his school career, as planned, towards the end of his senior year, he transitioned into the Pathways program to pursue a high school diploma, in addition to his home education diploma. By combining his home education transcript, and scores from the HiSET exam, he also obtained a Pathway’s diploma and proudly walked in a commencement ceremony on May 22nd.
Now, Oscar is focused on the next chapter. He’s considering the University of Southern Maine, a Division III school that offers both engineering and an Air Force ROTC program—two things important to him. “I built my profile through the NCSA recruiting website, and the coach reached out and said, ‘Do you want to come wrestle for us?’” he said. “I asked if they had engineering and ROTC—and they had both.”
Though the school doesn’t offer athletic scholarships due to its Division III status, Oscar is working with the coach and financial aid to make it happen. One opportunity he hopes will help in reaching his goal, is a physically demanding fishing trip to Alaska with the Clayton family—well known in the Pahrump wrestling community. “They said they only take wrestlers because it takes so much energy. I was hesitant, but I realized how valuable the experience would be—and how it could help financially.”
His long-term dream is to become a pilot, possibly in the Air Force, drawn not by uniforms or tradition, but by speed and science. “I’m just really interested in flying those fast jets,” he said. “It’s mind-blowing that humans can travel that fast.”
Oscar’s involvement in the Civil Air Patrol has also helped prepare him. As a senior airman in the Pahrump squadron, he gained leadership experience and insight into military structure. “At first, I had to travel to Vegas after football practice just to participate. But eventually, we got a local squadron going here. It was great to start at the beginning and grow with it.”
Family is central to Oscar’s life. His father is a union sheet metal worker and instructor, while his siblings are pursuing diverse paths—one is following in their mom’s footsteps as a midwife, another who works with balloon artistry, and one that is greatly involved with community non-profits, the rest falling in age order below Oscar.
As he prepares for the next chapter—wrestling, college, Air Force ROTC, or possibly a combination—Oscar carries with him the lessons learned on the mat, in his home classroom, and from the people who believed in him.
“There were so many times I didn’t want to try something,” he said. “Wrestling, ballroom dancing, even this trip to Alaska. But when I did, I ended up loving it or growing from it. I think that’s the lesson—try it. You might surprise yourself.”
