The Takedown Newsletter * 02.16.09

The Takedown
W e s l a c o H i g h S c h o o l
Panther Wrestling Newsletter
02.16.09 Volume 01- Issue 12

Day One: Upsets Rule at Regional Tournament: Total of Nine No.3 Seeds, Four No.4 Seeds, and One No.2 Seed Fall on the First Day Friday, February 13th, San Antonio, Texas. The Virgil T. Blossom Athletic Center Gymnasium proved to be a house of horrors for the Valley’s District 32-5A and District 31-5A wrestlers at the Region IV Wrestling Tournament. Only one wrestler from District 32-5A RGV East, Jacob Sandoval, 152 – District Champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler, made it to the semi-finals (3.33%). District 31-5A RGV West fared better by sending eight wrestlers to the semi-finals (26.66%). Each district sent 30 boy wrestlers to the tournament, two wrestlers per weightclass. Half of the wrestlers in the semi’s are from the Austin area.

Number of Wrestlers In Semi-Finals:
District 25 - Bryan/College Station/Killeen: 07

District 26 - Austin Suburbs: 20

District 27 - North Austin: 02

District 28 - South Austin: 07

District 29 - San Antonio: 10

District 30 - Corpus Christi/Victoria: 05

District 31 - West Rio Grande Valley: 08

District 32 - East Rio Grande Valley: 01

District 32-5A Encounters Disappointing Results: Friday, February 13th: Only one boy wrestler, PSJA Memorial’s Jacob Sandoval (District Champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler) from District 32-5A made it past day one in the championship bracket. Sandoval was unseeded and reached the semis by defeating a wrestler from Killeen Shoemaker High School. Weslaco High’s Charlie Villegas (125 – District Champion) was seeded No. 3 and Weslaco East’s Rolando Segura (189 – District Champion) was seeded No. 2 – both lost to unseeded wrestlers; Villegas to a wrestler from San Antonio MacArthur and Segura to a wrestler from Vista Ridge, both district champions as well; and fell into the consolation bracket. Representing Weslaco High were Justin Ramirez, 103; Charlie Villegas, 125; Josh Smillie, 130; and Ernie Garcia, 135.

District 315A Fares Better – Sends Eight to Semi’s: Friday, February 13th: The wrestlers, their school, and their weight class are: Fernando Flores, 119, Sharyland; Marco Espinosa, Sharyland, 130; Chris Madsen, McAllen Rowe, 145; Albert Velez, La Joya, 160; Sam Mangum, McHi, 180; Chris Hernandez, La Joya, 189; Joe Alvarez, La Joya 285; and Scott Inskeep, McHi, 285. These eight wrestlers are still in the hunt for the championship in their division.

Point Totals for Valley Teams after The First Day: Friday, February 13th: Teams from the Rio Grande Valley’s two districts ran the gamut in the team standings after the first day of competition. The teams and their regional/district ranks are as follows: La Joya High School, 5th/District Champion; McAllen High School, 12th/5th; McAllen Rowe, 13th/2nd; San Benito High School, 20th/District Champion; PSJA Memorial, 22nd/3rd; La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 24th/4th; Rio Grande City, 30th/3rd; PSJA High School, 34th tie/2nd; Weslaco East, 34th tie/4th, & Weslaco High , 40th/5th.

Day Two: State Qualifiers: RGV Sends 10 Wrestlers to Austin Saturday, February 14th: After an exciting second day of wrestling, the regional champions were crowned and along with 2nd, 3rd, and 4th place finishers, now advance to the state meet in Austin. Congratulations!

District 32-5A: PSJA Memorial’s Jacob Sandoval, 152 District Champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler, lost his semi-final match to Westlake’s Peyton Burns 6-4 but came back to win Third Place and advance to the State Tournament with a 6-4 win over Frank Rivera of La Joya. Hershey Samarripa of PSJA High School, 112 District Champion, finished 6th in the consolation bracket.

District 31-5A: David Diaz of McAllen Rowe, 103 - 2nd Place at District, finished 3rd and advances to state; Carlos Olvera of La Joya Lincoln-Juarez, 119 - 2nd Place at District, finished 5th by defeating Fernando Flores of Sharyland, 119 – District Champion, who finished 6th. Jorge Saldivar of La Joya High School, 125 – 2nd Place at District, finished 6th. Marco Espinosa of Sharyland, 130 – District Champion, finished 6th. Leonel Juarez of McAllen Rowe, 140 – District Champion, finished 6th. Christopher Madsen of McAllen Rowe, 145 – District Champion, finished 2nd and advances to state. Frank Rivera of La Joya High School, 152 – 2nd at District, finished 4th and advances to state. Albert Velez of La Joya High School, 160 – District Champion, now Regional Champion, advances to state. Sam Mangum of McAllen High School, 180 – District Champion, finished 2nd and advances to state. Chris Hernandez of La Joya High School, 189 – District Champion, finished 2nd and advances to state. Jose Hernandez of La Joya Lincoln-Juarez, 189 – 2nd at District, finished 3rd and advances to state. Allen Tiscareno of Mission High School, 215 – District Champion, finished 5th. Joe Alvarez of La Joya High School, 285 - 2nd at District, is now a Regional Champion and advances to the state tournament. Scott Inskeep of McAllen High School, 285 - District Champion, finished 2nd and advances to state.

Number of Wrestlers Going To State Championships:

District 25 - Bryan/College Station/Killeen: 07

District 26 - Austin Suburbs: 15

District 27 - North Austin: 04

District 28 - South Austin: 12

District 29 - San Antonio: 10

District 30 - Corpus Christi/Victoria: 02

District 31 - West Rio Grande Valley: 09

District 32 - East Rio Grande Valley: 01

Seeded Wrestlers vs Un-seeded Wrestlers: Of the wrestler's seeded No. 1, nine won their respective weight championship, four finished in second place, one placed third, none finished in fourth place and one finished in fifth place. Of the wrestler's seeded No. 2, five won their respective weigth championship, eight finished in second place, none finished in third, fourth, or fifth place, and one placed sixth. Of the wrestler's seeded No. 3, none won the championship, one finished in second place, three finished in third place, four finished in fourth place, two finished in fifth place, and none finished sixth. Of the wrestler's seeded No. 4, one won the championship, one finished second, two finished third, three finished fourth, none finished fifth, and four finished sixth. Of the Un-seeded wrester's, none won a championship, one finished second, nine finished third, eight finished fourth, twelve finished fifth, and ten finished sixth.

Of the 60 seeded wrestlers, 37 advance to the state tournament. For the 23 unseeded wrestlers who believed in their wrestling abilities and refused for this be their last tournament and are now advancing, remember the following: “No one told me I wasn’t supposed to win!” Jake Deitchler, 2008 high school wrestling champion who went on to become a National Champion and Olympian.

Final Team Standings at 2009 Regional Tourney: The boy’s team standings at the end of the two day tournament are as follows: Regional Champions – Austin Bowie, 293; 2. Vista Ridge, 199.5; 3. Westlake, 175.5; 4. Bryan, 148.5; 5. La Joya, 114.5; 10. Sharyland, 17; 24. San Benito, 16.5; 25. Tie – Mission Veterans, 15.5; 27. Mission High, 15; 30. Tie – PSJA, 12; 30. Tie – Rio Grande City, 12; 35. Tie – Weslaco East, 8; 43. Tie – La Joya Palmview, 3; 43. Tie – Weslaco High School, 3; 50. Tie – McAllen Memorial, 0; 50. Tie – PSJA North 0; 50. Tie – Rio Hondo, 0. A total of 56 teams competed in the Boy’s Division.

Valley Girls Head To State: 32-5A sends 2, 31-5A sends 10, Weslaco High’s Liz Villarreal, 128–32 5A District Champion, finishes in 6th Place. The girl’s individual and team standings at the end of the two day tournament are as follows: District 32-5A RGV East. Valerie Flores, 95 – PSJA, 3rd Place at District, won wrestle-back, finished 5th. Liz Villarreal, Weslaco High School, 128 - District Champion, finished 6th; Alyssa Rodriguez, PSJA North, 148 – District Champion, finished 6th; Desiree Martinez, PSJA – North, 165 – District Champion, finished 3rd and advances to the state tournament; Maria Gonzalez, San Benito, 3rd Place at District, won wrestle-back, finished in 5th Place; Claudia Pena, PSJA High School, 185 – District Champion and Most Outstanding Wrestler, finished 2nd and advances to the state tournament; and Flor Sanchez, San Benito, 215 – 2nd Place at District, finished 6th. District 31-5A RGV West. Jenny Garza, Rio Grande City, 95, Regional Champion; Sara Gonzalez, McAllen Rowe, 95 – 3rd Place, advances to state; Jenny Pena, Rio Grande City, 102 – 5th Place; Maria de la Cruz, McAllen Memorial, 102 – 6th Place; Chelsea Light, McAllen Rowe, 110 – 2nd Place, advances to state; Scarlett Lopez, McHi, 110 – finished in 6th Place; Samantha Sepulveda, Rio Grande City, 119 – finished in third place and advances to state; Miranda Lara, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 119 – 5th Place; Denise Yanez, McAllen Memorial, 128 – finished in 4th Place and advances to state; Tanairi Martinez, McAllen Rowe, 138 – Regional Champion; Cinthia Torres, La Joya Palmview, 138 – 2nd Place, advances to state; Stephanie Oviedo, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 148 – 2nd Place, advances to state; Leanna Salinas, Sharyland, 148 – 3rd Place, advances to state; Yaressi Hernandez, La Joya Palmview, 165 – finished in 6th Place; Perla Bercerra, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 185 – finished in 6th Place; Roxanne Gonzalez, La Joya, 215 – finished in 3rd Place and advances to state. Samantha Martinez, Weslaco High, 110, also competed at the Regional Tournament.

Final Team Standings for Girls at 2009 Regional: The girl’s team standings at the end of the two day tournament are as follows: 1 ,135.5 pts., Austin Johnson; 2 ,70 pts., CC King; 3 ,67.5 pts., McAllen Rowe; 4 ,63 pts., SA Reagan; 5 , 61 pts., Killeen Ellison; 6 ,59 pts., Rio Grande City; 9 , 47 pts., Juarez-Lincoln; 12, 35 pts., Pharr-San Juan-Alamo; 14,32 pts., Palmview; 15,30 pts., McAllen Memorial; 15,30 pts., PSJA North; 18,29 pts., San Benito; 23, 24 pts., Sharyland; 24, 22 pts., La Joya 26, 21.5, 29, 18, McAllen HS; 30, 13 pts., Weslaco High School; 32, 7 pts., Rio Hondo; 33, 6 pts., Weslaco East High School. There were 36 teams.

Boys Results: District/Regional: 1. San Benito, 185.00, 24., 16.5. 2. PSJA, 158.00, 30, 12.0, 3. PSJA Memorial,141.00, 21, 23. 4. Weslaco East 128.00, 35, 8.0, 5. Weslaco High School, 92.50 43, 3.0. 6. PSJA-North, 46.50, 50, 0, 7. Rio Hondo, 34.00, 50, 0.

Girls Results: District/Regional: 1. Weslaco East, 95.00, 33. 06 2. PSJA, 91.00, 12., 35 3. San Benito, 83.50, 18, 29, 4. Weslaco High, 69.00, 30., 13 5. PSJA Memorial, 64.00 - - 6. PSJA North, 58.00, 15., 30 7. Rio Hondo, 56.00, 32., 07

Every day I thank the Good Lord for making me a Panther.

Adapted from J. DiMaggio

The Takedown Newsletter * 02.09.09

The Takedown
W e s l a c o H i g h S c h o o l
Panther Wrestling Newsletter
02.09.09 Volume 01- Issue 11

San Benito 2009 32-5A Champions
Weslaco East High School Girls:2009 District and Dual Meet Championships


San Benito Greyhound Wrestlers hoist their tropy.


WEHS Lady Wildcats Enjoy Their Championship

The San Benito Greyhounds won the 32-5A Wrestling District Championship for the first time since 2000 on Thursday, February 5th at the San Benito High School gym. The Greyhounds halted the Weslaco Panthers string of eight consecutive district titles. San Benito accumulated enough points to win the title by having two first place winners, four second place winners, and six third place winners.

/Girls Results:

Boys Results

1. San Benito – Champions 185.00 1. Weslaco East – Champions 95.00

2. PSJA 158.00 2. PSJA 91.00

3. PSJA Memorial 141.00 3. San Benito 83.50

4. Weslaco East 128.00 4. Weslaco High School 69.00

5. Weslaco High School 92.50 5. PSJA Memorial 64.00

6. PSJA North 46.50 6. PSJA North 58.00

7. Rio Hondo 34.00 7. Rio Hondo 56.00

BoysTeam Dual Champions: PSJA Memorial
Girls Team Dual Champions: Weslaco East

Most Outstanding Wrestler - Boys: Jacob Sandoval , PSJA Memorial – 152

Most Oustanding Wrestling - Girls: Claudia Pena, PSJA - 185

Weslaco High School’s Four District Champions: The Lady Panthers and the Panthers each had two wrestlers crowned district champions at the 2009 32-5A District Wrestling Tournament. Samantha Martinez won the 110 weight class, Liz Villarreal won the 128 weight class, Justin Ramirez won the 103 weight class, and Charlie Villegas won the 125 weight class. Villarreal, Ramirez and Villegas were each seeded first in their weight class, while Martinez was seeded fourth in her division. Also placing were Anna Almaguer, 2nd 138 (lost wrestle-back); Clarisa Pina, 2nd 185 (lost wrestle-back); Josh Smillie, 2nd 130; Ernie Garcia, 3rd 135 (won wrestle-back); Andres Sanchez, 3rd 180; and Michael Torres, 3rd 189. Martinez, Villarreal, Ramirez, Villegas, Smillie and Garcia will represent Weslaco High at the Region V Tournament in San Antonio on February 13th and 14th.

110 District Champion: Samantha Martinez


128 District Champion: Liz Villarreal


103 District Champion: Justin Ramirez



125 District Champion: Juan Carlos "Charlie" Villegas

(Left to Right): District Champion, 2nd Place, 3rd Place, (** Regional Qualifier)

GIRLS:
095 K de la Garza, Memorial ** Noemi Marez, North Valerie Flores, PSJA ** (Won wrestle-back)
102 M de la Cruz, Memorial ** A. Benavides, S.B. ** J. Barrios, East
110 Samantha Martinez,WHS** S. Hernandez, PSJA A. Gonzalez, East ** (Won wrestle-back)
119 Roxanne Garcia, East ** V. Hernandez, S.B. ** M. Estrada, Rio Hondo (Lost wrestle-back)
128 Liz Villarreal, WHS ** J. Perez, San Benito ** K. de la Garza, Memorial(Lost wrestle-back)
138 C.Escamilla, Rio Hondo ** Anna Almaguer, WHS, S. Hernandez, PSJA ** (Won wrestle-back)
148 A. Rodriguez, North ** V. Proo, San Benito ** E. Boen, Rio Hondo (Lost wrestle-back)
165 D. Martinez, North ** B. Bentancourt, East M. Gonzalez, S. B. ** (Won wrestle-back)
185 C. Pena, PSJA ** Clarisa Pina, WHS, N. de Leon, East ** (Won wrestle-back)
215 Eriel Ebarb, East ** Flor Sanchez, S. B. ** M. Cuellar, Rio Hondo

BOYS:
103 Justin Ramirez, WHS ** David Garcia, East ** Ralph Equia, San Benito
112 H. Zamarripa, PSJA ** Rey Sauceda, S.B. ** Eric Flores, PSJA North (Lost wrestle-back)
119 M. Sanchez, Memorial ** Eric Torres, East ** R. Espino, San Benito
125 Charlie Villegas WHS ** Simon Pinero, PSJA ** Matthew Cantu, East (Lost wrestle-back)
130 Edgar Davila, Memorial ** Josh Smillie, WHS ** Eli Ocanas, East
135 J. Ibarra III, Memorial ** Roy Zavala, East Ernie Garcia, WHS ** (Won wrestle-back)
140 J. Marroquin, PSJA ** J. Alcantar, East ** M. Reyes, San Benito, H.Villanueva, Jr. WHS 5th
145 S. Reyes, San Benito ** S. Munoz, East ** D. Navarro, PSJA North, J. Alvizo, WHS 6th
152 J. Sandoval, Memorial ** J. Estrada, East ** N.Hernandez,SanBenito, E. Tirado, WHS 6th
160 A. Barrera, Rio Hondo ** T. Dimas, PSJA ** E. Alvarez, San Benito, A. Sanchez, WHS 6th
171 J. Araiza, San Benito ** M. Hernandez, North ** J. Matias, Memorial (Lost Wrestle-back)
180 Eric Garcia, PSJA ** J. Munoz, San Benito** Andres Sanchez, WHS
189 Rolando Segura, East ** RSaldivar,San Benito ** Michael Torres, WHS
215 Elias Reyes, PSJA ** C. Tamez, San Benito M. Ramirez,Memorial** R. Martinez, WHS 4th
285 J.Villanueva, PSJA ** H. Perez, Memorial M. Ipinia, San Benito ** A. Solis, WHS 4th

Congratulations to all of these fine athletes. See you at Regionals!

The Takedown Newsletter * 02.02.09

The Takedown
W e s l a c o H i g h S c h o o l
Panther Wrestling Newsletter
02.02.09 Volume 01- Issue 10

Panthers Medal at JV Tournament:

District Champion: Samantha Martinez

2nd Place: Everardo Tirado

Third Place: Hector Villanueva, Jr.

Third Place: Alex Solis

The Sepulveda Gym at Weslaco High School was the scene of the District 32 Junior Varsity Tournament on Thursday, January 30th. Wrestlers from each of the District 32 teams competed for individual Junior Varsity District Champion titles in each weight category. The results were as follows:

(Left to Right) Champion, 2nd Place, 3rdPlace

Girls:

095 Joanna Lopez (PSJA-N), Noemi Munoz (PSJA-N)

110 Samantha Martinez (WHS), Julissa Barrios (WEHS), Elena Gonzalez (SB)

128 Chantel (WEHS), Andrea Perez (SB), Catherine Crowley (RH)

138 Ashley Zaragoza (PSJA), Ashley Collins

148 A. Bentancourt (WEHS), Miranda Sanchez (RH), Jennifer Valero (PSJA)

185 Vivian Espinosa (PSJA-N), Abbie de Leon (WEHS)

Boys:

103 Jonathan Herrera (SB), Eric Garcia (WEHS)

112 Ralph Eguia (SB), Eric Flores (PSJA-N)

119 Hector Garcia (PSJA), Dalziel Mummakki (PSJA-N), Dan Garza (PSJA-N)

125 Danny Estrada (RH), Matthew Cantu (WEHS), Marcus Puente (SB)

130 Mario Jurado (SB), Joseph Barber (PSJA-N), Nick Hill (RH)

135 Adrian Gonzalez (SB), Hector Villanueva, Jr. (WHS)

140 No Competitors

145 David Navarro (PSJA-N), Javier Alcantar (PSJA), Juan Caballero (RH)

152 Eddie Pichardo (PSJA), Everardo Tirado (WHS), J. Valladares (PSJA-M)

160 Jeremy Mendez (SB), Aaron Vela (PSJA-M), Moses Lopes (PSJA-N)

171 Jacob Vargas (SB), Raul Nino (PSJA-N), Tomas Dimas (PSJA)

180 Baltazar Herrera (WEHS), David Gonzalez (SB)

189 No Competitors

215 Ramiro Saldivar (SB), Joseph Ortega (SB), Alex Solis (WHS)

285 Art Camarillo (PSJA-N). Danny Gonzalez (SB), Omero Reyes (RH)

Also competing for the Panthers were Monica Martinez (4th Place) and Josafath “Jay” Alviso (4th Place) who won his first match as a wrestler against Juan Caballero of Rio Hondo and showed improvement in his match against David Navarro of PSJA-North, who had pinned Alviso within 30 seconds in their first meeting, by taking Navarro through the completion of three rounds before losing on points.

WHS Falls to PSJA At Last Dual of 2009: The Panthers and Lady Panthers traveled to San Juan to take on the PSJA Bears in a dual meet that was rescheduled due to the electrical blackout on the WHS Campus Thursday, January 22nd. This meet marked the end of the 2008/2009 wrestling regular season. The Lady Panthers lost to the Lady Bears by a score of 21-11. The Panthers lost to the Bears by a score of 57-17.

Girls Varsity:

95 Forfeit by WHS; Valerie Flores of PSJA wins. (L)

110 Samantha Martinez (10th, 2nd yr.), trailed 2-3 (1st), led 9-7 (2nd), and tied at 11-11 at the end of the third period. This exciting match went into overtime with PSJA’s Sherry Hernandez winning 13- 11 on a reversal. (L)

119 Monica Martinez (12th, 1st yr.), tied 2-2 after the first period, Monica led 5-4 in the second before pinning PJSA’s Ari Velasquez with 18 seconds left in the second period. (W) Congratulations!

128 Liz Villarreal (11th/3rd yr.) was in complete control as she dominated Ashley Zaragoza of PSJA 4-1 1 (1st), 8-1 (2nd), and scoring a technical fall, 18-1, with 22.26 seconds left in the third period. (W) Congratulations!

138 Ana Almaguer (10th/1st yr.) led 6-2 (1st) and was ahead 6-5 when PSJA’s Stephanie Hernandez pinned her at 1:08 into the second period. (L)

185 Clarisa Pina (9th/1st yr.) tied at 2-2; Clarisa was pinned 33 seconds into the first period by C. Pena of PSJA High School. (L)

Boys Varsity:

103 Justin Ramirez (11th /2nd yr.), won on a forfeit by PSJA. (W) Congratulations!

112 Forfeit by WHS, Hershey Zamaripa of PSJA wins. (L)

119 Forfeit by WHS, Hector Garcia of PSJA wins. (L)

125 Charlie Villegas (11th /3rd yr.), had to contend with his opponent, Simon Pinero, as well as Pinero’s fans (!Arriba! Simon !Arriba!) yet led 6-0 (1st) and 14-2 (2nd), before winning a technical fall, 18-3, over Pinero. (W) Congratulations!

130 Josh Smillie (12th /1st yr.), led 2-0 before making quick work of Justin Regino of PSJA and pinning him 1:35 into the first period. (W) Congratulations!

135 Hector Villanueva, Jr. (10th/1st yr.), and PSJA’s Mike Gonzalez provided the best match of the night. Each wrestler gave it his all, with several exciting moves that kept the crowd at the edge of their seats. Hector was on the receiving end of at least two hard take downs, hitting the mat each time with his head and looking dazed at times, but he stayed in contention. The scores were 4-10 (1st), 8-12 (2nd), with Gonzalez pulling out an 18-15 decision. (L)

140 Double Forfeit

145 Josafath “Jay” Alviso (9th/1st yr.) trailed 8-0 (1st) before the match was stopped on a

technical fall 16-0 by PSJA’s Julio Marroquin (L)

152 Everardo Tirado (10th /1st yr.), was pinned by Eddie Pichardo 1:35 minutes into the first round with Everardo leading 4-2 at the time. (L)

160 Forfeit by WHS; Tomas Dimas of PSJA wins. (L)

171 Forfeit by WHS; Manny Lopez of PSJA wins. (L)

180 Forfeit by WHS; Eric Garcia of PSJA wins. (L)

189 Double Forfeit

215 Alex Solis, filling in for Robert Martinez, (11th /1st yr.), was pinned by PJSA’s Elias Reyes at 1:19 of the first period. (L)

285 Forfeit by WHS, Joey Villanueva of PJSA wins. (L)

Panthers & Lady Panthers At San Benito for the 32-5A Wrestling Championships: The local wrestling season comes to a close this coming Thursday, February 5th, as the District 32 championships take place in the main gym on the San Benito High School campus. The school is located at 450 South Williams Road in San Benito; take the Williams Road exit and turn left, go under the overpass and the entrance drive will be about 300’ past the frontage road on the right side of the street. The tournament is scheduled to start at 8:00 a.m. (A special edition of The Takedown will be published on Friday, February 6th, listing the results of the tournament. For those of you, who can’t wait till Friday; feel free to call me (956.793.4183) at 12 noon and 5:00 p.m. to get the latest results.) Arrive early, stay late, and wear PURPLE!

The line-up going into the tournament will be as follows:

Girls: 110 – Samantha Martinez; 119 – Monica Martinez; 128 – Liz Villarreal; 138 – Ana Almaguer, and 183 Clarisa Pina. The 95, 102, 148, 165, and 215 weight classes are vacant.

Boys: 103 – Justin Ramirez; 112 – Vacant; 119 – Lucio Cruz; 125 – Juan “Charlie” Villegas; 130 – Josh Smillie; 135 – Ernie Garcia; 140 – Hector Villanueva, Jr.; 145 – Josafath “Jay” Alviso; 152 – Everardo Tirado; 160 – Adrian Sanchez; 171 – Vacant; 180 – Andres Sanchez; 189 – Michael Torres; 215 – Robert Martinez; 285 – Alex Solis.

The Lady Panthers will have three first year wrestlers, one second year wrestler and one third year wrestler at the meet. The Panthers will enter the tourney with two vacant weight divisions, nine first year wrestlers, and three second year and one third year wrestler. Wrestlers placing first or second will earn the right to compete at the regional tournament in San Antonio on February 13th and 14th.

Good luck to all of our Panther and Lady Panther Wrestler’s!

"They were born for this time, to have this chance, and what they do now they will carry with them for the rest of their lives!"
Tom Brands, Head Wrestling Coach, University of Iowa

The Takedown Newsletter * 01.26.09

The Takedown
W e s l a c o H i g h S c h o o l
Panther Wrestling Newsletter
01.26.09 Volume 01- Issue 09

TONIGHT: WHS*PSJA Last Dual Meet of the Season: The Panthers will host PSJA High School at Lackey Gym on the Weslaco High School campus, tonight Monday, January 26th, for the last dual meet of the 2008/2009 wrestling season. The meet was originally scheduled for Thursday, January 22nd, but was rescheduled due to the blackout that occurred at the WHS campus due to severed underground electrical lines on Westgate Drive. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the matches will start at 7:00 p.m. Come early, stay late, and wear PURPLE!

Practice Schedules for the Week of January 26th: Monday: 5:00 p.m. – set up mats at Lackey Gym for PSJA Dual Meet at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday: 4:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday: 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Thursday: 4:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. . Friday: District 32 Junior Varsity District Tournament Saturday: Check with your wrestler for the scheduled time.

WHS To Host Junior Varsity District Tournament: The Domingo P. Sepulveda Gym, on the Weslaco High School campus, will be the site of this year’s Junior Varsity District Tournament. The one day competition will be held on Friday, January 30th. Weigh-Ins will be at 7:00 a.m. with the matches starting at 9:00 a.m. These wrestlers are the future of our district and the tournament provides an early glimpse to up and coming champions. See you there!

The Monitor Highlights Coach Mark Pederson: An article by Brian Sandalow in the January 23rd issue of the Monitor Sports section titled “Weslaco’s Pederson filling big shoes,” comments on what it has been like for Coach Pederson to replace longtime coach, John Glapa. Pederson states that “it’s been very difficult,” noting that “he (Glapa) has been an excellent coach.” Pederson goes on to say that “there are some great kids” (in the WHS Wrestling Program) and “we have to pick up where he left off.” Coach Pederson closes by saying, “My athletes are the ones who make the names for the coaches, and they are great athletes. The records show how great they are. They’re the ones that make the coaches.”

In The End, It Came Down To A Tennis Ball………… Last Thursday, my son A.J. headed out to the WHS Tennis Courts after an electrical blackout delayed and eventually prevented the setting-up of mats for the WHS-PSJA wrestling dual meet. Having played tennis on and off since sixth grade, A.J. is very much at home on a tennis court. In the second set, A.J. raced towards the net to try and hit back a deftly placed ball in the upper court. Game over?

A.J. had taken part in karate, little league baseball, football, basketball, and tennis before he walked in on a wrestling practice and became hooked by the sport during the fall of 2007. I had never seen him so enthusiastic about anything. He was able to wrestle a few matches while on the junior varsity team, attending the district and regional tournaments as a fan, wanting to learn from the experience and planning on living it the following year.

Once the season was over, A.J. began making plans in his quest to become a top wrestler, and in the process, a champion. He began rigorous workouts three times a week with a personal trainer, Jesse Marines. Besides the training, a complete change in diet was put into place and religiously followed. Getting up at 5:30 a.m. each morning to make breakfast and prepare a school lunch as well, it was a mission that produced results that A.J. could see and take pride in. In the end, A.J. would lose a total of 55 pounds and increase his self esteem two-fold.

We looked at and decided to invest in A.J. attending wrestling camps at the University of Iowa and Oklahoma State during the summer. The trip up and back would be our annual vacation as well. A.J.’s excitement had to be reeled-in on several occasions in order to keep his head level. Once school was out, A.J. attended a wrestling camp in Sharyland that featured a team from Sioux City, Iowa. Matching a state champion’s bravado with that of one who dreams of being one much less being beaten by one, A.J. refused to tap out when he found himself in a difficult position and was rewarded with a fractured clavicle. Dr. Mitchell told A.J. that he would not operate on a 15 year old as it was a risky venture; if anything went wrong, either a lung or the heart would be punctured and he would not take on that responsibility. The only thing to do was rest for twelve weeks and let the bone heal on its own. End of training, end of wrestling camps, change of plans.

As the 2008/2009 academic school year began, A.J. and I sat down to discuss the goals for the coming year. After a roller coaster sophomore year, I stressed that his participation in wrestling would be dependent upon his performance in the classroom. A.J. was Oscar worthy in his testimonial that he had indeed learned his lessons and was not about to repeat them.

The first and second six week sessions came and went and A.J.’s antics from the previous year were in full force. Visiting with his teachers and counselor, talking to his friends, taking away his privileges, getting him tutors, nothing seemed to make a difference. I finally reached the tipping point, realizing and finally admitting that I had done all a parent could do. A.J. would have to face the consequences on his own. When the crucial third six weeks came, A.J. was completely out-of-shape academically. Though he had prepared his body throughout the year, he had refused to prepare his mind and now it was threatening to keep him off the mat for the entire season. Blaming everyone but himself, A.J. refused to admit that the season was over, saying that he still held out hope that he could be passing after the 3rd week of the fourth six weeks and then go on to win a wrestle-off for the 152 position and compete.

A.J. and I went back and forth during the holidays, he argued for what he considered his right to wrestle for the 152 position, I argued for allowing the 152 wrestler to stay and gain experience at the district tournament, something that would help the team in the long run. I believed A.J. should refocus on his school work, support the wrestling team in the interim, and set his goals now for a great senior year.

Having avoided being at team events throughout the season, I asked A.J. on Thursday morning if he was going to attend the last dual meet or attend a scout meeting. He said he would attend the dual meet. I told him that I expected him to show up after school to help set-up the wrestling mats. As it became apparent when the lights went out that the meet would be delayed or cancelled, A. J. headed out to the tennis courts. As he sped towards the net, in that second set, focused on the ball coming over the net, A.J. did not see a ball that had come from an adjacent court and rolled to a stop on his side of the court. Stepping on that ball, his body going one way and his foot another, he fractured his ankle. Game over! Good-bye 2009 wrestling season; start planning for 2010 wrestling season. Game, set, and match! HRG.

The Takedown Newsletter * 01.19.09

The Takedown
Weslaco High School
Panther Wrestling Newsletter
01.19.09 Volume 01- Issue 08

Panthers Squeak by PSJA North Raiders: In a Dual Meet dominated by the UIL No Pass/No Play Rule: The Panthers hosted the PSJA North Raiders on Thursday, January 15th, in a district dual meet that was dominated by matches that were forfeited due to either a lack of a wrestler for the position or, more often than not, a wrestler that did not pass their academic course work. It was disappointing to see such gaps in the line-up. This should motivate the team to focus on their classes next year so that the team is not placed in such a position again. The Panthers won their dual meet by a score of 42 to 36. The Lady Panthers lost their meet by a score of 42-12.

Girls Varsity:

095 Forfeit by WHS; Noemi Munoz of PSJA North wins. (L)

102 Forfeit by WHS; Liana Villescas of PSJA North wins. (L)

110 Samantha Martinez (10th, 2nd yr.), won on a forfeit by PSJA North. (W) Congratulations!

119 Monica Martinez (12th, 1st yr.), trailed 1-2 and 1-4 before being pinned by Aileen Lara 42 seconds into the second period. (L)

128 Forfeit by WHS; Julissa Martinez of PSJA North wins. (L)

138 Ana Almaguer (10th/1st yr.) leading 5-0, Ana pinned Abbey Marez 43 seconds into the first period. (W) Congratulations!

148 Forfeit by WHS; Alyssa Rodriguez of PSJA North wins. (L)

165 Forfeit by WHS; Jennifer Guerrero of PSJA North wins. (L)

185 Clarisa Pina (9th/1st yr.) tied at 2-2; Clarisa was pinned 49 seconds into the first period by Desiree Martinez. (L)

215 Double Forfeit.

Boys Varsity:

103 Justin Ramirez (11th /2nd yr.), won on a forfeit by the PSJA N. Raiders. (W) Congratulations!

112 Lucio Cruz (10th /2nd yr.), Lucio made quick work of Eric Flores and pinned him 53 seconds into the first period. (W) Congratulations!

119 Double Forfeit

125 Charlie Villegas (11th /3rd yr.), leading 7-1, Charlie pinned Jair Lozano 1:24 into the first period. (W) Congratulations!

130 Josh Smillie (12th /1st yr.), won on a forfeit by the PSJA North Raiders. (W) Congratulations! 135 Hector Villanueva, Jr. (10th/1st yr.), won on a forfeit by PSJA North. (W) Congratulations! 140 Double Forfeit

145 Forfeit by WHS; David Navarro of PSJA North wins. (L)

152 Everardo Tirado (10th /1st yr.), was pinned by Ricky Roque 47 seconds into the first round with Everardo leading 2-0 at the time. (L)

160 Forfeit by WHS; Moises Lopez of PSJA North wins. (L)

171 Forfeit by WHS; Mike Hernandez of PSJA North wins. (L)

180 Forfeit by WHS; Raul Guerrero of PSJA North wins. (L)

189 Michael Torres (12th /1st yr.), trailing 5-7 after the first period, and 7-9 in the second, Michael recovered to pin Sam Salazar. (W) Congratulations!

215 Robert Martinez (12th /2nd yr.), won on a forfeit by the PSJA North Raiders. (W) Congratulations!

285 Alex Solis (10th /1st yr.), leading 2-0 after the first and ahead 3-2 in the second, Alex was overpowered by Artie Camarillo and pinned 1:11 into the second period. (L)

Panthers Compete at PSJA North Quad Meet: The Panthers traveled to Pharr on Saturday, January 17, 2009 to compete in the PSJA North Quad Meet. The four teams at this meet were San Benito, Weslaco East, Weslaco, and host PSJA North. The overall champions at this meet were the Greyhounds of San Benito.

Team Scores
San Benito 54-Weslaco 27, San Benito 60-Weslaco East 30, San Benito 62-PSJA – N 06

Weslaco E. 42-PSJA – N 39, Weslaco East 30-San Benito 60, Weslaco E. 42-Weslaco 40

Weslaco 27-San Benito 54, Weslaco 48-PSJA North 30, Weslaco 40-Weslaco E. 42

PSJA – N 39-Weslaco East 42, PSJA – N 30-Weslaco 60, PSJA – N 06-San Benito 62

Boys Varsity: Weslaco High: vs. San Benito, vs. PSJA – North, vs. Weslaco East (L to R)
103 Justin Ramirez Forfeit by SB (W) Forfeit by PJSAN (W) 8-0 Major Decision (W)

112 Forfeit by WHS (L) Double Forfeit Double Forfeit

119 Lucio Cruz 7-6 Decision (W) Forfeit by PSJAN (W) Forfeit by WEHS (W)

125 Charlie Villegas Forfeit by SB (W) Pin, 44 sec. 1st pd.(W) Pin, 1:17 1st period (W)

130 Josh Smillie Pin, 1:44 1st (W) Pin, 1:02 1st (W) Forfeit by WEHS (W)

135 Hector Villanueva, Jr. 20-12 Maj.Dec. (W) Forfeit by PSJAN (W) Pinned 1:43 1st pd. (L)

140 Double Forfeit Double Forfeit Forfeit by WHS (L)

145 Josafath Alviso Pinned, 43 sec. (L) Pinned, 1:34 (L) Pinned, 1:01 (L) “Jay”, (Freshman/1st year wrestler), competed for the first time at this quad meet.

152 Everardo Tirado Pinned, 2nd per. (L) Pinned, 1:28 1st pd (L) Forfeit by WEHS (W)

160 Forfeit by WHS (L) Forfeit by WHS (L) Forfeit by WHS (L)

171 Forfeit by WHS (L) Forfeit by WHS (L) Forfeit by WHS (L)

180 Forfeit by WHS (L) Forfeit by WHS (L) Forfeit by WHS (L)

189 Michael Torres Forfeit by SB (W) Forfeit by PSJAN (W) Pinned, 1:44 1st per. (L)

215 Robert Martinez Pinned, 2nd period (L) Forfeit by PSJAN (W) Pin, 1:59 1st period (W)

285 Alex Solis Pinned, 39 sec. 1st (L) Forfeit by PSJAN (W) Pin, 1:24 1st period (W)

All in all, the Panthers won 10 and lost 9 (53%) in actual one-on-one matches; won 11 matches by forfeit as well as lost 11 matches by forfeit (50%); and there were 4 double forfeits. Of 45 possible matches between the Panthers and their opponents, only 19 were actually wrestled. (42%)

WHS * PSJA Last Dual Meet of the Season: The Panthers will host PSJA High School at Lackey Gym on the Weslaco High School campus, Thursday, January 22nd , for the last dual meet of the 2008/2009 wrestling season. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the matches will start at 7:00 p.m. Come early, stay late, and wear PURPLE!

Practice Schedules for the Week of January 19th: Monday: 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Tuesday: 4:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday: 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Thursday: 5:00 p.m. – set up mats at Lackey Gym for PSJA Dual Meet at 7:00 p.m. Friday: 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Saturday: Check with your wrestler for the scheduled time.

Panther Wrestler Fundraiser Posters Money Due: The Takedown Club’s fundraiser; 11”X17” posters of our Panther Wrestlers; have been available for several weeks now. We have received several sponsorships, some of you bringing in more than two sponsorships, and we thank each of you for participating. We will be delivering a certificate to each of our sponsors by the end of January.

We would like the remaining poster sponsorships turned-in by Monday, January 25, 2008. Please have the sponsors make checks payable to the Weslaco I.S.D. General Fund. If your sponsor needs a sponsorship form; for tax purposes or otherwise, we have these available. (Call 956.793.4183)

Reminder to parents: The individual wrester and wrestling team photos will be taken at the end of the season. This particular packet will have various photo options (8”x10”, 5”x7”, wallet, etc.) that you may purchase. Notices will be sent out when that time comes (February).

Even if at first you do succeed, you still have to work hard to stay there.
Richard C. Miller

Sign Up! Receive The Takedown Newsletter by email: Send your request to Hector Rene Garcia at: hgarcia@mvgdesign.us Thanks!

The Takedown Newsletter * 01.12.09

The Takedown
Weslaco High School
Panther Wrestling Newsletter
01.12.09 Volume 0-Issue 07

Parents Night Honors WHS Wrestlers’ Biggest Fans: Our first annual “Parent’s Night” brought our wrestling families together for a special recognition before the start of the WHS/WEHS Dual Meet on Monday, January 5th. Thank you all for your efforts!


Liz Villarreal with her parents, Alma and Javier Villarreal.


Samantha Martinez with her parents, Sam and Dora Martinez.

Ana Almaguer with her mother, Shirley.

Monica Martinez with her father, Mario Martinez, Sr.

103 Justin Ramirez with his parents, Sonia and David Ponce.

112 Cody Casarez with mom Debbie and dad Joel.

135 Hector Villanueva, Jr. with dad, Hector Villanueva, Sr
.

135 David Martinez with his parents, David and Ruby Martinez

The Sanchez Family: 180 Andres, Dad - Procopio, Mom -Carmen,

and 160 Adrian.

189 Michael Torres with his parents, Sonia and Miguel Torres.

215 Robert Martinez with his parents, Ruben & Dalinda Martinez.

Also in attendance were: 119 Lucio Cruz and his mother, Isabel Cruz; 125 Charlie Villegas and his mother, Sandra Villegas; 130 Josh Smillie and his mother, Patti Smillie; 140 Mack Perez and his father, Joe Perez; Caleb Ramirez and his parents, Amador III and Corina Ramirez, and Madison Belcher and his father, Tim Belcher.

Panthers Fall Short Against Wildcats in Dual Meet: The Panthers hosted the Weslaco East Wildcats on Monday, January 5th, in a district dual meet that also served as the first annual “Parent’s Night.” Approximately 132 excited and vocal fans came-out for this meet. The Wildcats won the meet by one match. The results for the individual wrestlers were as follows:

Girls Varsity:110 Samantha Martinez (10th, 2nd yr.), trailed throughout before being pinned by Danielle Ramirez with 1:30 left in the third period. (L)
128 Liz Villarreal (11th, 3rd yr.) was in control from start to finish as she defeated Monique Ruiz of East by a decision of 10 to 3. (W) Congratulations!

138 Ana Almaguer (10th/1st yr.) was aggressive from start to finish, and pinned her opponent, Karen Hernandez in the second period. (W) Congratulations!

185 Clarisa Pina (9th/1st yr.) won on a forfeit by Weslaco East. (W) Congratulations!

Boys Varsity:

103 Justin Ramirez (11th /2nd yr.), maintained control throughout this competitive match and led 5-0 at the end of the first period, 7-5 after the second, and won 15-9 at the end of the third period over David Garcia. (W) Congratulations!

112 Cody Casares (9th /1st yr.), Cody won on a forfeit by Weslaco East. (W) Congratulations!

119 Lucio Cruz (10th /2nd yr.), Lucio led throughout 2-0, 9-5, and 12-8 before winning a decision over E Eric Torres in this hard fought match. (W) Congratulations!

125 Charlie Villegas (11th /3rd yr.), won his match on a forfeit by Weslaco East. (W) Congratulations!

130 Josh Smillie (12th /1st yr.), and East’s Eli Ocanas went back and forth in this match, with Ocanas leading 5-0 after the first period, Smillie leading 7-5 after the second period, and leading 9-7 in the third period when he was pinned by Ocanas with eight seconds left in the match. (L) 135 Hector Villanueva, Jr. (10th/1st yr.), struggled in his match as he trailed 3-6, 5-11, and 6-11 before losing a decision to Eduardo Alaniz. (L)

140 Mack Perez (10th /1st yr.), fell behind 1-7 and was pinned at 1:44 of the first period. (L)

145 Caleb Ramirez (12th /1st yr.), showed potential in his match, but trailed 3-5 and 4-9 before losing by 6-12 in a decision to Steve Munoz. (L)

152 Andres Medina (10th /1st yr.), was pinned by Juan Estrada 51 seconds into the first round with no score by either wrestler. (L)

160 Adrian Sanchez (9th /1st yr.), won on a forfeit by Weslaco East. (W) Congratulations!

171 Forfeit by both Weslaco and Weslaco East.

180 Andres Sanchez (9th /1st yr.), has not been cleared to wrestle again by his dentist and thus forfeited his match. (L)

189 Michael Torres (12th /1st yr.), held his own against Rolando Segura for the better part of the match before being pinned with 13 seconds remaining in the second period. (L)
215 Robert Martinez (12th /2nd yr.), trailing 4-5 after the first period, Robert stormed back to lead 10-6 before pinning Senon Moya with thirteen seconds left in the 2nd period. (W) Congratulations!285 Alex Solis (10th /1st yr.), made quick work of his opponent and pinned Alex Ochoa fourteen seconds into the first period. (W) Congratulations!


119 Lucio Cruz takes down East's Eric Torres
in the second period. Cruz won by Decision.


Liz Villarreal maneuvers for position against
Monique Ruiz of WEHS. Liz won 10 to 3

Rio Hondo Hosts Panther Wrestlers for Dual Meet: The Panthers traveled to Rio Hondo on Thursday, January 8th, to battle the Bobcats in a district meet. The Panther wrestlers went on to win the dual meet by a score of 48 to 24. Congratulations Team!

Girls Varsity:

110 Samantha Martinez (10th, 2nd yr.), lead from start to finish as she won a 10-2 decision. (W) Congratulations!
138 Ana Almaguer (10th/1st yr.) led 5-0 as she won her match in the first period (W) Congratulations!
185 Clarisa Pina (9th/1st yr.) trailed 7-9 in the third period before pinning her opponent. (W)Congratulations!

Boys Varsity:

103 Justin Ramirez (11th/2nd yr.),won on a forfeit by the Rio Hondo Bobcats. (W) Congratulations!

112 Lucio Cruz (10th /2nd yr.), won his match on a forfeit by Rio Hondo. (W) Congratulations!

119 Forfeit by Weslaco and Rio Hondo.

125 Charlie Villegas (11th /3rd yr.), leading 4-1, Charlie pinned his opponent in the second period. (W) Congratulations!

130 Forfeit by Weslaco. (L)

135 Hector Villanueva, Jr. (10th/1st yr.), struggled early in his match before coming back with a reversal, a near fall and a takedown to lead 9-4 before pinning is opponent with 41 seconds left in the second period. (W) Congratulations!

140 Forfeit by Weslaco. (L)

145 Forfeit by Weslaco. (L)

152 Everardo Tirado (10th /1st yr.), lead 5-2 as he pinned his opponent in the second period. (W) Congratulations!

160 Forfeit by Weslaco. (L)

171 Forfeit by both Weslaco and Rio Hondo.

180 Forfeit by both Weslaco and Rio Hondo.

189 Michael Torres (12th /1st yr.); won on a forfeit by Rio Hondo. (W) Congratulations!

215 Robert Martinez (12th /2nd yr.), had a takedown and a near fall as he pinned his opponent 1:03 into the first period. (W) Congratulations!
285 Alex Solis (10th /1st yr.), dispatched his opponent nineteen seconds into the first period, scoring on a takedown and a near fall. (W) Congratulations!

Practice Schedules for the Week of January 12th: Monday: 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Tuesday: 4:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday: 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Thursday: 5:00 p.m. – set up mats at Lackey Gym for PSJA North Dual Meet at 7:00 p.m. Friday: 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Saturday: Departure time to PSJA North – check with you wrestler.

UPDATE: WHS * PSJA North Dual Moved to Weslaco: The site of the dual meet between the Weslaco High School Panther & Lady Panther wresters and the PSJA North Raiders and Lady Raiders has been changed from PSJA North High School to Lackey Gym on the Weslaco High School campus, Thursday, January15th. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the matches will start at 7:00 p.m. Come early, stay late, and wear PURPLE!

WHS Travels to PSJA North for Quad Meet Saturday: PSJA North will host a Quad Meet on Saturday, January 17th. The teams taking part are host PSJA North, Rio Hondo, Weslaco East, and Weslaco High. Each team will wrestle the other three teams. Check with your wrestler for drop-off time at the WHS Campus and the start time of the meet. Be sure to wear purple and we’ll see you there!

Treasury Report for the WHS Takedown Club: One of the goals of the Takedown Booster Club is to raise funds to support our team. It has been our intent to suggest possible uses for the use of these funds, such as team equipment, scholarship contribution, or expenses not covered by the school district. Feel free to let us know your suggestions.
The Takedown Booster Club fundraising monies earned and collected thus far are as follows:
• WHS Wrestling Team Program Sponsorships $ 500.00
• WHS Wrestling Team Program Sales $ 40.00
• Concessions at PSJA Memorial Dual Meet $ 63.00
• Concessions at Tomas Garces Memorial Team Duals Tournament $ 350.00
• WHS Wrestler Photo Posters $ 600.00
Current Fund Balance $1,553.00

Remaining opportunities to raise funds are the PSJA North and PSJA High dual meets, the Junior Varsity District Tournament and the remaining wrestler photo posters. We ask that you make a final push to collect contributions so that we can turn the monies in to Weslaco ISD and have them available for our team.

2009 NCAA Wrestling Top Ten Rankings:
1. Iowa 2. Iowa State 3. Cornell 4. Ohio State 5. Missouri 6. Nebraska 7. Lehigh 8. Central Michigan 9. Boise State 10. Oklahoma (As of January 5, 2009.)

Get Well Wishes To: Lady Panther wrestler Liz Villarreal, who sprained her MDL during practice Tuesday, and will be out for a minimum of two weeks. Get well Liz, and we’ll look forward to seeing you back on the mat!

"I can accept failure. Everyone fails at something.

But I can't accept not trying." - Michael Jordan

The Takedown Newsletter * 01.05.09

The Takedown
Weslaco High School
Panther Wrestling Newsletter
01.05.09 Volume 01- Issue 06

Happy New Year !! Happy New Year !!

Here’s wishing all of our Panther Wrestling community an awesome year! I would like to express my thanks and appreciation to each of our wrestlers and coaches as well as their families for their support and continued joint efforts in helping our program become the best that it can be.

“Parents Night” Tonight at WHS * W-EAST DUAL ! The Panthers host the Weslaco East Wildcats tonight, Monday, January 5, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. in the Lackey Gym (east of the Sepulveda Gym) on the Weslaco High School campus. It is also Parent’s Night! We will have a brief presentation of our Junior Varsity and Varsity wrestlers & parents before the start of the meet. Please arrive by 6:30 p.m. so that we can get everyone lined-up for the 6:45 p.m. presentation.

Practice Schedule for the Week of January 5th: Monday: the team will gather for the dual with Weslaco East at 5:00 p.m. in order to set-up the mat and chairs. The dual meet will start at 7:00 p.m. Tuesday: practice from 4:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday: practice from 4:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. Thursday: dual meet in Rio Hondo Friday: practice from 4:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. Saturday: either team practice or a team dual (check with your wrestler).

Panthers Travel to Rio Hondo Thursday for Dual: The Panthers travel to Rio Hondo this Thursday for their next district dual meet. Rio Hondo’s coach, an Oklahoma University alumnus, has informed Coach Pederson that the start of the dual meet will be moved up to 6:00 p.m. so that he can make it home to watch the OU vs. Florida national championship football game at 8:00 p.m. The Panthers will leave the WHS campus at approximately 4:00 p.m. Check with your wrestler for further details. By the way…, Go Gators!

Sharyland Rattler Tournament Changes Format: The Panthers were scheduled to take part in the Sharyland Invitational Tournament on Saturday, January 10, 2009. Coach Pembrook of Sharyland, has informed WHS coach Mark Pederson that he decided to change the format of his tournament to that of a Quad Team Duals Meet. Our Panther Wrestlers were not selected to be one of the four teams for this meet.

Coach Pederson is tentatively planning on having either a practice session or a dual meet on Saturday morning to make use of the time that would have been spent at the tournament. Check with your wrestler so that either the practice or the dual meet can start on schedule.

Tomas Garces Memorial Team Duals Tournament Crowns the McHi Bulldogs as Champion for 2009 The Panthers hosted the annual Tomas Garces Memorial Team Dual Tournament on Saturday, January 3, 2009. This year’s champions are the McAllen High School Bulldogs. Second place went to the McAllen Rowe Warriors, and third place to the Weslaco East Wildcats. Our Panthers finished in fourth place. Other teams competing were the San Benito Greyhounds and the PSJA High School Bears. PSJA North and Sharyland both sent word that they were dropping out of the tournament.

There were exciting matches throughout the tournament and it was a good indicator of the progress some wresters are making and for others, areas that they need to work on. Many teams have stepped up to the mat, so to speak, and each tournament and dual meet can be won by any one of the various teams competing. This can only serve to strengthen the wrestling programs in our two valley districts.

Faces-in-the-Crowd included: Rafael and Sonia Garces (Tommy’s parents); WISD Board of Trustee member, David Fox; WISD Athletic Director, Oscar Riojas; WHS Athletic Coordinator, Tony Villarreal, WEHS Athletic Coordinator Armando Cuellar and San Benito CISD Board of Trustee member Oscar Medrano.

2009 Tomas Garces Memorial Team Duals Champions.
McAllen High School Bulldogs


The Nikki Rowe Warriors pose with their 2nd place medals and
team logo poster.


The Weslaco East Wildcats placed third.



Weslaco High School Tournament Poster

Varsity Girls Compete at Rio Grande City Tourney: On Saturday, January 3, 2009, the Varsity Lady Panther Wrestling team traveled to Rio Grande City to compete in the Lady Rattler Tournament. RGC coach, Ronald Pratt stated that he expected 17 teams to compete at the event. Pratt went on to say that “the girls tend to get overlooked a lot of the time and this tournament showcases just the girls.” Once The Takedown is able to obtain the results for our Lady Panthers, we will post them in an upcoming issue.

Garces Tournament T-shirts Still Available……….. There are still a few t-shirts available at a cost of $10 each. The shirts have become a collectible item and if you want to purchase a shirt, they will be on display at the home dual meets until we sell out.



WHS Wrestling: Is It a Path to the Presidency? Does your wrestler have political ambitions? The following U. S. presidents wrestled in their youth and then went on to capture the highest political office in the land: George Washington (in current terms, Washington would be a district champion as well as a regional champion), John Adams, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor, Abraham Lincoln (in current terms, Lincoln would be a district champion), John Tyler, Ulysses S. Grant, Chester A. Arthur, Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft (a fourth generation wrestler), Calvin Coolidge, and Dwight D. Eisenhower.

WHS Coach Mark Pederson has informed The Takedown that he has reconsidered his original stance and is now allowing those wrestlers that did not pass a class in the 3rd Six Week Period, another opportunity to make the team. The wrestlers in question must be passin

No Pass/No Play – 4th Six Weeks, One Last Chance:

g all of their classes by the end of the first three week period of the 4th Six Week grading period (Progress Reports). Coach Pederson said he thought that the period ends Friday, January 23rd, with the grades being posted by Monday, January 26th. This will be eleven days before the district meet in San Benito. Please encourage your wrestler to buckle down and get his academic grades in order so that he can take advantage of this opportunity. If your wrestler needs tutoring, please see to it that he gets it. If there are parents that can help outside of school in tutoring a particular subject, please call us at 956.793.4183 so that we may forward the information. I can offer help with English, Spanish, History/Social Studies and class projects. If you have further questions, please contact Coach Pederson after practice.

On behalf of the WHS Wrestling community and The Takedown Club, I want to express our sympathy to Weslaco High School Principal Isidoro Nieto, Weslaco I.S.D Human Resources Director, Roman Nieto and their extended family at the loss of their mother, Maria Cruz Nieto, on Friday, January 2, 2009. May the memories of your mother give you strength in the days ahead.

In Memoriam: Maria Cruz Nieto