By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
The popular opinion in wrestling, it seems to be, is that just about every meet leading up to district is designed to experiment with lineups, tinker with wrestlers in a variety of weight classes and see where said team can be at its strongest.
It’s certainly the case for Sharyland High’s boys team, owners of a 4-4 record. Coach James Penbrook isn’t concerned with their current mark. The team has been short-handed, for the most part, with a fraction of the team late to join because of the football program’s three-round playoff run. In fact, 25 of his 40 wrestlers played football, with 6-7 expected to make up the starting 14.
As such, the lineup Penbrook sends to the Mustang Invitational today will very likely differ from the one he fields in the district meet.
“Really, it all comes down to that one day in February,” Penbrook said.
In the meantime, the Rattlers have kept things afloat with three regional qualifiers in Luis Hinojosa (120-pound weight class), Ruy Troche (145) and David Rodriguez (285). Hinojosa, who is 10-1, has stood out as a team leader. Troche (8-0) has given opposing wrestlers fits with his tall, lanky frame. And Rodriguez, a starting offensive lineman, is also undefeated through four sets, despite joining the team late.
“That’s our big three,” Penbrook said. “They’ve been really solid for us.”
Sharyland will rely on that trio even more this year, considering the split with Sharyland Pioneer stripped the Rattlers of some of their returners.
With that, Sharyland could start as many as four freshmen.
“It’s just the luck of the draw,” Penbrook said. “Some of these freshmen are probably going to be a year away from being really good, but that’s just how it is. It’s an on-going process of recruiting kids on campus, walking the hallways.”
Still, he added, “I got a lot of hope for them.”
PLEASANT SURPRISE
Miyera Sanchez has emerged a pleasant surprise for a PSJA Memorial girls team that is 2-4 this year. The sophomore heavyweight is 6-0, despite generally weighing in at about 10 pounds lighter than her opponents.
“That’s a lot of weight to be giving up,” coach Joe Clark said. “I thought maybe somebody was going to jump on her from the beginning of the season until now, but that hasn’t been the case. She’s been kicking some butt.”
Clark said Sanchez has come a long way from getting cold feet in her first meet as a freshman to now making good use of her strength.
“I tell you what, she’s a bull,” Clark said. “When she locks up with somebody, she goes, ‘I’m going to get what I want whether you give it to me.’ She’s got one thing in mind that she’s going to do and she goes out and gets it.”
Her emergence comes at a perfect time for PSJA Memorial, which is low in number to begin with. Also recently, Emily Lopez (119), who was 3-2 this year, broke her collarbone in a meet last week against La Joya High, effectively ending her senior season.
Jocelyn Parales, who tore her meniscus, returns for Memorial. The team captain has yet to wrestle this season.
TOURNAMENTS
McAllen Memorial will host the third annual Mustang Invitational, a two-day event beginning today. It features 15 teams, including Edinburg North, Edinburg Vela, Donna High, Donna North, Grulla, all three La Joyas, Mission Veterans, three PSJA schools (minus PSJA High), Rio Grande City and Sharyland High.
“The size of the tournament we’re having, it’s one of the largest you’re going to see before district,” McAllen Memorial coach Eduardo Gonzalez said. “They get to see what work they still have to do for the district tournament. It’s a good test for them.”
McAllen High also is hosting its inaugural Dog Pound Classic, a 12-team, one-day tournament set for Saturday. It includes Edinburg High, Edinburg Economedes, McAllen Rowe, Mission High, PSJA High, PSJA North, Rio Grande City, San Benito, Sharyland Pioneer, Weslaco High and Weslaco East.
“December’s a real good month for wrestling,” McHi coach Eduardo Villarreal said. “It’s a hard month to wrestle because this is where you strain muscles and the body gets tired. But we’re basically trying to have a good tournament and have the kids go to work.”