By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
Mission Veterans Memorial coach Ben Yzaguirre started the year enjoying the spirited practices that unfolded on the mat each day. But when he noticed it prevented his girls from experimenting with new moves or tactics, largely because of an unwillingness to surrender bragging rights, Yzaguirre put a stop to it.
“We told them they have to check their egos at the door,” Yzaguirre said. “If you get pinned in practice, you get pinned. Nobody wanted to make a mistake. But you know what? Now they’re improving. Practice is about trying new moves, and they understand that now.
“They’re opening up to it and experimenting with things here and there.”
Yzaguirre hopes it pays off when the Lady Patriots enter the District 16-5A meet less than a month from now. Just like last year, they’re led seniors Karime Flores (128-pound weight class), Leslie Alaniz (148) and Klarissa Blanco (185), all of whom earned individual top 10 rankings by WrestlingTexas.com after helping Mission Veterans come within a point of winning a regional championship in 2015.
Blanco appears to be enjoying the most success, so far. A three-time state qualifier, Blanco is undefeated this year, and has yet to have a match decided in the third round.
Meanwhile, Flores has yet to hit her stride since missing the start of the year with an elbow injury. Flores moved up two weight classes, to 165 pounds, after bulking up during the offseason.
SEIZING OPPORTUNITIES
Sharyland Pioneer’s Harry Reyes is making the most out of his lone season on the varsity squad.
Since being called up from JV, Reyes has lost 30 pounds, and is now competing in the 160-pound division. The senior has a 17-5 record, so far, in addition to a first-place finish at the Dog Pound Classic.
“He’s dedicated himself to being disciplined to his eating habits, dedicated to working his butt off to make weight, to improving like the coaches have asked, and putting in that extra time,” Pioneer coach Richard Eckley said. “It’s hard. He leaves practice to go work at Peter Piper Pizza. It’s kind of hard to be around pizza for four hours a night, but that’s just the level of discipline that he has.
“He’s been a great example, not only to his teammates but everyone else.”
Reyes last competed in the 170-pound weight class a month ago, despite weighing 162 pounds. Now at 160, he has a 2-2 record, having faced wrestlers from Rio Grande City.
Eckley lauded Reyes for his aggressiveness, saying “he doesn’t play around on the mat like he used to” last year. “He does try to do the fancy YouTube stuff every now and then, but he gets back to basics,” Eckley added.
Eckley said Reyes is one of the team’s strongest wrestlers in his weight division, and his impression opponents by his ability to overpower his opponents, despite his shrinking frame.
STAYING HOPEFUL
Grulla coach Oscar Ozuna will keep a close eye today on Yasmin Flores, who hopes to return to the mat after a five-week layoff.
The senior wrestler, who opened the year ranked No. 6 in the 138-pound division, has missed a large part of the season due to a nagging back injury. Ozuna said Flores pulled a muscle in her back during practice, and has re-aggravated it on a couple of occasions, despite sitting out weeks at a time.
“It was a freak accident, I guess you could say,” Ozuna said.
Flores, who was a state qualifier the past two seasons, has a 4-0 record this year, and is hoping to give the Lady Gators, at 2-5, a spark. Flores is the only senior for Grulla, which five wrestlers on the girls team this year.