BY NATHANIEL MATA | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR
Jeff Moubray’s Edinburg Bobcats have been at the top of tournaments all season. They hope to be alone at the top at the end of the 16-6A district meet Saturday.
With his boys’ conditioning and technique where he wants, the coach is liking what he is seeing on the mat this late in the season.
“I feel like we’re peaking at the right time,” Moubray said. “It’s important that you continue to improve, and I feel like we’re at our best right now.”
Experience is a big factor for Edinburg. A core group of seniors will be relied on to rack up points this weekend. The Bobcats will field wrestlers in 10 of 14 weight classes, putting a premium on pins and points.
The Bobcats are led by a group of returning regional qualifiers from last season. Israel Lopez III in the 120 weight class and his twin brother Alberto (120) are wrestlers to watch in district competition and beyond.
Moubray praised the year-round dedication to the sport the twins have.
“It’s wrestling 24/7 for them,” he said. “They don’t play football. They don’t play baseball. That’s all they do. It’s what they live for. The depth of experience that they have is a lot more than your average (wrestler).”
Nathan Marez (160) and Felipe Elizondo (182) are two more seniors who the Bobcats sent to regionals a year ago.
“A couple of them really didn’t anticipate medaling and getting into regionals last year. Now it’s an expectation,” Moubray said. “They’re putting a little more pressure on themselves, because they want to get back.”
RATTLERS WANT A THREE-PEAT
Rio Grande City is looking to remain the apex of District 16-5A wrestling Thursday.
The Rattlers will host the meet and will welcome seven schools that are aiming to knock off the back-to-back district winners.
Rio is favored coming into the meet, but the district is stacked with state-ranked wrestlers.
Elias Sanchez is Rio’s standout sophomore. He owns a 19-3 record on the season, is defending his title from his freshman season and placed first in the RGV’s two largest tournaments.
Ruperto Bautista, a junior wrestling at 132 pounds, has won district titles in both of his first two seasons. Last year he advanced another level, to the state competition.
The 220-pound division will be a dogfight. According to WrestlingTexas.com, two district 16-5A wrestlers are ranked in the top 20.
The 220 had the potential to include three top-20 wrestlers, however Roma’s Elder Manuel will wrestle at 195. It’s a common move in wrestling for strong wrestlers to a class in which they might be able to earn more points for their team.
That leaves No. 14 Luis Costilla of Donna North and Rio’s Juan Govea as favorites.
DEFENDING THE ALMA MATER
PSJA High coach Joseph Villanueva has extra motivation as he guides the Bears into District 16-6A tournament this weekend. He’ll be spearheading the program he wrestled for against schools led by some of his coaches from his time as an athlete.
McAllen Memorial’s Eddie Gonzalez, Edinburg’s Abel Sanez and Weslaco High’s Rolando Becerra were all a vital part of Villanueva’s development as a wrestler and coach.
“I was brought up by those guys. They taught me what I know,” said Villanueva, whose goal is to return PSJA to glory. “It feels wonderful being back at Bears, coaching the team I once wrestled for. I want to go back to winning the district titles we won when I was wrestling.”
Villanueva won two individual district championships in the heavyweight (285) division, as well as a team championship, before graduating in 2010.
PSJA’s boys finished third place in the 16-5A meet a season ago.
As for this year’s team, competition may be stiffer as the Bears move up to the 16-6A district.
Senior Edison Brooks is no stranger to extending his season beyond district weekend. He’s been to regionals twice, and he’s coming off state qualification and district title at 145 last year.
“He’s taken a couple of tough losses, of course to guys that have gone to state as well,” Villanueva said. “He didn’t take that as a negative, he just worked on building as far as technique and how to defend on what he lost in. Not to be cocky, but he’s really not worried about the Valley. He’s trying to prepare right now for the regional and state level.”
Villanueva has high hopes that his lower weight wrestlers such as juniors Jaden Trevino (106) and Raul Vargas (120) can have big weekends to propel PSJA in the team standings.