By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER
MISSION — For the past two summers, Sharyland High wrestlers Jeszel Borjon and Joseth Suarez have traveled throughout the state, picking watermelons for eight to 10 hours a day, until they’ve filled at least six truckloads with the help of co-workers.
Each day for about three months, Borjon and Suarez labored through the summer heat, from sunrise to sundown, before returning to a motel they shared with two or three other co-workers, most of those grown men.
Though they worked under grueling conditions, neither complained the opportunity, which offered them a chance to provide for their families. As they saw it, the experience strengthen their lifelong friendship; it helped them with conditioning ahead of wrestling season; and it served as a reminder as to what may lie ahead, should they not take full advantage of their opportunities.
“It opens your eyes,” Suarez said. “Some people are there because of things that happened when they were young. They messed up, they did drugs, and now they’re working there.
“That was one of the best things about being there: listening to the workers, listening to their experiences. It makes you think.”
That message fully resonated with Borjon, who was issued enough referrals for behavioral issues during the seventh grade that he was transferred from B.L. Gray Junior High School to a disciplinary alternative education program. There, he was moved to a different campus, away from his friends, and took classes all day from two instructors. In between, he was allowed a half-hour of physical activity.
“It was boring,” Borjon said. “But that’s where I gained a lot of lessons about responsibility, about becoming a better person, being able to take care of myself.
“If it wasn’t for AEP, I’d probably be in the fields all my life. I didn’t want that for myself.”
Even though the two enjoyed the social aspect of working together, on the same side of the trucks, the idea of exerting themselves under the treacherous heat, crouching down all day, wore on both of them. On most days, they passed the time talking amongst themselves and with fellow co-workers. But there were also days, Suarez said, “where the sun kills you and it gets you in a bad mood.”
For as much as the job helped Borjon and Suarez support themselves and their respective families, they returned to school each fall eager to seize their opportunities.
Over time, Borjon earned passing grades in AEP and was allowed to return to his regular classes. When he enrolled at Sharyland High, he signed up for football and wrestling.
He finished his senior year as the starting nose guard for the football team, and was anointed captain of the wrestling squad, as well.
“He’s a kid that we like to say we saved him, because he was a handful when he was younger. But he’s matured,” Sharyland High wrestling coach James Penbrook. “He just found a home in wrestling. He started coming to our offseason wrestling workouts. He stuck with it. And now he’s become a leader for us.”
Long before they competed at Sharyland High and worked on watermelon fields in Austin, Bryan and College Station, the two wrestled at each other’s house and jumped off trampolines, mimicking what they saw on WWE. Suarez played the role of John Cena and Borjon was Randy Orton.
By the time Suarez arrived at Sharyland High, Borjon was beginning to come into his own as a junior. Right away, the two made their contributions felt. Borjon qualified for regionals in the 170-pound weight class, while Suarez advanced to state at 126, as Sharyland went on to place second at the district championship behind Rio Grande City.
Wednesday and Thursday, the two will represent the Rattlers once again at the District 16-5A championship at Mission Veterans Memorial, where they’ll take the next step in their quest to return to regionals.
“It feels great,” Borjon said. “There’s difference obstacles along the way that have come up, but I’m glad that God’s helped me through it.
“It feels good to see how much I’ve improved.”