Dallas and Leander

Well, this year our team had planned on going to the State Duel Tournament in Amarillo. But unfortunately we weren't invited this year, because there were only a limited amount of spots for Region IV teams, only the top two could go, and we were number three. But oh well, I got to experience all that last year.

So instead we went to a duel event in Dallas where we got to wrestle teams from up there. It was a lot of fun, and our team looked incredibly strong. We won each duel by a significant margin. Our closest match had a deficit of at least 30 points.

But first we wrestled Lewisville. I was still not 100% up to speed yet, a little stiff and slow from the early morning, and I went out and didnt wrestle my best at all. I was up 2-1 when the kid hit a Peterson, and got 5 points for it, and won the match 6-2. I feel like I could've beat this kid. So I was unhappy coming off the mat, and coach told me, "Hey not to bad against a kid who was ranked in the state." I checked the rankings, and sure enough he was up there. So that was a nice confidence booster to know that I can role with those guys.

Then we wrestled Mkinney North, who was hosting the tournament. Again the team wrestled great, and we won. I was hungry for a win after my last match, so I went out, and I pinned him.

Then I pinned my next guy too, I think he was from Springdale not sure.

Our next opponent was Hebron, and I looked at my next guy, and he had on his state hoodie from when he went last year. I went out and I wrestled him tough. It was a close match, going back and forth between us. I was down 8-5 with about 45 seconds left, when he got in deep on a single. So out of desperation, I hit a broomstick which couldn't have worked any better. He went down straight to his back, with me on top, giving me the 5 points and the win 10-8. He was the first state caliber wrestler that I have beaten this year, so I was really excited. Hopefully he wont be the last.

The next Thursday we wrestled Leander, a team in our district. It was good to go out there and get a feel for who else is there. Again the team looked dominant, and we won 75-6. I pinned my opponent in the second period. So things are looking really good for Westlake Wrestling.

The new team state rankings have come out too. We are 7th in the state right now, with Vista Ridge at 5th, and Bowie at 4th. Thats a real testament to how far wrestling has come in Austin. For complete rankings click here.

RECORD: 18-10; 11 pins. NEXT: Cedar Park, @ Westlake, LAST HOME WRESTLING EVENT!

New Rankings

Just in case any one was wondering the Region IV rankings have been updated. I feel to 5th, because a wrestler from Bryan who had been wrestling 140 dropped down to 135. There is also other information about the wrestlers records, victories and defeats, and placings at tournaments. My record info isnt 100% accurate, so I'm sure the others isnt either, but its pretty close. Should be an exciting region tournament.

Click here for the link.

Bowie & Centex

Well, I had been waiting for this Bowie duel all year. Westlake has never beaten Bowie in a duel before, but the last few years have been really close, and it looked like this was going to be or chance.

My opponent was is 2nd in the region right behind Osorio. He is an accomplished wrestler who went to state last year. I was really pumped up to go against him. Right off the bat I took him down twice. I let him know that I was here to wrestle. It was a good match, but down the stretch I got a little gassed, and he came out on top, 11-7. The team didnt fare very well, calls didnt go our way, and we just didnt wrestle very well all together. The final was 42-19. Here are the complete results, and a link to a news article about the duel.

Then this last weekend was the Centex tournament. It was a two day tournament and had huge implications for my chances at making state this year. Centex is basically the regional tournament, that I have to place in the top four to qualify to go to state. However there were also some teams from Dallas and Houston that came as well. So it's a big deal, and lots of the matches will effect my seedings for the regional tournament. But unfortunately for this one, I got a lousy seed again. Something that I have become all to familiar with this season.

So on friday, my first match was against a kid from San Antonio Johnson. We was pretty good, but I wrestled pretty well, and beat him 9-2. I rode him much better than I had before, and felt pretty good about it.

My second match was against that same Madison kid that I have already wrestled against twice. Each time I'm getting closer and closer, but I couldnt quite pull it out. This was another one of those times. He ended up winning 11-6 I beleive. So I get kicked into the consolations.

Next was a nice kid from Georgetown, which is in my district. I hadnt really wrestled alot of people in this district, so this was a good chance to see what some of the competition was like. I pinned him in the first period. He's a nice kid though, I talked to him a bit before the match, and wish him best of luck for the rest of the season.

And the fourth and final match of the first day came against a kid from Austin LBJ. I had to wait a while for him to show up because there was a misunderstanding with the LBJ coach, and he told his kids they could go home. But we waited for them to get back and I wrestled him. I was ready to go home, so I stuck him in the second.

Saturday morning came, and I started it off by wrestling a guy from Dallas Jesuit. He was a good wrestler, and I was only up by a few points in the third till I took him down and caught him in a front headlock cradle. I pinned him with 1 second left in the match.

After him, I wrestled the New Braunfels guy that I wrestled earlier at the Russ Pederson meet. I really like him, he's a nice guy and a solid wrestler. We had a tight match, but I pulled it out 5-2.

And then in the semi-finals for the consolation bracket, I got to wrestle that good old San Antonio Madison guy again. 4th times a charm right? This was by far the best I ever wrestled him. I took him down on a real shot for the first time, and didnt have to much of a problem escaping. He was only up by one point with about 40 seconds to with me on top, so I cut him to try to get the takedown for the tie. Again, I took my shot and he did the funky things that he always does, and he ended up getting the takedown. So I am right there with him, and hope to finally come out on top when it matters most. The final was 10-6.

So that put ended my day in the consolation semi's for 5-6th place. But the first Johnson kid that I beat made it all the way to the consolation semi's too. So that puts me at 5th place, one less than I need to be for state. But the kid who got second isnt in my region, so take him away and that puts me at fourth. And I am really close to being able to beat the Bowie and Madison kid who got 4th and 3rd at this tournament. So I'm right where I need to be.

The team as a whole did awesome! We got second overall with alot of holes in our line up, and having some guys wrestle up some weight classes. For more detailed results click here.

I was very pleased with the way I wrestled. My shots have improved astronomically, and my escapes are becoming more fluid and consistent. I'm really feeling like I'm wrestling the best I have and hope that I'll continue to get better as the season continues.

RECORD: 14-9; 8 pins

Bryan Tournament

Well its been a while since I've last blogged so I will try to catch you up on whats been happening. First allow me to tell you about my last wrestling tournament.

We wrestled in Bryan on the 20th of December at the Doc Hess Tournament. This tournament is one of the larger tournaments they have in Texas and there are a ton of schools there, about 35-40. I did pretty well right up to my last match, again. I ended up placing fourth.

First guy I wrestled was from Oakridge, which I cant remember where that is. But I wrestled very well, and did a great job at finishing my shots, and was beating him by about 8 I think when I pinned him. That was my 20th varsity pin, and hope for many more as the season goes on!

The second kid I wrestled was a lot better. He was from an Episcopal school somewhere. I'll be honest going into this match, he didnt look very intimidating. It was a great match, and I ended up winning 8-5.

Then in the semi-finals of the tournament I got a rematch with the kid from SA Madison. I wrestled a much better match and was pleased with how I wrestled. I still need to work on my takedowns, and alter the way I wrestle so that I'll be able to beat this guy. I'm close, he won 6-3, so hopefully next time I'll pull it out.

Then I wrestled another guy from Katy, and won 5-2. It was a joke of a match. In the third period the kid was on bottom, and would keep running out of bounds. I swear, I've had full matches that have been shorter than that third period. But I 'll just have to work on pinning these guys faster :)

This last match was my most disappointing so far this season. I wrestled the same Episcapol kid that I had beaten earlier in the day. He won 4-3. Dont get me wrong, the kid is no slouch, but if I want to make state this year I need to be able to beat these guys no matter what the circumstances. I was tired, it was my 5th match of the day, and I had been up since 4 that morning and it was about 9:00 at night at that point. But it doesnt matter. Like my uncle said "the champions find ways to win even on days they don't have their best stuff working."

The team did really well, with only 11 guys we still maneged to get 2nd overall. Click here for complete results.

So this has always kind of been my midpoint in the season, although most of the meat of the season happens next. But so far I have been mostly please with how I've wrestled. My record isnt that impressive, but I've had some stiff competition (5/6 of my losses have been to guys who are more than likely going to state this year), and I've done well against them.But now is when I need to kick it into high gear, and peak. I need to improve on my conditioning, especially my shots, and get more pumped up about all my matches, even the small ones. So wish me luck for the next half of the season!

Record: 9-6; 5 pins. NEXT: BOWIE (Biggest Duel of the Year!)

Vista Ridge and Russ Pederson Invitational

Well, I had a lot of wrestling this last week. It was great to get back on the mat after having to take some time off with my knee. And what a better way to start it off than to wrestle Brian Osorio, the number 1 kid in the state.

We had a lunch time duel so we had a lot of the school come and watch which was really cool, thanks to all those who came and supported us! Unfortunately our team had a lot of open weights, and we didn't wrestle our best, so we lost 40-28. But I wrestled Osorio, and I didn't do all that bad. I was very happy with the way that I wrestled. I lost 16-8, but he didn't get any back points on me, it was all just take downs. And I felt good. So I was really excited for this next tournament.

It was a long day, that started at 4:45, when I got up so I could get to school by 5:00 to leave to get to Johnson High on time for the tournament. But we got there and our team did very well. We ended up getting second over all. Again, our open weights hurt us, and we probably couldve gotten first if we fielded a whole team. But 10 of the 11 guys we brought placed in the top 4.

I was pumped for my first match, so I went after him! I wrestled a kid from Corpus Christi Carrol, and was up 13-0 in the second period when I pinned him.

I was still on a role when I wrestled the next guy from Corpus Christi Ray. I pinned him in the first period.

Then I wrestled a kid from New Braunfels, that I had met a few years ago at a camp. He's a really cool guy, good sport and I like him a lot. One of the better conditioned wrestlers I had ever gone up against. But I still won 14-4. He's only a sophomore, but he'll make some noise in the next two years. He ended up getting third.

In the finals I wrestled a kid from San Antonio Madison. This guy was one place away from going to the state tournament last year, so he was no slouch and I wanted a piece of him. Unfortunately, I didn't wrestle my best match. Every single time I would get in on a shot, he would counter it, and my conditioning is off from the days I had to take off with my knee. So I was gassed, and just couldn't finish my shots. If I did I feel I would've won by eight in stead of loosing by eight. The final was 15-7, and I ended the tournament in second place. I have never been so disappointed with second in my life. I should've beaten this kid. But hey, it keeps me humble, and now I have some fuel to go work harder in practice.

NEXT: DOC HESS INVITATIONAL,BRYAN, DEC 20th

RECORD: 6-4; 4 pins

Anderson/Connaly/Pflugerville

Tonight was the first duel of the season, at Anderson High school. There was a total of 4 teams there, but because of starting late, and the duels lasting a long while, we only got to wrestle two teams. I was a little nervous coming into this match because my knee has been giving me some trouble. I ate my butt off over the thanksgiving break, and needed to burn all of those extra calories. So I ran 10.5 miles that Saturday, which was probably a bad idea. My knee has been sore since, and I think I need to take it easy. So I probably wont wrestle the rest of the week, and give it some recovery time.

First we wrestled Anderson. I had already wrestled the Anderson 135 before, but he wasn't there this time, Austin Moore (good friend, captain of Anderson wrestling, 140) said that he quit. Which is a shame, I hate to see anyone quit the sport. Hopefully he's doing well at whatever he decides to do. But West lake looked dominant. We had a lot of pins, and wrestled incredibly well. I had a forfeit, so I didn't get to wrestle.

Next we wrestled Connaly. They had a pretty small team, and are not a huge program yet. So we wrestled them, and I don't think we lost a match. My match was interesting. My coach told me to go easy on him. I was going up against a first year wrestler, and I guess coach didn't want me to go all out on him. So I half wrestled him for about the first period and a half, then coach said "alright, lets wrap this up." So I did, and pinned the kid. And that was the end of the duels. But our team looks really solid, I'm excited for the rest of the year!

And the updated Region IV rankings (scroll to bottom of page) came out. They finally moved Moore up to 140, but Bryan Osorio moved up from 130, and took the number one spot. But I talked to his dad tonight, and he told me he'll be back down at 130 by January. Then it was Ruggles at 2, and me at 3. So I'm still in the top 4, hopefully top 2 soon. And I cant wait to wrestle Ruggles. That should be an awesome match!

NEXT: WOODLANDS INVITATIONAL, HOUSTON, (probably wont wrestle to let my knee recover)

RECORD: 3-2; 2 pins

My Thankgiving

Well we know that thanksgiving has come because of all the Christmas holiday decorations that line every department store across America.

It is a shame that Thanksgiving finds itself overshadowed by two fun and exciting holidays, one which you get showered in candy, and the other in presents. Thanksgiving is the one holiday that allows us to reflect upon the many blessings we have. What great a holiday that allows us to surround ourselves with company of those we love, feast together, and give thanks for what His Divine Hand of Providence has graced us with.

So allow me to express my thanks, for I have received so much, "that I have room not enough to receive it."

I am so thankful for my country that allows me to live how I want to live, and be what I want to be. No other place can compare with its various and majestic beauty. It truly is the promise land. And with it, I am so grateful and indebted to those in our armed services protecting our liberties and way of life. They are my heroes, and may God watch over and bless them and their families.

I have the best friends in the world, hands down. Casual friends, acquaintances, teachers, friends of the family, and friends for life, I'm so thankful for them all. So many are so close they are practically family. I cant tell yall how many times I'll be dealing with something, and someone will say just the right thing, or do just the right thing and make everything all right. So many of yall have touched my life in ways you dont even know, so thank you guys so much. Yall mean the world to me.

My family is the reason I am who I am today. I no that no matter what, they will always be there to help and support me. They have put up with all of my crap, and love me anyway. My Dad is my role model (in some areas, haha), my Mom is the greatest woman in the world, and my brothers and sister Hattie are the coolest people I know. I dont want to know what my life would be like without them. I love them all so much.

And most of all I am grateful for my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Through Him, I know I can achieve true happiness, and just the efforts of trying to live like he did brings more joy than I can know. I have felt his arms of redeeming love around me, and felt the comfort His words and teachings provide. I love Him, and will do my best to follow in his footsteps.

My friends, this thanksgiving, amongst all the hustle and bustle, try to find yourself a quite place and think of all the things we have to be thankful for. And while we give thanks for the blessings that we have, let us all try to bless the lives of those around us and give everyone a little more to be thankful for.