Bulldog wrestlers are young but experienced
Nyssa looks to improve on last year’s fourth-place team finish
By RAY RODRIGUEZ
ARGUS OBSERVER
Tuesday, December 16, 2008 9:59 AM PST
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| Argus Observer file photo
Nyssa’s John Iverson (left) tussels with an opponent in this Argus Observer file photo during a bout last year. Iverson finished with a fifth-place finish last year at the state tournament, and this year, Iverson and his Bulldog teammates look to get back to the state tournament. |
NYSSA—The Nyssa Bulldog wrestlers have their work cut out for them in the 2008-2009 season.
The Bulldogs return plenty of experience but are still very young in a lot of weight classes on a squad that enjoyed a solid run with a first, a second, a third, a fifth and two sixth-place finishes to end the 3A state tournament with 101 points and fourth-place honors.
“It was a good building year,” Nyssa head coach Luke Cleaver said. “We were able to beat Burns at the district tournament, have six wrestlers place at the state tournament and come away with a fourth-place team finish. As a team we were not ranked in the top 10, until after the district tournament, so it was nice to see the improvement.”
Defending champion Landon Hartley is back at 119 pounds, and so is state runner-up Rocky Garcia, who will once again wrestle at 103 pounds.
Kyle Schoorl (125), who finished third last year, John Iverson (135, 5th) and Cesar Jacobo (112, 6th) round out the rest of the state placers.
With the success of last year’s group, Cleaver said now it is time to continue the building process and strive to meet expectations.
“I have an image of what one of our wrestlers should look and act like when they are competing. Until they surpass that image, each time they walk into the practice room or onto the mat to compete, they have not met our expectations,” Cleaver said. “This group should be proud of what they accomplished because it was a good step in the right direction.”
Looking to keep his program on the right track, Cleaver, who is entering his eighth year as coach, has five team titles to his credit and has paved the way for 12 individual state champions.
Along with the state placers, the Bulldogs have more than 30 grapplers who could step onto the mat for some more magical moments, as they look to garner another state championship banner.
The Bulldogs will also rely on Tyler Wentz, Tayler Elizondo, Travis Hickman and others, who paved the way for a top finish at Saturday’s Calhoun Classic wrestling tournament in Nyssa.
“They will let you know who they are when they decide to step forward and be recognized on the mat,” Cleaver said of his newcomers. “I have several in my mind that have outstanding potential for success. However, the word potential is truly a slap in the face because having it means you have yet to accomplish anything.”
