Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
QCS Senior Writer
The young Tucumcari Rattlers wrestling team made a strong showing Saturday at the Randall High wrestling tournament at Amarillo.
“The guys did great at the tournament,” Eddie Encinias, head coach, said. “We had four wrestlers win all of their matches. We beat Randall, Lubbock Coronado and Lubbock Estacado and lost by only lost by four points to Amarillo High.”
Encinias said the younger wrestlers really stepped up during the tournament on a team with only two juniors, four sophomores and the rest freshman and eighth graders. He said the younger Rattlers are responding well to conditioning and strength training and are learning quickly from upper-classmen. Eighth-grader Rob Dunlap was one of the four Rattler wrestlers who won all four of his matches in the 106-pound division.
“These guys are pushing themselves so much to be better competitors,” Encinias said.
The team is ahead of schedule when it comes to conditioning, he said, and team members continue to show improvement every week.
“We have a bunch of green kids who are showing a lot of potential,” said Paul Lucero, junior.
Lucero said as the younger wrestlers show promise, returning wrestlers are also making a good showing.
“Everyone is working hard to get to the level of training that will help us improve and move forward this season,” said Zach Martinez, sophomore.
The Rattlers middle school wrestling team competed twice last week Wednesday at West Las Vegas and Thursday at Boys Ranch, Texas. Five Rattler middle-schoolers placed in the top three in their weight classes in Las Vegas.
“These kids are performing well and gaining a lot of knowledge from the tournaments,” said Tim Clark, middle school wrestling coach. That experience, he said, will help them to move on to the varsity level.
The Rattlers will compete at 3 p.m., Thursday at Palo Duro, Texas.
The middle school Rattlers will compete at 9 a.m. Saturday at Robertson.