Wrestlers Compete Well at City Championship

Wrestling - A squad of five Green Jays had a record-breaking performance last weekend at the Houston City Wrestling tournament. Four out of five of our wrestlers placed--with three earning top-three spots in their brackets. Caleb Bryan became Western Academy’s first ever city champion; Nathan Robleto was a runner-up, and Andrew Langley earned third. 

For such a small group, these boys wrestled like an intimate pack of hunting dogs, never losing focus, feeding off each other’s vibrant and victorious efforts, and sticking to the sound fundamentals of wrestling. Caleb Bryan, after winning a close first match by only two points, went on to pin his way through his next three matches, earning himself a spot in the finals. In the championship match, Caleb wrestled an opponent from West Briar that had previously defeated him earlier in the season. Our veteran Green Jay was obdurate, however, wrestling aggressively in the finals, and pinning his nemesis in the opening minute of the second period. Caleb only started wrestling last year; and since that time he has developed into quite the grappler, much-feared by his opponents.

Nathan Robleto, with his calm presence of mind--a surprisingly beneficial temperament for a wrestler--pinned his way to the finals. For most of his wins he used his tough-to-counter headlock. His opponents had little chance of fighting him once he had them on the mat; and while a few did put up some fight, most just resigned themselves to their impending doom. Nathan found himself in a battle-royale against a Saint John’s wrestler for his finals-match. After scoring a takedown early on, he returned his escaping opponent to the mat close to seven times, almost pinning him. Launching this aggressive offensive was Nathan’s best chance of winning this match, but he taxed his strength and energy in this push to win early. Despite losing in the second period, Nathan put forth his best effort, wrestling with every move in his arsenal and every ounce of his stamina; his parents and coaches were very proud of his performance. Nathan is only a seventh-grader and will have another chance at the tournament next year.

Because they were taking the HSPT, Andrew Langley and Elijah Uyenco were forced to forfeit their first match of the tournament. They did not let this unfortunate circumstance forfeit their chance to stand tall on the podium, however. Each of them battled back through their consolation matches with mounting intensity and determination. Andrew Langley cooly won five matches in a row to earn himself third place. He wrestled more matches than any other Green Jay and was never actually beaten in a match. Elijah Uyenco won two of his consolation matches before being bested by an opponent from Hogg. Elijah finished in 5th/6th place.

Brendan Walker, a rookie, showed much improvement throughout his performance in the tournament. Coach Callahan and Melendez look forward to helping this young man develop into a good wrestler and perhaps even a champion in the years to come. Overall the season was a great success this year and we look forward to next year!