Rattler boys win Lisa torres Invitational for 2nd consecutive year
In no other sport is the dichotomy between the haves and have-nots greater than in wrestling. There’s no hiding behind scheme, no leaning on teammates, and no subbing out during competition. A 10-foot circle, six minutes, and a guaranteed fight is all you get. When faced with that reality, some athletes run towards it, and some fold. Because in wrestling, you’re either the hammer or the nail.
Last Friday and Saturday, the Sharyland Rattlers boys wrestling team continued their dominance over the RGV wrestling scene by hammering their opponents to heal and repeating as champions at their annual Lisa Torres Invitational Wrestling Tournament. The Rattlers finished 48 points ahead of second-place Sharyland Pioneer. Nine Rattlers finished inside the top four, and of their four championship matches, they finished 3-1. They proved what wrestlers in the RGV and across the state have become all too familiar with: you’re in for a dogfight if there’s a Rattler in your bracket.
“It’s not surprising to me when I see these kids winning. It all starts in the practice room. Every day, they chip away, and it shows when it’s time to compete. Coaching is very easy when the kids want to work. They’re very coachable, they’re hard workers, they buy in, and they love each other,” Sharyland Rattlers head wrestling coach Sam Mangum said about his team’s performance.
About the Tournament:
The Lisa Torres Invitational Tournament, hosted by the Sharyland Rattlers wrestling team, is annually held to honor the late beloved mother and wife, assistant Rattlers wrestling coach, and Sharyland ISD Employee Lisa Torres. Torres was a longtime promotor of the sport and a towering figure in Sharyland ISD. Torres passed away sometime last year after a long battle with Acute Myeloid leukemia (AML). The tournament, renamed in her honor, also serves as a vehicle to raise money and promote the Lisa Marie Torres Memorial Scholarship. The scholarships go to deserving RGV wrestlers pursuing higher education. Last year, three such students received scholarships of $500 each.
“I loved Lisa a lot. She was a great friend and my assistant coach at one point. It’s good to be able to win this tournament for her. I told the kids that this wasn’t our tournament; this tournament was for Lisa. A lot of these kids knew Lisa, and they loved her. It’s good that we get to do this for Nick and his family,” Mangum said about the late Lisa Torres.
In only its second year of existence, the tournament has become one of the premier wrestling tournaments in the Valley, acting as a showcase for the hotbed of wrestling talent across the region. Forty-six total teams, twenty-two girls teams, and twenty-four boys teams competed in the two-day tournament to sharpen their skills and put the entire region and state on notice ahead of the rapidly approaching final stretch of the season. This year’s tournament even attracted Corpus Christi Moody, Corpus Christi Ray, and Uvalde High School, three schools with histories of regional and state tournament success.
“I’ve got really good parents, a great assistant coach, and a lot of support from the school to run such a big tournament. When you surround yourself with good people, good things happen. Ever since I’ve been here, we’ve been steadily getting better. We’re at a point where we’re getting ranked in the state and have more power to pull these teams. Uvalde is ranked 7th in the state. We’re pulling these good teams down here, knowing they’re gonna be tough competition,” Mangum said about the tournament’s successful growth.
Every Big 7 wrestling team competed in the tournament, with over thirty Big 7 student-athletes reaching the podium. Of those wrestlers, three stood above the rest. Sharyland Rattlers’ Aiden Baker and Nicholas Torres, and La Joya Lady Coyotes’ Jaqueline Garcia destroyed their opponents on the way to being crowned champions in their respective weight classes.
Jaqueline Garcia, La Joya High School
After a string of second places, Garcia finally put it all together and won a championship match. Garcia not only won but dominated. She pinned four separate opponents in under 7 minutes of total mat time, finished tied with the most points scored by a female wrestler, and pinned her championship match opponent in 43 seconds. Garcia demolished her competition, finally reaching the potential she and her coach, Chris Hernandez, knew she could reach. Now that Garcia has tasted gold, the sky’s the limit.
“It feels good. It [winning] motivates me to work harder next time and get first place again. I’ve gotten mostly all second places at my tournaments. I keep losing the last championship match because of mistakes. My mom motivates me to always do the best in everything I do. She really helped me in this match today,” an emotional Garcia said after finally securing 1st place.
Aiden Baker, Sharyland High School
Last year, Aiden Baker placed fourth at the UIL State Championships, so anything less than repeating or improving is unacceptable. On his way towards accomplishing that goal, Baker has fashioned himself into one of the best pound-for-pound wrestlers in the state. His season record is now 22-1, with his only loss coming against Dripping Springs’ star Cole Slides, one of the top 6A wrestlers at 126 lbs. Baker channeled his energy into winning another title at the Lisa Torres Invitational. He secured the second-fastest fall of the tournament, pinning his second-round opponent in 6 seconds. Most notably, Baker secured the win of the tournament after defeating previously undefeated, top-ranked 5A 126 lb. wrestler George Rodriguez from Uvalde, thanks to his superior grappling and escape techniques from bottom position. There’s still more fighting to come, but Baker might be the class of South Texas wrestling for now.
“I lost last week, but it only motivated me to be better. I went in there motivated as hell. I wanted that number one spot. I want to win district, I want to win regionals, and my top priority is to win state. So, I am gonna go out there with full motivation and win it all. It’s [wrestling] not just a sport. It’s a lifestyle. It’s extremely hard. You have to put as much time and effort into it as you can. That’s what I’ve been doing so far,” Baker said after handing the number one ranked 126 5A wrestler his first season loss.
Nicholas Torres, Sharyland High School
Nicholas Torres might be the most athletic wrestler in the valley. Torres greatly honed his skills thanks to his brother Noel, a former Rattler himself, his supportive father, and his late mother and coach, Lisa Torres. Winning the tournament meant more to him because the tournament’s namesake is his blood. Torres’ family and the stinging memory of his regional tournament struggles during his freshman year have transformed him into a machine. Torres tech-falled three of his opponents, finished second in total points scored, and pinned his championship match opponent in the second period. Torres is now 19-2 on the season, with his best wrestling ahead.
“Just believe in yourself. I just believed in myself. That got me to state my sophomore year, and I placed fourth. They named this tournament after my mom, and I’m really glad they did that. It makes me happy. It’s an honor to win it. It feels like winning state,” Torres said after winning first place at his mother’s tournament for the second consecutive year.
District 16-5A Wrestling District Championships will be held on February 1st and 2nd at Rio Grande City High School. District 16-6A will be held on the same dates at Los Fresnos High School.
The following Big 7 student-athletes received medals for finishing in the top 4 of their respective weight classes:
BOYS:
106 lbs: 1st place- Angel Alaniz, La Joya Juarez- Lincoln, 2nd – Christian Thomas Aguirre, Sharyland Pioneer, 3rd – Santiago Miranda, Sharyland Rattlers
113 lbs: 1st place- Gabriel Rivera, Sharyland Pioneer
126 lbs: 1st place- Aiden Baker, Sharyland Rattlers, 3rd – Rodrigo Nuncio, La Joya Palmview
132 lbs: 2nd place- Mathew Castillo, Sharyland Rattlers
138 lbs: 3rd place- Ethan Moran, Sharyland Pioneer
144 lbs: 1st place- Nicholas Torres, Sharyland Rattlers, 3rd – Valeriano Elizondo, Sharyland Rattlers
150 lbs: 2nd place- Kevin Nelson, Sharyland Rattlers, 3rd – Marcus Perales, Sharyland Pioneer
157 lbs: 1st Place – Sergiel Arroyo, Sharyland Pioneer, 3rd – Ryu Martinez, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln
165 lbs: 1st Place – Humberto Mandujano La Joya Juarez-Lincoln, 2nd – Sean Espinoza Sharyland Pioneer
175 lbs: 1st place- Adriel Vargas, Sharyland Rattlers, 3rd – Alan Cerda, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln
215 lbs: 3rd Place – Esteban Karr, La Joya Palmview
285 lbs: 2nd Place – Diego Cordero, Mission Veterans
GIRLS:
100 lbs: 1st Place – Julieta Chapa, La Joya Juarez-Lincoln
114 lbs: 2nd Place – Destiny Salinas, Sharyland Pioneer
126 lbs: 2nd Place – Destiny Salinas, Sharyland Pioneer
132 lbs: 1st Place – Elvia Davila, Sharyland Rattlers
138 lbs: 2nd Place – Allie Salas, Mission Veterans