High school football and basketball games are f-a-a-a-ntastic,
no doubt about it. But if you really want to see something special,
check out wrestling.
High school football and basketball games are f-a-a-a-ntastic, no doubt about it. But if you really want to see something special, check out wrestling.
I’ll admit it – wrestling’s not entirely my bag. I don’t know all the rules. To me, a “near fall” is that point in the Indian Summer when you start thinking about putting the long sleeves on again. My own high school wrestling career lasted precisely the three minutes it took to convince me that three-minute drills on the mat would seriously cut into my pain-free “me” time.
That said, I’ve got more than enough respect for the kids who strap on the headgear and warrior it up day in and day out, month after brutal, sweltering month in the sauna-like practice rooms and on the biggest stages to pursue this oldest of human athletic endeavors.
I can do without the tights, but hey, let’s not quibble.
Today’s TCAL Championships in Hollister are the last chance this season local wrestling fans are going to get to see the hometown boys have at it without having to travel too far afield. Next week, it’s the CCS Finals at San Jose’s Overfelt High and the week after that, it’s the State tourney in Bakersfield. Catching the best of Gilroy and Hollister – eight Mustangs and five Haybalers are No. 1 seeds in 14 weight divisions at the TCALs – wouldn’t be such a bad way to spend this fine Saturday morning. The gates open at 9am, the wrestling ought to be underway by 10 and the finals should be completed by 1pm or thereabouts … so get there fairly early if you can.
And if, like me, you’re not the most knowledgeable of wrestling observers, never fear.
Recall the last rivalry basketball game you went to. Probably plenty of excitement, but didn’t it seem like half the crowd wasn’t even following the game?
Wrestling tournaments are a different world entirely. At last month’s Mid-Cals at Gilroy High, there were plenty of partisan observers. But even when their own guys weren’t wrestling – which was often – fans were glued to the action.
Gilroy assistant coach Mike Koester says parents of top wrestlers have been chauffeuring their kids to meets since long before high school. These folks know wrestling and they’re the ones filling the stands at events like the TCALs.
Park yourself next to one of these veteran spectators, mention that you’re new to the sport and I’ll tell you what – you’ll have a hard time getting them to stop giving you the wrestling education of your life.
By the end of the day, you may not be ready to scout for the four-year college programs. But you will be able to enjoy the beauty in the way a master technician like Gilroy’s Armando Gonzalez practices his craft. You’ll marvel at the raw talent of his teammate Nico Naranja. You’ll be able to pick apart the performance of Hollister big man Ryan Dunn and judge the instincts, strategies and skills of dozens of other wrestlers besides.
And maybe the best part of going to a wrestling tournament – your chances of getting verbally assaulted by rival fans in the parking lot after the event are virtually nil.
Damon Poeter is the Sports Editor of the Gilroy Dispatch. E-mail him at dp*****@**********rs.com
