If you know me, you know my passion for coaching and the amount of drive it takes to coach wrestling. You win and lose together...coach and athlete.

Our kids showed up with no fear and competed against the top wrestlers in the state. Many of their opponents were state qualifiers from last year and/or state finalists. Unfortunately, we didn't have the results we wanted but we still gained the experience we needed.

Our kids are excited about next year, and we already have new participants ready to join us. We are still pushing towards getting "1%" better every day, and with that being said... we will see you next season for our State Finals Clap-Out!

#cougarwrestling 

Monday was a LONG DAY, but we finished strong and we're coming home with some hardware. There is no 4A in the wrestling division. You must focus on your opponent and not the name on the uniform. Our wrestlers were ready to go at the sound of the whistle and pulled off some big upsets to earn a trip to Frisco this Thursday.  

Trishtan Willis placed 2nd overall in the 190-weight class
Tavares Hamilton placed 4th overall in a tough 150-weight class
Raziel Gutierrez placed 5th overall in the 106-weight class
Tiara Reed with her first two wins, placing 3rd over all in the women's 165-weight class. 

BIG BIG BIG THANK YOU to Mrs Patty! Our kids are physically strong because she helps make sure they eat every day. Thank you to Coach Ribinskas for stepping up and driving us. It takes a village!

On December 16th and 17th, our Cougar Wrestlers traveled to St. Marks School of Dallas to compete in a high-level wrestling tournament (29 teams). There were two schools from Oklahoma who brought some tough competition. Our kids dug deep and found the necessary grit to be successful.

We have a motto that we use in wrestling... "OTP". The acronym means Off the Porch... In the country, a hunting dog doesn't need a pep talk to be ready to chase the game. They are ready to go right off the porch. Our wrestlers carry the same mentality. We want to be in the mindset to win, once the whistle blows.

Special honors go to Trishtan Willis, who finished 4th over all in the 190 weight class, and Tavares Hamilton, who finished in the top 6 for the 150 weight class. I'm honored to witness their growth in the sport of wrestling.

#CougarWrestling

On Saturday morning, our cougar wrestling team traveled to Benbrook Middle-High School for an all-Fort Worth ISD wrestling tournament. A special invitation was given to Fort Country Day School and Birdville High School, who brought regional and State qualifying wrestlers. 

Our boys held their own and they all finished in the Top 6 of their weight class. We have a young team, but I'm excited about the future. Trishtan Willis finished 3rd in the 190 weight class; First year wrestler Tyler Willis finished 4th overall in the 165 weight class; Tavares Hamilton had two regional qualifiers in his group and finished 4th overall in the 150 weight class; Javares Hamilton finished 4th overall in the 144 weight class; First year wrestler Fernando Gutierrez finished 6th overall in the 138 weight class. 

Thank you all for what you do for our kids because it takes a village. #GoCougars 

Our Cougar Wrestlers competed in a high-level tournament this weekend.  Our wrestlers (4A) compete against 5A and 6A schools.  Grappling requires the athlete to tune out the names on uniforms and focus on victory.

Fernando Gutierrez and Tyler Willis had their first wrestling matches.  Both of them worked hard but fell short in the end.  I truly believe they will be good once the District meet comes around.  They both secured attempted pins but could seal the deal.  

Javares Hamilton wrestled in a high weight class and held his own.  He gave those big guys a run for their money.  He will be moving into his regular weight class this weekend and I'm sure he will put some checks in the "Win" column.

Tavares Hamilton and Tristan Willis have already secured victories this season against high-ranking opponents.  I expect to see these two in the 4A State Finals.