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| Tigers gain experience at Mel Focha Invitational |
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| Written by Marc Aceves / Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 23 January 2008 | |
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“We’re earning a better understanding of what it takes to be successful.” — Lee Scoles, Patterson wrestling coach ESCALON — Nothing benefits a young group of wrestlers more than experience. Patterson’s junior varsity wrestlers got just that at Saturday’s Mel Focha Invitational at Escalon High School. In addition to spending some time on the mats, 14 of 31 Patterson wrestlers at the invitational earned medals. “Some kids are continuing to improve; some kids are getting first contact,” Patterson coach Lee Scoles said. “We’re earning a better understanding of what it takes to be successful. Everything that we do is pointing toward doing well at the end of the league.” The invitational hosted 29 schools from the Central Valley and the surrounding region. Of Patterson’s 14 medals, six were first-place awards, five were second place, and three were third place. Patterson’s Ricky Howard earned one of those first-place medals, finishing undefeated in his individual matches. The 147-pounder also received high praise from his coach for excellent performances throughout the season. “Ricky continues to improve with each challenge in front of him,” Scoles said. Howard said afterward he felt he did “exceptionally well.” “I want to keep working hard and use these tournaments to get better for league matches,” he said. Other first-place medalists were 112-pound Rafael Soto, 142-pound David Cota, 162-pound Joseph Melo, 189-pound Caesar Gomez and heavyweight class competitor Ivan Ponce. Lots of Patterson supporters showed up, doing their part to fill Escalon’s bleachers. Matches took place on six mats, laid out in two gymnasiums. It took a team of Patterson coaches and family members to keep things in order for the inexperienced team. “You’re only as good as a team of kids who work together and a team of coaches who coach together,” Scoles said. “My assistant coaches do a wonderful job: Juan Gonzalez, Gary Scoles, Vince Lopez, Josh Cantu — they connect with the kids on a personal level, and each of them brings a different expertise to the program.” The Tigers’ Patrick Simeon earned a second-place medal in the 137-pound weight class. “These tournaments are like practice matches for us,” Simeon said. “They are good tune-ups for the league matches, so it’s good for everyone to be here.” Patterson’s other second-place medalists were 147-pound Sammy Vento, 215-pound Josh Chase, 215-pound Alex Medina and heavyweight Alfredo Robles. The Tigers’ third-place medalists were 147-pound Omar Vasquez, 162-pound Daniel Morelos and 189-pound Carlos Ramirez. Scoles knows his team still has lots of time to grow and that the road ahead will continue to bring about new challenges. “We need to take what we did here and find out what we are doing right and what we are doing wrong,” Scoles said. “Today, we did lots of learning and saw lots of camaraderie. These things are crucial for any team to succeed.” To reach reporter Marc Aceves at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at marc@ pattersonirrigator.com
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