Teams unite at regionals

SAN ANTONIO — During the regular season, there is no way that Randy Madsen would be happy about the success of the La Joya Coyotes.

Nor would anybody expect Coyotes coach Jose Lopez to celebrate any wins by the Rio Grande City Rattlers.

But at Friday’s Region IV meet in San Antonio, Madsen, Lopez and Rio Grande City coach Arnold Pratt were cheering for wrestlers from the Valley regardless of school.

“When we get up here, you see the coaches that you don’t normally see working together helping each other out today. The Valley sticks together and helps each other out,” Rowe coach Randy Madsen said late Friday, hours after the conclusion of the first day of the meet.

Madsen and his Valley brethren had success to cheer Friday. Eight boys wrestlers and eight girls advanced to today’s semifinals.

La Joya, McAllen High, McAllen Rowe and Rio Grande City each had two boys advance, while Rio Grande City had three girls make it through, PSJA Memorial had two, and Rowe, La Joya and PSJA North each had one.

“This is the big time, and the air gets a little bit thin up there. When you’re trying to advance to state you’ve got to bring your ‘A’-game,” Pratt said. “Everybody’s bringing their ‘A’-game. There’s no slackers.”

The Valley wrestlers who will try to qualify for the state meet by finishing in the top four today are RGC’s Arnaldo Caraballo (285 pounds) and 171-pounder Ted Rivera, McAllen Rowe’s Eddie Diaz (135 pounds) and Ronnie Willison at 160 pounds, McHi’s Scott Innskeep at 285 and Sam Mangum at 180, La Joya’s David Saldana at 130, and 189-pounder Chris Hernandez.

The girls will be represented by RGC’s Jenny Garza at 95 pounds, Krystal Montalvo at 110 and Ysenia Hernandez at 215. PSJA Memorial will have two girls wrestling, with Jennifer Gonzalez at 95 and Nellie Escobeda at 110.

Rowe’s Taniari Martinez advanced at 138, while Kimberly Galvan did the same at 95 as did La Joya’s Roxanne Gonzalez at 215.