Mission Veterans senior looks ahead to state wrestling meet

MISSION — Late Friday afternoon, when most seniors were looking ahead to the weekend, Rudy Gonzalez was on the practice mat working on his conditioning for this weekend’s UIL state wrestling meet.

The Mission Veterans Memorial senior qualified for the event, which will be held in Austin, after winning the Region IV 125-pound division. This year, Gonzalez has worked harder than before and wants nothing less than a championship in his final year.

"I want to win it," Gonzalez said. "I’m going to get it because I’ve been practicing hard and I think I can get it."

Gonzalez got into wrestling as a freshman. He was asked by a coach who needed a 103-pound wrestler and he simply said OK. Gonzalez likes the head-to-head aspect of wrestling, and that’s one of the main reasons he’s kept doing it the last four years.

For his final high school performance, Gonzalez has more confidence than the two previous times he’s been at state. He doesn’t want his nerves to get the best of him, but he knows it comes with the territory.

"It’s my last year so I’m nervous about going out early, but I just need to go in with a positive attitude, not get psyched out and not let the surroundings get to me and stay focused," Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez’s coach, Edric Pacheco, thinks anything less than placing would not be successful. Pacheco said Gonzalez’s experience should help him bring the championship home.

As a coach, trying to gauge competition for Gonzalez has been a bit difficult because of the region breakdown. The south region includes Austin, San Antonio and the Rio Grande Valley for the most part. Because they haven’t seen the other regions wrestle, Pacheco and Gonzalez can only do what they can.

"I’ve worked too hard to fail," Gonzalez said. "If I find myself down in the third period, I’ll find it."