BOYS RECAP
The Klein Oak Gator Roll featured some solid teams, though many squads seemed to be sitting key wrestlers, which is common at this point in the season. Katy Paetow, however, appeared to be at full strength and dominated the tournament, especially in the lighter weight classes. Paetow cruised to the team title, but several other impressive performances stood out. Here’s a breakdown of the action:
106 lbs
#4 Andy Vila (Paetow) has been having a breakout season, and he scored a big upset in the finals by defeating senior #3 Christian Aranda (Oak). Vila’s third-period takedown made the difference in a hard-fought match.
113 lbs
#5 Jiovani Hernandez (Paetow) continued his strong season with a win over previously undefeated Leon Jourden (Willis)in the finals, proving he’s one of the top wrestlers at this weight.
120 lbs
#14 Nelson Torres (Paetow) kept the momentum rolling for Paetow, pinning Jackson Logsdon (Friendswood) in the finals to claim the title. Michael Hulsey (Grand Oaks) gave Torres his toughest challenge and fought his way through the consolations to take third place.
126 lbs
#6 Cody Welch (Bryan), who made the CFISD finals at 120 lbs last week, returned to 126 lbs and dominated the bracket here. His victory included a win over #8 Jackson Rosenberry (Cy Fair), cementing his status as a top contender.
132 lbs
#2 Carlos Gonzalez (Paetow) has gone 6 minutes one time this year and that was against #3 Andrew Huerta (The Woodlands), who he beat by decision back in December. Huerta is also having an incredible season, so it’s becoming clear that these two are a couple of the best guys in the state (Along with #1 Caio Aron of College Park, who is the big boss at this weight). Gonzalez destroyed everyone here and won another title.
138 lbs
#3 Vincent Allen (Grand Oaks) has had an impressive sophomore season, consistently finishing near the top in every tournament he’s entered. His performance here, which included wins over the #8 and #9 ranked wrestlers, solidified his status as a serious contender for a state tournament berth from the tough Region 2.
144 lbs
#5 Sam Fresneda (Paetow), who had been wrestling at 150 lbs, dropped down to 144 lbs and earned a hard-fought victory over #11 Ryan Pulley (Foster) in a wild 20-10 final. Pulley’s wide-open style makes him a dangerous opponent, and he’s one to watch as the season progresses.
175 lbs
Hudson Holladay (Klein Oak) had an impressive run, capped by an upset victory over #14 Issa Ndiaye (Foster) in the finals to claim the title.
190 lbs
#5 Jamarkus Campbell (Klein Collins) had a standout week, following a big win over the #5 ranked wrestler earlier in the week with a dominant tournament performance. His path to the title included a win over #10 Tristan Vega (Waller) in the semifinals.
215 lbs
#2 Timothy Merchant (Cy Springs) was unstoppable on his way to the title, dominating the competition in impressive fashion.
285 lbs
#5 Nathaniel Surley (Bryan) picked up a much-needed tournament title, edging out #7 Aaden Menard (Cy Springs) in the finals. Surley has been close to a title several times this season, and this victory should give him the confidence to keep pushing forward.
GIRLS RECAP
Foster, Klein Oak, and Cy Springs all fielded strong girls’ teams at the Gator Roll, but each of those squads had key contributors sitting out for this tournament. In contrast, Katy Paetow appeared to have a full-strength lineup and dominated the team scoring. There were plenty of intriguing matchups across various weight classes, with several standout performances. Here’s a breakdown of the action:
100 lbs
#7 Chloe Hanes (Klein Oak) and #9 Celeste Gonzalez (Paetow) both dropped down from 107 lbs for this tournament and cruised to the finals. Both wrestlers were at the state tournament last year, but it was Gonzalez who came out on top, earning the title with a 7-0 victory.
107 lbs
#8 Kamryn Quinn (Klein Collins) has been having an impressive season, and she sealed the deal with a dominant performance here. Quinn didn’t wrestle for more than a minute in any of her matches, claiming the title with ease.
114 lbs
#14 Evelynn Garcia (Cy Springs) has steadily improved this season, and she captured another tournament title here. She scored a minor upset in the finals, defeating #11 Nadia Whipple (Friendswood).
126 lbs
Returning state 3rd-place finisher Elliotte Strange (Cy Fair) was back on the mats and picked up right where she left off, dominating the competition. She claimed the title with a solid victory over Aylin Pagan (Paetow) in the finals. Pagan has had some strong wins this season and will break into the rankings this week.
132 lbs
This was arguably the toughest bracket of the tournament, and #4 Aubrie Cheatham (Grand Oaks) came out on top. Cheatham defeated #6 Rita Long (Klein Collins) in the semifinals and then won a tight final against #1 at 138 Giada Muller (Paetow). Muller, who has had an excellent season, scored a big win over returning state qualifier Tania Rincon (Cy Fair) in the semis. All four of these wrestlers are expected to be serious contenders at the Berry Center in January.
138 lbs
Daphanee Miller (Cy Springs), ranked #11 at 132 lbs, moved up to 138 lbs and had a strong run, including a major win over #3 Zoe Sonnier (Bryan) in the semifinals. However, Kaitlyn Alcaraz (Cy Fair), who moved down to 138 lbs, dominated the bracket and took home the title.
145 lbs
Malaina Jones = Smash Everyone
152 lbs
#9 Isabella Cornejo (Paetow) reversed a couple of earlier-season losses with an impressive performance. She defeated #5 Jorie Kuntz (Foster) in the semifinals and then found herself down big in the finals against Leila Hurd (Cy Springs). Cornejo fought back, turning the tide and scoring a pin to claim the title.
165 lbs
#4 Delaney Beasley (Foster) has been on a hot streak, and she continued it here with a tough win over #6 Alyssa Navarro (Cy Springs) in the semifinals. However, #7 Tracy Linklater (Friendswood), who defeated #9 Abigail Taylor in the semifinals, came through with a pin in the finals to win the tournament title. Taylor rebounded to claim 3rd place with a win over Navarro.
235
This weight class has seen a whole lot of ups and down throughout the year. Foster has multiple girls at this weight who can compete at the highest level and Sally Kazeem was the wrestler who got the call today and she made the most of her opportunity. She beat #3 Ariana Rangel (Klein Oak) in the semis and then beat #1 Avery Denney (Grand Oaks) in the finals. Rangel made her way through consolations and beat the #7 and #8 ranked wrestlers to finish in 3rd place.