Wrestling coach anticipates more

The Tucumcari wrestling team had a pretty good year last season, finishing 13-6 in dual meets, qualifying 13 athletes to the state tournament and one individual winning a championship.

Coach Eddie Encinias, starting his 19th campaign after being inducted into the New Mexico Wrestling Hall of Fame a few weeks ago, expects an even better season because he has more depth. He said he has 28 athletes on his varsity team, compared to 22 the previous season.

The Rattlers will test that depth during dual meets Saturday at Los Lunas in their season opener. Tucumcari's first home meet is a tri-meet at 4 p.m. Dec. 12, and the Snake Pit will host the all-day, 20-team Rattler Invitational on Dec. 21.

Encinias credits Tucumcari's middle-school program for providing him with fresh talent and depth.

"There's some pretty decent kids down there who are going to be pretty good in a couple of years," he said.

Encinias said he'll move up three to four eighth-graders - including Isaiah Garcia and Angel Cisneros - to bolster the varsity's lighter-weight divisions.

"They've shown a lot of quality wrestling for as young as they are," he said.

On top of that, the Rattlers boast talented returning wrestlers that include Charles Prieto, Julian Vargas, Joe Martinez, Reyes Garcia, Colt Garcia and Dyson Clark - all of whom Encinias said should be among the top wrestlers in New Mexico.

Martinez finished runner-up in the state at 152 pounds last season, and Clark won a district title at 195.

"We have a lot of guys returning, and they've picked it up quite a bit," Encinias said of his team's workouts. "We're ahead of schedule from this time last year. They've been working hard. If they're anything like they were last year and improve a little bit, they're going to be very tough.

"I anticipate a good season," he added. "I think the whole team can get to state. Barring accidents or this or that, we should be all right."

Encinias remains a stickler for working his athletes hard so they'll have more fuel in the tank late in matches.

"Our strength is our conditioning program," he said. "If we go into a third period and we're down one or two points, we should win the match. We're just going to out-condition you."

Senior A'leaya Lucero, who won a third-place medal during a state tournament girls exhibition last season, also has female workout partner for the first time in her high-school career with freshman Brianna Willebrand.

This season also marks the first time the New Mexico Activities Association has sanctioned girls wrestling. Female grapplers will funnel into a 30-team district before the state tourney. Tucumcari is in District 1; Lucero likely will compete in the 126-pound weight class.

"I'm hoping A'leaya will win it all," Encinias said. "She's been such a hard worker for us, wrestled boys forever."

Encinias isn't counting out Willebrand from qualifying for state "if she continues to develop."

"She's tough," he said. "She's a scrapper, man."

In district play, Encinias said he thinks the Rattlers should be a contender for the crown, along with West Las Vegas and (Las Vegas) Robertson. Other teams in Tucumcari's district are St. Michael's, Wingate and Newcomb.