Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Another weekend, another tournament title for Tucumcari standout wrestler Josh Pacheco.
The senior, competing in the 152-pound weight class, won all four of his bouts Saturday at the 20-team Sammy Vivian Invitational tournament at Socorro, including defeating Aztec’s Zach Sanders by pin in the championship.
“He had to earn it,” THS coach Tim Clark said, noting he toughed out a bout against Isaiah Chavez of Las Cruces in the semifinal.
Against Sanders, “Josh actually was losing in the third period, but he was able to turn it and pin the kid. He’ll probably meet that kid again at state.”
Pacheco improved to 24-1, with his only loss at the Rattler Invitational last month.
Tucumcari’s Fernando Ureste, after sitting out the previous weekend with a sore knee, won three of four matches and finished second at the tournament in the 139-pound division.
Ureste stopped Ayden Cordova of Los Lunas in the semifinal. They previously faced each other in the Rattler Invitational.
Ureste’s only loss was to Aztec’s Cory Douglas in the title match.
“He made some mental mistakes in the first period,” Clark said of the Douglas bout. “That kid had gotten some takedowns on him. So Fernando had to battle back, but he came up a bit short.”
Ureste is 18-3 on the season.
Josiah Sanchez, competing in the tourney’s second 145-pound class, also finished runner-up for Tucumcari. He lost by technical fall to Caleb Alvillar of Las Cruces in the final.
Zoriah Phillips, also in the tournament’s second 145-pound division, finished third. His only loss was to teammate Sanchez in the semifinal. He bounced back with a win over Belen’s Tristan Lopez in the third-place match.
Diego Martinez, competing in the second 152-pound bracket, finished third.
Benny Garcia, competing in the second 160-pound division, finished fourth.
Other Tucumcari wrestlers with their weight classes and tournament record: Julian Brown (107 pounds, 2-2), Robert Gomez (114, 1-2), Brandon Gonzales (127, 1-2), Bryson Klinger (133, 0-2), Patrick Szaloy (133, 1-2), Alex Bueno De La O (139, 1-2), Justin Goen (160, 1-2), Maliki Alderete (172, 1-2) and Isaiah Ureste (215, 2-2).
Clark said the Socorro tournament brought valuable experience to his wrestlers.
“In that southern region, like Silver City, this probably would be the first and last time we see them until state,” he said.
Aztec won the team title with 181 points, while Los Lunas finished runner-up with 167. Tucumcari finished ninth with 73 1/2 points.
The Tucumcari girls team didn’t make it to the Friday girls tournament at Socorro because of bad weather.
Tucumcari next will compete Friday and Saturday at the Red River Classic in Vernon, Texas. He said the event will feature some of the best teams from Texas and Oklahoma.