Last week I visited the high school from which my son and daughter graduated. Klein Collins HS hosted College Station HS for their senior night dual meet. College Station is a 5A- Region 3, District 10 school, while Klein Collins is in 6A-Region 2, District 7. But since they are relatively close geographically, they occasionally wrestle each other in tournaments, especially during freestyle and Greco in the summer.
There are three girls from each team that are ranked in their respective weight class. For College Station, Allayjia Bolden is #4 at 105 lbs., Nadiyah Elizondo is #3 at 125 lbs., and Aneyla Cantero is #10 at 125 lbs. Elizondo is a 3X UIL qualifier (2X w/ Bryan HS) and 139-26 to date..
For the KC Tigers, Kamryn Quinn is #4 at 105 lbs., Gabriella Martinez is #8 at 130 lbs., and Abigail Taylor is #6 at 155 lbs. Martinez placed 3rd at state in 2024. Both Quinn and Taylor were UIL-Qualifiers last season.
For a variety of reasons, there were unfortunately ten forfeits in this dual, and the only ranked wrestler who had an opponent was Abigail Taylor.
College Station picked up six forfeits in the first six weight classes.
The first contested weight class was 135 lbs. where Kaydance Henderson of Klein Collins stepped in to wrestle Emma Mahecha-Cabrera. The College Station Cougar got the first takedown almost halfway through the first period. Henderson chose neutral, and was again taken down by Mahecha-Cabrera. Henderson tried for the third time to use a headlock to grapple her opponent to the mat, but Mahecha-Cabrera used that against her to put her on her back and get the pin at 3:08.
Up next at 140 lbs. was Isabel Ponce for Klein Collins and Audacious Burns for College Station. The two had just met six days before at the CFISD tournament, where Burns won a first period pin.
Burns scored the first takedown with a double-leg takedown. About to be put on her back, Ponce back-bridged over the top of Burns and received a 2-point reversal. On restart, Burns stood and was pushed out of bounds. She stood again and turned in, caught Ponce with a reverse half and forced her to the mat, catching a quick pin at 1:21.
After Collins received forfeit points, Abigail Turner was up to face Anely Felipe at 155 lbs. Turner circled and circled and when Felipe got an over-hook, she kept circling against the over-hook and forced her to the mat, and onto her back. The fall was recorded at 1:01.
And that was it for the contested matches. If you count the forfeits, College Station defeated Klein Collins 54 – 18. If you count just the contested matches, College Station still won 12-6.
Up next was the boys. In a quad meet earlier this season, Klein Collins defeated College Station 40 – 36.
College Station’s Nathan Cerda picked up a forfeit at 106 lbs.
Fabian Cruz (28-2) of College Station vs. Ethan Gonzalez of Klein Collins at 113 lbs. I could not find a record for Gonzalez. Gonzalez had the first takedown attempt with a pretty righteous right ankle pick, but he wasn’t able to capitalize, as Cruz was able to spin around for three. Cruz rode him tough, but Gonzalez was able to create an escape with 0:05 left in the period.
Gonzalez deferred and Cruz chose top. As Gonzalez stood for an escape, Cruz picked him up and deposited him on his back, and was rewarded with a NF-4. He rode out the next 1:24 and led 7-1 going into the third period where Gonzalez started on top.
Cruz received a penalty point for a clasp right before he escaped. Gonzalez got a single-leg takedown, but Cruz was able to reverse. And the period ended with Cruz on top with an 11-4 decision. College Station 9 – Klein Collins 0.
At 120 lbs. Giovanni Dominguez of KC and Maddox Cruz of CS got together in a match that would end in the first period. In what looked like a possible Dominguez takedown, Cruz turned it into a takedown of his own, and an ensuing pin at 0:56. College Station 15 – Klein Collins 0.
Isaac Andrade of Klein Collins and Joshua Fildes of College Station were up next at 126 lbs.
Andrade started off the action with a takedown that was awarded while the wrestlers were still on their feet, but as they came down to the mat, Fildes was on top and was awarded a reversal. Fildes was able to sink a deep half nelson and turn Andrade over for the fall at 1:15. College Station 21 – Klein Collins 0.
Dean Sanchez of College Station was given a forfeit at 132 lbs. College Station 27 – Klein Collins 0.
138 lbs. brought Klein Collins’ Tramon Washington (3-4) to face Dominick Tan (6-18). The first period was filled with action. Tran tried a shot but Washington defended and spun for the 3. He then used an armbar to turn Tran over for another NF-3. He was penalized for a clasp, but then used an armbar to turn him for another NF-3. 9-1 going into the second period.
Washington started on top and was called for another clasp penalty. After the penalty restart, Washington turned Tran one more time with the armbar, this time getting the call for the fall at 3:13. College Station 27 – Klein Collins 6.
Klein Collins’ Vincent Ventresca took on Cash Rieger at 144 lbs. Ventresca immediately scored a single leg takedown, bringing Rieger down on his back, and he got the pin at 0:18. College Station 27 – Klein Collins 12.
Keegan Pledger (17-7) took on Gunner Watson (15-16) of College Station at 150 lbs. Pledger scored a quick takedown, and after a potentially dangerous armbar, Pledger chose to restart in a neutral position. He then scored his second takedown and was able to turn Watson over with an armbar/half on the edge of the mat and get a pin with less than 0:04 left in the period. College Station 27 – Klein Collins 18.
At 157 lbs., Giovanni Hernandez of Klein Collins started out with a quick takedown against James Colvin of College Station. He cut Colvin loose and scored another takedown and nearfall two. Colvin earned a reverse and the period ended with Hernandez up 8-3.
Hernandez chose neutral, and had the first shot, but couldn’t make anything out of it, and got stuck underneath. Colvin got the takedown points, and it was no 8-6. At this point Hernandez looked gassed. Colvin was able to ball him up for a near cradle and was given the pin at 3:41. College Station 33 – Klein Collins 18.
Next up was College Station’s big man, John Humphries, taking on Joseph Camerino (11-13) at 165 lbs. Humphries is currently ranked as 5A’s #8 175 pounder. As a senior, Humphries is 10-0 this season. Humphries is a 2X state qualifier and 3X Region qualifier, placing 6th at state last season at 165 lbs. His career record is 117-28.
Humphries went straight in for a double and slipped in a half to turn Camerino on his back, but Camerino rolled through it. Humphries cut Camerino loose, then took him down with an identical double, also putting him on his back in the process. This time he was there to stay. The ref called the pin at 1:01. College Station 39 – Klein Collins 18.
Mateo Chacon (12-8) of Klein Collins was up next at 175 lbs. to attempt to right the ship. He faced Easton Duty (7-11) of College Station. Chacon struck first with a takedown, but Duty was able to escape and get a takedown of his own. Being down by a point, Chacon chose neutral, and was able to take advantage to get his second takedown of the match. Now Duty was trailing in the match, 6-4, going into the third period, and he chose bottom. He closed the gap by escaping, but was not able to get the positioning for a takedown, and was the victim of another takedown by Chacon, who won a 9-5 decision. College Station 39 – Klein Collins 21.
190 lbs. Elias Haenke (18-3) of College Station came in to try to give his team a lead that Klein Collins could not catch up to. He faced Noah Patterson (5-13). Haenke would do just what his team needed with a first period takedown, NF-4, and pin at 1:17. College Station 45 – Klein Collins 21.
215 lbs. Isaiah Longoria (14-7) was next for Klein Collins. His challenger was Joshua Hugghins (3-6). It was a busy first period for these wrestlers as Hugghins scored the first takedown, then Longoria escaped and recorded a takedown of his own. Hugghins escaped to even the score at four, but before the end of the period, Longoria struck again. Longoria ended the period with a NF-2 to go into the second period with a 9-4 lead.
Hugghins deferred and Longoria chose neutral, unfortunately for Hugghins, Longoria scored his third takedown of the match, and closed out the scoring with a fall at 3:51. College Station 45 – Klein Collins 27.
285 lbs. The heavyweights were Dominic Lawrence of KC and Jeremiah Gonzalez (2-5) of CS. It appears that this was Lawrence’s first outing of the season. He did not disappoint as he went all six minutes and defeated Gonzalez by a score of 6-2. Lawrence scored a takedown in both the second and third periods for the ultimate advantage.
The final score was College Station 45 – Klein Collins 30. A reversal of their first match. Both teams won seven matches. If you weren’t counting the two forfeits that benefited College Station, they still would have won 33-30.
Klein Collins hosts their annual Tiger Classic on January 16-17. There are currently 35 teams registered to appear.
College Station will host the CSHS Cougar Classic which looks to have 29 teams registered.
