Post by Alumni on Jan 25, 2007 15:02:17 GMT -5
Jeremy Evans
January 25, 2007
When Anthony Barton, Elliot Pekar, Miles Wallace, Lee Williams, D.J. Slater and Jake Fonken stepped on campus as freshmen four years ago, South Tahoe wrestling coach Ken Robbins remembers the scene quite well.
"Here were these little guys acting like all freshman do, not sure of themselves and looking up to the older guys," recalled Robbins, who was then an assistant with the Vikings. "That's why I love being a high school coach. You get to watch a kids' development from the age of 14 to 18. I've watched these guys grow from boys to men."
The seniors continued to make their coach proud on Wednesday when three of the six wrestlers pinned their opponents in the Vikings' 57-18 Sierra League dual victory over Hug at STHS.
Williams (140 pounds) defeated his opponent 9-5, Slater won by forfeit and Barton missed the match because of an injured ankle, though he might be ready for the Northern 4A regional tournament. Wallace (189 pounds), Fonken (160 pounds) and Pekar (152 pounds) all pinned their opponents in the first two rounds.
"It was hard tonight," Williams said. "It was fun but sad at the same time because this is it. That's what made this night so special. The atmosphere was a lot different because we knew this was our last home match."
In all, the Vikings collected five forfeit victories. Chris Ewing (215 pounds), Paul Hubble (145 pounds) and Myles Lopez (119 pounds) recorded pins in their matches as South Tahoe enjoyed its biggest margin of victory this season.
The Vikings, who lost to North Valleys on Monday in Reno, don't wrestle again until the regional tournament Feb. 2-3 at Hug High in Reno. The top three wrestlers in each weight class advance to the 4A state tournament.
Whatever happens at regionals, Slater said he'll remember his four years with coach Robbins.
"He's changed my attitude a lot," Slater said. "He's made a big difference. When I lost as a freshman, I would walk off the mat like it was no big deal. Now we're working on things all the time so it doesn't happen again. It was a motivational match for us tonight."
January 25, 2007
When Anthony Barton, Elliot Pekar, Miles Wallace, Lee Williams, D.J. Slater and Jake Fonken stepped on campus as freshmen four years ago, South Tahoe wrestling coach Ken Robbins remembers the scene quite well.
"Here were these little guys acting like all freshman do, not sure of themselves and looking up to the older guys," recalled Robbins, who was then an assistant with the Vikings. "That's why I love being a high school coach. You get to watch a kids' development from the age of 14 to 18. I've watched these guys grow from boys to men."
The seniors continued to make their coach proud on Wednesday when three of the six wrestlers pinned their opponents in the Vikings' 57-18 Sierra League dual victory over Hug at STHS.
Williams (140 pounds) defeated his opponent 9-5, Slater won by forfeit and Barton missed the match because of an injured ankle, though he might be ready for the Northern 4A regional tournament. Wallace (189 pounds), Fonken (160 pounds) and Pekar (152 pounds) all pinned their opponents in the first two rounds.
"It was hard tonight," Williams said. "It was fun but sad at the same time because this is it. That's what made this night so special. The atmosphere was a lot different because we knew this was our last home match."
In all, the Vikings collected five forfeit victories. Chris Ewing (215 pounds), Paul Hubble (145 pounds) and Myles Lopez (119 pounds) recorded pins in their matches as South Tahoe enjoyed its biggest margin of victory this season.
The Vikings, who lost to North Valleys on Monday in Reno, don't wrestle again until the regional tournament Feb. 2-3 at Hug High in Reno. The top three wrestlers in each weight class advance to the 4A state tournament.
Whatever happens at regionals, Slater said he'll remember his four years with coach Robbins.
"He's changed my attitude a lot," Slater said. "He's made a big difference. When I lost as a freshman, I would walk off the mat like it was no big deal. Now we're working on things all the time so it doesn't happen again. It was a motivational match for us tonight."