Two wrestlers place at state meet
Sophomore Noah Martinez takes second in 120, senior Jake Moser finishes sixth in heavyweight
Sophomore Dylan Rowling squares off against Flower Mound’s Blaine Odom on the second day of the state tournament. This was Rowling’s second year in a row to compete at state.
Junior Chris Schubert eyes his competition, Allen’s Dalton Miller in the first day of wrestling at the state meet.
Junior Jesse Moser wins his first round match over Lubbock Monterrey’s Aiden Tovar at the state meet.
Sophomore Noah Martinez wrestles Klein Collin’s Layton Stephens in the 120 weight class at the state meet. Martinez finished second.
Senior Jake Moser wrestles Cypress Ridge’s Edward Valdez in his final match. Moser finished sixth in the heavyweight class.
Sophomore Noah Martinez receives his silver medal in the 120 class.
Senior Jake Moser receives his 6th place medal.
Noah Martinez, 2nd in 120 weight class
Jake Moser, 6th in heavyweight
February 23, 2015
Two wrestlers reached the podium at the 6A state wrestling meet in Garland, Feb. 20-21. Sophomore Noah Martinez placed second in the 120 weight class and senior Jake Moser was sixth in the heavyweight division.
Martinez won all three of his matches the first day, including pinning Timber Creek’s Jamie Paterson in the semifinals to reach the championship match.
“It was a great feeling and it isn’t really a feeling you could describe much,” Martinez said.
Qualifying for the finals, Martinez participated in the Parade of Champions with all the other finalists and their matches were shown live online at Fox Sports Southwest’s website. Martinez lost the final to Martin’s Kennedy Monday, his first loss after racking up 11 wins through district, regionals and state.
“I did not get the aspect I was expecting to get,” Martinez said. “I was not expecting a defeat. It was a match I was expecting at all. It just wasn’t a way I’m used to losing.”
Senior Jake Moser also placed at the state meet, in the heavyweight division. Moser won his first two matches the first day, including a second round upset over Allen’s Nico Manzonelli in the extra period to advance to the semis.
“What a huge match for Jake,” head coach Brad Bresnehen said. “That secured ‘all-state’ and a placement medal for him. And in typical Jake fashion, won it in OT. He has more OT wins than any other Rouse wrestler in history. That is a testament to how hard he works and how badly he wants to win.”
In his final match the first day, Moser lost in the semi-finals which bumped him into the consolation side of the tournament, but still guaranteed him a top six finish. In the fifth place match, Moser and Cypress Ridge’s Edward Valdez were tied 1-1 at the end of the third period. Valdez scored two points in the extra period to win the match, giving Moser sixth place.
“I was pretty happy,” Moser said. “Being sixth at competition is pretty difficult.”
As a senior, state was Moser’s final wrestling competition.
“It’s always one of the best feelings, standing up on the podium no matter what place you’re in,” Moser said.
Five wrestlers competed at the state tournament. Sophomore Dylan Rowling and junior Jesse Moser won and lost matches the first day to move to the consolation bracket for the second day. Both lost their consolation matches Saturday to end their tournament runs.
This was Rowling and Martinez’s second year to compete at the state level. Four of the five state wrestlers return to the team next year.
“Having four state qualifiers coming back is very exciting,” Bresnehen said. “The best thing about it, none of these guys were satisfied. Not even Noah. They are all unhappy with 15th as a team and how they placed individually. That, as a coach, is the most exciting aspect.”
