Young but experienced Cougars return to the mat

WARDEN — Warden wrestlers will be back competing against tough competition at the Eastern Washington Athletic Conference this week. This year, the two teams are striving to reach new heights despite returning to a young roster.  

“We’re a young group and being a small school, we get a lot of kids who like to try wrestling so (our goal is) getting those kids to blossom,” said Cougars boys head coach Johnny Hernandez. “One of my favorite parts of doing this is just being able to see where these kids start and then where they finish and it’s amazing to see sometimes.” 

The Cougars boys team finished the season, bringing 12 wrestlers to state and placing four of those wrestlers. In the offseason, the team graduated with two of those state placers, which means they’ll be returning almost their full roster, but only one of those returners, Eric Camacho, is a senior. 

Camacho is highly experienced and has been wrestling with the Cougar programs since he was five, said Johnny.  

“Eric is one of those kids who came through our little guy program and has stuck with us ever since,” he said. “Had a great year last year... he’s gunning for a state title so we’re going to do everything we can to get him to his goals.” 

Valerie Hernandez, who has been the Cougars girls head coach for the last 21 years, said last season also ended on a high note for the girls with Warden taking a handful of girls to state. With only one of the state placers graduating in the offseason, the girls will be returning a number of key wrestlers who are ready to get back to competition. 

“Having those girls hungry and wanting to finish the season on a better note because they weren’t pleased with their finishes, I’m actually excited to have them back with that new fire and motivation to head back to the dome,” said Valerie. 

Much like the boys team, the girls have a small returning senior class with Ashley Cruz and Marion Zuniga. The coach said both of these seniors have shown their motivation and dedication to the program over the years and committed themselves to lifting weights and open mats to work toward improving themselves for the season ahead. 

“I’m excited for them and their motivation. They lead really well with these young girls, and they’re doing a really good job of helping them move along,” she said. “They’re basically holding the reins and these girls that are following the lead are doing a good job too.” 

This year, the Cougars are preparing for the season by doing a great deal of building on what they had last year. The boys have a large group of hardworking freshmen and eighth graders that Johnny said are familiar with the program, and despite being young, are showing the skills necessary to bring success this season. 

“I think with the core group we have now, I think we can get into the top ten and then build on that and pretty much get the whole group back next year,” said the coach. “I think next year we’ll be trophy hunting.” 

Both the boys and the girls have a strong core of sophomores and juniors returning this season, which helps provide the experience for the team. Valerie said these experienced wrestlers will be helping get the newer members of the team up to speed. 

She said the team is also doing a better job this season of pushing the returners toward their potential because they have a strong motivation to reach the next level. That motivation has also been spread to the new players as they practice with those returners who are working hard to achieve their goals. 

“Overall, we are focusing on the now, the current practices and to move forward and not fall short so that everybody is reaching their potential,” said Valerie. 

Last season, the greatest challenge for the Cougars was keeping everybody healthy, and that will once again be an anticipated struggle for the team, said Johnny. This becomes most apparent late in the season, so one of the main goals is to maintain their health during the final stretch. 

Another challenge that the team faces on the girls side is having multiple skilled wrestlers in the same weight class. Valerie said in addition to that, the classifications are often divided, with teams going in different direction,s which made scheduling a bit of a challenge this season. 

Throughout this season, Johnny said he hopes that the team can build up their skills but also foster camaraderie and closeness between teammates. 

Valerie said she is looking forward to seeing the growth of the wrestlers this season and helping them reach their individual goals. 

“Helping these girls that are returning attain their goals, ultimately, that’s what a coach wants to see,” she said. “When you see these girls attain their goals and do everything they said they sought out to do, that’s where you realize the coaches did their jobs.” 

The Cougars begin competition this week with the boys heading to Burbank on Thursday at 5 p.m. and Ocosta on Saturday at 9 a.m. The girls first meet will be against Liberty on Saturday at 10 a.m. 

    Warden senior Ashley Cruz takes down her opponent in the state tournament last season. Cruz returns to the team this year as a two-time state participant who is pushing to return to the dome once again.
  

    Current sophomore for the Cougars, Guiliana Pruneda, battles as a state participant last season. The Cougars have a strong group of returning sophomores and juniors who are bringing state experience onto the team for the next few years.