120 weight class winners. Photo by Gina Smith.
By Gina Smith
February 06, 2012
Pahranagat Valley High School had a good showing at the Lincoln County High School wrestling duals on January 27th. Many of the eight member team are poised to do very well in state duals coming up very shortly.
Freshman Jeff Jones was given the coveted Coaches Choice Award. Jones beat out LCHS senior wrestler Damiono Ballejos to place first in his weight class.
Preparation for Jones and many other wrestlers began long before high school.
Jeff Jones with award. Photo by Gina Smith.
Kids start as young as kindergarten with wrestling camps held every year. Starting in sixth grade, wrestlers participate on exhibition teams until high school.
In wrestling, immense dedication is needed. “Work ethic comes into play with wrestling,” said PVHS wrestling coach Brad Loveday. “Work hard in practice. There is no magic bullet. Eat healthy. It takes lots of discipline and hard work.”
This is a smaller team but one that is noticed. According to Loveday, most teams from all over Nevada recognize Pahranagat Valley as a very tough team, despite its small size.
Coach Loveday encourages community to support the wrestling teams. “When you see a tournament going on, go out and watch. Kids work really, really hard, and it makes them feel good when people come out to watch,” he said.
Look for an article coming soon covering the LCHS team.
