Rancho wrestlers use team concept

     By Tiffannie Bond
     View staff writer
      The Rancho High School wrestling team's end-of-practice tradition is older than the wrestlers who participate in it.
      Beating the floor and chanting "win" numerous times at the end of practice is a tradition head coach Chuck Diller wasn't going to let die when he began coaching the team 15 years ago.
      Just as their voices sound as one at the end of practice, Diller considers his wrestlers as one team -- even though wrestling is considered more of an individual sport.
      "I put the team before anybody individually," Diller said. "You can't win a state championship without the team concept."
      The concept accounts for every member of the team, whether they have been wrestling since they were 6 years old or began wrestling at Rancho.
      "Without the lesser caliber guys or the guys who are just learning, the varsity guys aren't going to be any good," Diller said. "You can only go so long with one guy before you need fresh people to work with and those people are a big part of any sports team, not just Rancho's wrestling team."
      All the team members are going to have obstacles in the form of rule changes to overcome before they can think about the state championships.
      The Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) reduced the amount of wrestlers eligible for the state championships from six to four, allowing the Southern and Northern conferences to send only four wrestlers each.
      Next year, the NIAA is expected to split the Southern Conference into the Sunrise and Sunset Conferences and will allow five wrestlers from each conference to attend the state championship.
      For many of the wrestlers, the Southern Conference championship will be the end of the road until next season or college.
      "This year it is going to be very difficult," Diller said. "You're going to have to be very good or very lucky to go to state this year."
      Not only is that a disappointment for this year's seniors, it's disappointing to everyone on the team, Diller said.
      "The Southern Coach's Association doesn't feel like it was good for wrestling," Diller said.
      For some team members, the restriction poses more of a challenge.
      "That tells me I have to work harder to place in the top four instead of fifth or sixth," said Charlie Pearson, a senior heavyweight. "I just want to win every championship I can and help this team win every championship it can."
      "I've looked for this for four years," said Eric Grigsby, senior practice captain who wrestles at 130 pounds. "It's my first year on varsity. I am not going home a loser."
      Aside from the state championship, Grigsby is concerned about getting on a college team. And, right now, he doesn't seem to care which one.
      "I just want to wrestle," he said.
      Since 1965, Rancho has placed state champions' names on the wall of the room where they practice. For sophomore Brian Waite (103) winning a state championship means becoming a part of that history.
      "My goal for right now is getting my name on the wall," Waite said.
      Whether they take conference or state, Diller said he believes his wrestlers will be able to use their skills anywhere in life.
      "This is the toughest thing to do in high school sports because you are being physically beat up every day, and if you can succeed here, you've got it inside yourself to succeed in any tough situation," Diller said.
      The Rams recently got a taste of what the Southern Conference championships will be like during the Chaparral Tournament on Jan. 14 and 15. Rancho placed third in the event with 159 points, behind Snow Canyon from St. George, Utah, and Bonanza.
      "It wasn't quite what I hoped it would be, but I'm glad we were there," Diller said.
      The Rams' showing in the tournament -- which also included Bonanza, Durango, Eldorado, Las Vegas and Green Valley -- was "what we normally do but a little bit better," Diller said.
      Chase Diller (112) was the most valuable player and took first place in his weight class. Jered Medina (119), Billy Rosado (125) and Joshua Medina (140) -- known as the Fab Four -- also took first place. Waite finished fourth, Grigsby ranked fifth and Pearson placed sixth.
      Although Diller is happy with the tournament's outcome, third place isn't good enough.
      "We just have to do a notch better," he said. "We have to step it up a little."