Chelan Goats Wrestling: 36 strong, 3 seniors return

CHELAN – Goats wrestling picks up momentum this year, adding more wrestlers to the roster according to Head Coach Jeffrey Chambers. Last year, the team took a group to state with some participants and a couple alternates, and had two wrestlers place, Juan De La Cruz placing third and Skylar Gordon placing sixth.
Chambers moved from Seaside, Calif. five years ago after accepting a position as youth pastor at Living Stone Church. While in California, he accomplished two years as head coach, and is in his third year of head coach with the Goats.
The team of 36 wrestlers is really sophomore and junior heavy said Chambers, with only three seniors on the team, Team Captain Javier Pastor, Braden Williams and Wyatt Groseclose.
Three key returners to the team this year include Skylar Gordon in the 182-lb. class, Eric Acala at 152-lb. class and Jaiden Buyas at the 120-lb. class. All three key returners have previously participated at state and are looking for a return visit this year.
Adding to the previously established group of athletes are up and comers worthy of keeping track of. Freshman Billie Corter, competing in the female weight class of 100 lb. or male weight class of 106 lb. was the first to come to Coach Chambers mind, “I think she’s got some great skills to offer,” he explained, then added Sophmore Johnny Ayala at 182 lb, and described the potential Ayala offers, “he’s got all the skillsets to go to state, explosive and super athletic,” and concluded with Sophmore Felipe Martinez 160 lb. “he’s got a chip on his shoulder,” Chambers described excitedly, “just his mentality, he’s got a dog in him that just wants to be unleashed.” He began describing his hopes for this year’s team and future teams, “(we’re) trying to bring some notoriety to wrestling,” he stated, “(show) that it’s not the step child of the school sports, we’ve won districts twice and won league twice and the kids are excited about that. This program has untapped potential in our younger group.”
 “(This year) we dominate league,” he predicted, “we’ll walk through our league. I’m not trying to brag or boast, that’s just our mentality, in our wrestling program we win league. Our mentality is we win districts. Our hurdle this year is we got to get through regionals, we got to go to regionals, and we got to win at regionals – so, my prediction is, we’re going on a bus to state.” Goats wrestling will travel to Okanogan for their first Jamboree, Wednesday, Nov. 29.