WATSONVILLE—As a unit, the Monte Vista Christian wrestling team took its fair share of lumps competing in the challenging Pacific Coast Athletic League Gabilan Division this season.
But certain individuals were able to use the challenge and grow as the season progressed.
Rykin Resurreccion was one of those who was up to the task, going up against five of the toughest the division had to offer. The standout sophomore went 4-1 in league duals and placed high in some of the most testing tournaments in the section.
“The mindset for the season was really just focus on yourself,” he said. “The person that you’re going against, no matter who they are, you have to perform at your best and always at your best.”
The Mustangs finished in the top-9 in the three divisions–Gabilan, Mission and Cypress–within the PCAL.
MVC coach Jeff Silveira believes the difficult competition prepared Resurreccion knowing that he was going to see it at least once a week. If it wasn’t a tournament on the weekend, then it was a league dual during the week.
“[Resurreccion] had to prepare just as much as he would for a tournament,” Silveira said.
Resurreccion is training again this week for the Central Coast Section Masters tournament at Watsonville High on Saturday which starts at 9am.
He qualified following a third-place finish in the 132-pound division at last week’s Southern Regionals, beating Alisal High junior Santiago Chaidez in a 12-2 major decision.
It was a bit of redemption for Resurreccion after losing to Chaidez just a week earlier at the PCAL Championship.
Resurreccion admitted it was an off week for him prior to the league finals. Not just with wrestling but he was also dealing with some personal issues.
“It doesn’t matter, in the moment it was about competing and competing at my best, which I knew I could’ve competed better,” he said.
Resurreccion was up 7-2 with 45 seconds left in the match when he made a couple of mistakes that cost him the match. Silveira believes the youngster took a lesson from his blunder and is ready for what lies ahead.
Panic began to set in for Resurreccion, who then started going too fast and not playing it smart.
“I felt defeated but it was a lesson that I learned and I hope not to repeat again,” he said.
Resurreccion–who was a stud on the football team–has been able to use his athleticism this year and became a bit more competitive since last season.
Silveira said that comes with having one year under his belt and getting bulked up during the offseason.
The longtime wrestling coach believes Resurreccion’s best performance came at the Mid-Cals Tournament at Gilroy High School on Jan. 20-21.
Resurreccion didn’t place on the podium but he was able to compete in a tough event that featured schools from Washington, Oklahoma and some of the best schools in California.
Resurreccion went 4-2 in that tournament and Silveira noticed a change in his wrestling. One match in particular saw Resurreccion trailing in the third period, yet he stayed calm and pulled out a victory where he normally wouldn’t have as a freshman.
Resurreccion is a quiet leader; however, he does lead by example. He knew going into the season that he was going to play a leadership role as one of the team captains.
“When he needs to say something, he’ll say it and the team listens,” Silveira said. “He is young but he’s got that quiet confidence and quiet leadership that when he does speak, people listen.”
One of the goals for Resurreccion is to change the culture at MVC, including some of his teammates who might’ve given up and lost hope following a loss.
Resurreccion believes a defeat should make someone stronger and hungrier to have it more.
“When you start losing, that should bring a fire out in your body, in your mind, to accomplish something that a lot of people don’t think would happen,” he said. You want to prove people wrong and I don’t really see that a lot from my teammates.”
Resurreccion has a business-like approach to the sport.
Silveira noted he didn’t need to say much following the loss in the PCAL finals because Resurreccion was the first one to know he made a mistake.
“Pretty mature for his age, so that makes a big difference,” Silveira said.
The stage is set for this weekend’s CCS Masters tournament. Resurreccion will square off against Homestead High senior Tyler Tamura, who took sixth at the Northern Regionals.
Resurreccion said he would like to place in the top-8, but it’s not going to bring him down if that’s not the case.
Despite the outcome, he’ll continue to drill himself in the wrestling room and plans to join a club so he could stay in shape and improve his skills on the mat.
“As of now for bracketing, I don’t care who I go against,” he said. “I don’t care about their record. I’ll go out and compete at my best no matter who they are.”
