Dad’s incentive drives Powers

It's hard to imagine Reggie Powers smiling any wider than when he and his Mojave teammates posed with their second straight state wrestling championship trophy.

But soon, behind the wheel of his new Mercedes S500, you can bet he'll be grinning like he stole something.

And maybe he did -- the 215-pound individual title, courtesy of a single-leg takedown with 16 seconds left in a rematch against Cimarron-Memorial's Robert Atwood, the Sunset Regional champion.

Powers' prize? Reggie Sr.'s sweet ride, a revenge reward.

"I just wanted to inspire him," Reggie Sr. said before his son's 3-1 victory. "I needed something to tease his talent. After he lost to (Atwood) in regionals, I told him that he could be cruising."

Now Reggie Jr. will be riding in style, with two state championship rings hanging from his rear-view mirror.

The Rattlers made easy work of the tournament, scoring 206 points with 10 top-three placers. Mojave had three individual winners: Powers, Jake Evans at 130 pounds and Alex Proffitt at 171.

The Rattlers brought 12 wrestlers to the tournament, including one nonscorer, but their advantage wasn't merely a matter of quantity.

"It's not just a numbers game," Cimarron coach Mike Garcia said. "Mojave's got quality kids. The numbers help if you don't have six, seven, eight placers, but you've gotta have quality wrestlers."

As did runner-up Damonte Ranch, with 1441/2 points and six placers, including champions Jordan O'Neal (119), Brock Frank (150) and Marvin Edmunds (160). Cimarron was third with 105 points and champions Britain Longmire (112) and Nick Harris (135).

Bishop Gorman had two champions -- Napolean Anciente (103) and Steven Hernandez (140) -- and arguably the night's most emotional moment. After Hernandez pinned Mojave's Colby Evans in 1 minute, 24 seconds, for his second state title, he leaped into the arms of his father, Gaels assistant coach Rick Hernandez.

"To see the joy of him winning his second straight championship, it makes me proud as a father and as a coach," Rick Hernandez said, wiping away tears. "For my own son to feel as emotional as he did, knowing all the work he put into it -- seeing his eyes after winning -- it's overwhelming."

But the night belonged to the Rattlers. They came out in full force, passing a necklace full of last year's championship rings from wrestler to wrestler.

One of their crowning moments came when Proffitt gained a 6-5 victory over Damonte Ranch's Micah Chalk. The soul of the Mojave squad, Proffitt was mauled by his teammates afterward, each waiting in line for a hug.

"The way the boys reacted there is all about what our team is," coach Colin Wilson said. "They are a band of brothers, and that victory was the whole team's victory."

Now, only one Rattler is left unhappy.

That's Reggie Powers Sr. He's the one stuck driving a Ford Ranger.