Eddie Gonzalez said it took him very little time to realize he had someone special on the wrestling mat in Serenity De La Garza.
“It was, I think, maybe the second match,” he said.
“Of her freshman year,” he added for clarity.
Ever since, now-junior has gotten better, much better. As a freshman, she compiled a 2-2 mark at the state tournament. Last year, she won the regional championship and finished third in the state, her only loss coming in the state semifinal. With a 13-0 record this season, the McAllen Memorial junior is ranked No. 1 in Texas in the 138-pound category in Girls Class 5A, according to wrestlingtexas.com.
Thirteen matches. Thirteen wins. Thirteen pins.
De La Garza, who has a 68-8 career record (29-1 in her past 30 matches), is one of four state-ranked Mustangs. Senior Maya Marroquin is No. 5 at 148 pounds. Junior Eternity De La Garza, Serenity’s twin sister, is No. 14 at 165. And Ashton Burris is No. 4 at 185.
The Mustangs are ranked No. 8 as a team by wrestlingtexas.com, while PSJA Memorial is No. 10 in Class 5A. The Wolverines have one ranked wrestler, senior Lorena Torres, who is also No. 1, at 185.
“There are definitely high expectations for her — stay healthy, wrestle as she always has and get as far as she can and become state champion. We will push for that.
“She is a heck of a role model for the kids. They see her work ethic. She never complains, hurt or not. She’s splitting time with the varsity basketball team and she’s constantly working out, but keeping her grades. The others try to emulate here and learn from her.”
De La Garza also plays basketball for the Mustangs. The two sports, which run concurrently, help De La Garza in different areas — using skills from one to play the other and vice versa.
“Basketball helps me stay in shape before the season starts to be conditioned if I have to go 6 minutes (during a match) and helps me move a little faster with my footwork,” she said. “Wrestling helped me be stronger and can move faster and use my strength. When I’m wrestling, I’m looking at their legs and hands, so when I’m guarding someone I can see their movements quicker.”
Her aggressiveness may come as a surprise for those who haven’t seen De La Garza in competition. Described as always laughing and smiling during her personal time, she steps into another atmosphere, especially on the mat.
“She is very energetic when it’s game time. She is focused and knows what she has to work on,” Gonzalez said. “Her personality is always happy but she definitely gets into game mode.
“(On the mat) she won’t stop. She tries to do whatever she can and has a variety of techniques. She takes beautiful shots and she’s a well-rounded wrestler. She’s tried everything and she listens, too. Sometimes as I’m calling it, she’s seeing it, hitting sweeps or something else. She’s very versatile.”
While De La Garza has a full menu of moves in her repertoire, she also has some favorites that are her crème de la crème. She looks for those opportunities at every moment.
“I like to shoot in for a single leg, get deep in on them and then throw them,” she said. “Or I’ll do the double blast, but only if it’s totally there. A lot of girls like to tie up and I change the level and shoot, that’s what coach says. My freshman and sophomore years it wasn’t there for me but it’s better. I like that and it looks really cool when they try to grab me but I’m gone.”
Blessed with speed, quickness, strength and a powerful knowledge of the sport, Gonzalez said their goal is a state title. But, he’s quick to add, while a No. 1 ranking is a nice indicator of her ability right now, it will mean much more when the season is completed.
“That’s the best thing about her: she’s more confident than before, but doesn’t let it get to her head,” he said. “She understands the situations. Whether she’s ranked No. 1 or not, you still have to show up. Rankings can be subjective and you don’t know who changed weight classes.
“She has the confidence. She knows she still needs to make sure and beat anybody, regardless. Just wrestle and own the match. This is a sport where one little mistake can make a huge difference.”
De La Garza echoes those sentiments.
“I feel a little pressure being No. 1 but I try not to worry about it. It’s just a number. If I get No. 1 at the end of the year it will mean something to me but it doesn’t mean as much now.
“Until I earn state champion.”
