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About Smoke signals. (Grand Ronde, Or.) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 1, 2013)
Smoke Signals 9 MARCH 1,2013 'They've worked! veiry hairdl too ofi' WRESTLING continued from front page to see him win a second state title," said his father, Leland Hofenbredl, after the championships held at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. 'That's very hard to do, especially at the high school level." Matthew has had a winning wres tling career ever since he started wrestling with the Dallas Mat Club. He has wrestled at the Reno World Championships many times; and also at the Danville, 111., Middle School Nationals, once winning the Ail-American Award. When he was 12, Hofenbredl won the Oregon Kids Collegiate Wrestling Championship in the 75-pound weight class. Last year, Hofenbredl competed in the high school nationals in Vir ginia Beach. "He held his own," Leland said. "He didn't place, but he was com petitive." "It was a tough tournament," said Matthew. "The kids were a little better, but it was good expe rience." During the 2012 wrestling sea son, Hofenbredl wrestled to a 39-2 record and was the favorite in his weight class going into the state championships. For many years, he has expressed complete confidence in his skills, usually expecting to win, and often wrestling the same leading wres tlers he has defeated during the season. Nothing new this year on that count. Asked if he expected to win again, he said, "Yes I did." "I learned to stay focused go ing into this year's final match," he said, "thinking about what f . sr.. yT C Scio High School freshman Justin Parazoo placed second in the 220-pound weight class of the 3 A division during the state wrestling championships in Portland on Saturday, Feb. 23. Scio High School senior Josh Parazoo defeated Vale's Kye Yraguen to win first place in the 285-pound weight class of the 3A division during the state wrestling championships in Portland on Saturday, Feb. 23. I'm going to do (when the match starts)." Leland says that Matthew's te nacity and dedication to wrestling has translated into "a lot of self-discipline. He gets things done. I credit most of that to wrestling. "He practices all the time. He's got to stay on a pretty good diet." Matthew also plays football and baseball for the Dallas Dragons. Courtesy photos ' 'V ' yf war In his spare time, he likes to longboard and skateboard with friends. Josh Parazoo defeated Vale's Kye Yraguen in the 285-pound weight class 9-1 in the 3A competition. Josh's younger brother, Justin, lost in the 220-pound finals to Nyssa's Sebastian Sanchez 11-4, accord ing to parents Doug and Monique Parazoo. "We're just really proud of them," said Monique. "They've worked very hard for it." The Parazoo boys started wrestling at the local Tombey Mat Club and have built a reputation for hard work and dedication over the years. "They're straight-A stu dents," said Doug, correcting himself to note that Josh has a 4.0 and Justin a 3.8 grade point average, "but I think they love sports as well. I think the work ethic that they have also falls into their school work. Everything they do, they're in it 100 percent. Whatever they do, they want to do the best at. They don't want to be second to any body. They're so competitive in their sports, but they also don't want somebody else in school getting better grades than them." "I think we're a product of each other," said Josh. "We make each other better from our hard work. We push each other every day." "We're pretty much always together," said Justin. "We learn and help each other Photo courtesy of Lance Masterson7ie Sheridan Sun better " Willamina High School freshman Michael Reyes takes on an opponent during hike Hofenbredl, the Parazoo the state wrestling championships held Saturday, Feb. 23, in Portland. Reyes boys hone their wrestling skills at finished second, going 3-1 in the tournament. nationals in Illinois and Reno. Last year, Josh finished fourth in Reno. The year before that, Justin fin ished third. Last year, Justin broke his elbow in the Illinois nationals. "When you go to tournaments," said Josh, "you find things you need to work on." The Parazoo boys have wrestling in their blood. Doug, Doug's broth er, Matt, and cousin, Travis, all have wrestled with success. Matt and Travis were state champs in their time; Matt twice and Travis once. Doug, Matt and Travis also coach the boys. Doug credits "the hard work they put into it" for his sons' success. 'They lift and wrestle year-round," he said. 'Their routine is that they go to school, lift (weights) and practice. They do 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and run every day. "We're ex tremely proud of them," he added, "for sure. The nice thing is their work ethic. They have worked for other people and the feedback I get is that they work extremely hard." "To win a state tournament is a big deal," said Josh. "That's the last big thing in high school. When you're the state champ, you're the best, so it's pretty cool." After winning, said Justin, "We celebrate for a day or two and then get back to practice." Both Parazoo boys also started this year as linemen on the varsity football team. In 2009 and 2010, Josh helped the team drive to state titles, and in the next two years, he was named lineman of the year. He will play in the East-West Shrine game in August "in between wres tling," said his mom. Justin also plays baseball. The Parazoo brothers also bow hunt and fish, said their father, another enjoyment that is really just "a break from wrestling." Reyes, who wrestled in the 113 pound weight class this year, has been at it since second grade when he started wrestling with the Wil lamina Mat Club. He also has wres tled in the Western Regionals. "I think it's just done great things for him," said his mother, Susan Reyes. "It builds his confidence because he's out there on his own, and I think it really helps you in school. I think for coordination and all that, it's just really made a difference for him all the way around." Reyes also likes to play basket ball, said Susan, and he's also involved in all kinds of projects at school. Michael is an honor stu dent. The second-place finish at state this year was a little disappoint ing to him, said Susan, "but it kind of drives him to get better. He's already training to get ready for next year."
