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."