THE RANGERS TOOK A SCHOOL RECORD 6 WRESTLERS TO THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN AUSTIN. BRANDON SHELDON LED THE WAY, PLACING SECOND AT STATE AT 180LBS. HE LOST A VERY CLOSE FINALS MATCH BY ONE POINT. THE REST OF THE CREW WON A COLLECTIVE 4 MATCHES. BRYAN OSORIO 2-2 AT 130, ABEL SUAREZ 1-2 AT 125, ISRAEL BUSTOS 1-2 AT 112. ALSO ADVANCING TO STATE WERE ALAN HANZEL 140 AND AUSTIN WHATLEY 160. THE RANGERS CONTINUE TO IMPROVE AS A TEAM. THIS SEASON SAW A HUGE J.V. SQUAD DO VERY WELL. THE FUTURE OF RANGER WRESTLING LOOKS VERY BRIGHT! THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS TAKEN NOTICE OF VISTA RIDGE WRESTLING. STAY TUNED FOR BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS IN 2009!!!

THIS GROUP OF VISTA RIDGE WRESTLERS CONTINUES TO SET NEW STANDARDS. AFTER QUALIFYING A SCHOOL RECORD 10 WRESTLERS FOR REGIONALS THE RANGERS WRESTLED TO A RECORD SIX STATE QUALIFIERS. QUALIFYING FOR STATE FOR THE FIRST TIME WERE AT 112 ISRAEL BUSTOS 3RD AT REGIONALS, 140 ALAN HANZEL 4TH, AND 160 AUSTIN WHATLEY 3RD. RETURNING TO STATE FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW WERE 125 ABEL SUAREZ 2ND AT REGIONALS, 130 BRYAN OSORIO 2ND AND VR FIRST MENS REGIONAL CHAMPION IN SCHOOL HISTORY BRANDON SHELDON AT 180. CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE SIX GREAT WRESTLERS. AS A TEAM THE RANGERS PLACED THIRD OUT OF 65 TEAMS IN THE 2008 REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS. THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS WILL BE HELD AT THE DELCO CENTER ON FEB. 22-23. COME SUPPORT YOUR RANGERS. -212-

The Ranger wrestlers had their best showing in school history at the District championships but missed out on first place by a mere 4 points (176-174). Rival Westlake came away with the District Title. Both schools placed 9 wrestlers in the championship final matches. Six of those finals were head to head between the two. VR came away with 6 District Champions; 112 Israel Bustos, 130 Bryan Osorio, 140 Alan Hanzel, 160 Austin Whatley, 180 Brandon Sheldon and HWT Jon McCallum. Placing 2nd and also moving on to regionals were; 119 Tyler Harrison, 125 Abel Suares, 145 Jamie Edelen, 215 Dalton Clark. Placing third for the Rangers was Scottie Lampi 103, Paul Church 152, and Bradley Lane 189. VR beat Westlake 4-2 in the finals matches. Now it's off to regionals with a school record ten qualifiers. -212-

AFTER A THOROUGH THUMPING OF CROCKETT HIGH SCHOOLS WRESTLING TEAM (74-6) THE RANGERS ENDED THEIR REGULAR SEASON 19-5 IN DUAL MEETS. NOW COMES THE FUN PART. THE CHALLENGE OF WINNING DISTRICT, REGIONALS AND STATE AS A TEAM AND INDIVIDUALLY. THE WRESTLERS HAVE WORKED HARD SINCE AUGUST IN PREPARATION FOR THIS MONTH OF FEBRUARY'S CHAMPIONSHIPS. FIRST IN THE TRIFECTA COMES THE DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS AT PFLUGERVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. PLEASE COME SUPPORT YOUR TEAM!!!

THE BOWIE BULLDOGS SAID GOODBYE TO 7 SENIORS ON THEIR SENIOR NIGHT BY THUMPING A LESS THAN FULL STRENGH RANGER WRESTLING TEAM. WITH FOUR RANGERS OUT DUE TO ILLNESS OR INJURY, TO INCLUDE SUPER SENIOR ABEL SUAREZ, THE RANGERS COULD MANAGE ONLY 4 VICTORIES AGAINST THE STATE RANKED BULLDOGS. VICTORS WERE AT 125 BRYAN OSORIO, 140 ALAN HANZEL, 160 AUSTIN WHATLEY AND FINALLY 180 BRANDON SHELDON. LOOKING TO IMPROVE ON THEIR 18-5 DUAL RECORD THE RANGERS WILL TRAVEL BACK TO BOWIE THIS SATURDAY TO FACE CROCKETT AND TRAVIS TO CLOSE OUT THE REGULAR SEASON.

COMPLETE DOMINATION!!! ...IS THE ONLY WAY TO DESCRIBE THE RANGERS CHAMPIONSHIP RUN AT THE "REAGAN RUMBLE 2008". THE WRESTLERS QUICKLY DIPOSED OF THEIR FIRST THREE OPONENTS, THEN LET EVERY TEAM IN CENTRAL AND SOUTH TEXAS KNOW WHAT A TRUE POWERHOUSE THEY ARE BY DECIMATING THE CHURCHILL CHARGES 54-18 IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL. WITH ONE DUAL LEFT IN THE SEASON THE VR RANGER WRESTLERS HAVE COMPILED A RECORD OF 18-4 IN DUAL MEETS.TERRIFIC SEASON BY ANYONES STANDARDS.

INSPIRED BY AN EMOTIONAL GOODBYE TO OUTGOING SENIORS ABEL SUAREZ, ALAN HANZEL, AUSTIN WHATLEY, JAIME EDELEN AND RUSH WILEY, THE 3RD ANNUAL BATTLE WITH CROSSTOWN RIVAL CEDAR PARK RESULTED IN MORE OF THE SAME FROM LAST YEAR. THIS TIME AT "THE RIDGE", THE RANGER WRESTLERS SENT THEIR FOES HOME WITH A 50-30 THUMPING! IMPROVING THEIR RECORD TO 14-4 THE RANGERS ARE ON A ROLL GOING INTO THIS WEEKENDS REAGAN DUALS IN SAN ANTONIO. LEADING THEIR TEAM TO VICTORY AGAINST THE TIMBERWOLVES WERE: ISRAEL BUSTOS (112), TYLER HARRISON (119), BRYAN OSORIO (125), ALLEN HANZEL (140), JAIME EDELEN (145), AUSTIN WHATLEY (160), BRANDON SHELDON (180), DALTON CLARK (215) AND "BIG JON" MCCALLUM (HWT.)

MORE THAN 30 TEAMS TRAVELED TO AUSTIN, TX TO WRESTLE AT THE DELCO CENTER. DUE TO SEMESTER EXAMS COACH TURNER WAS ONLY ABLE TO TAKE HALF HIS VARSITY TEAM TO THE CENTEX TOURNEY. HOWEVER STILL, ANOTHER SIGN OF A BUDDING POWERHOUSE TEAM, THE RANGERS STILL MANAGED TO PLACE 7TH OVERALL. THE RANGER WRESTLERS WERE LED BY CHAMPIONS BRANDON SHELDON (180LBS) AND BRYAN OSORIO (125LBS.) JON MCCALLUM (HWT)LOST A CLOSE 4-3 MATCH IN THE FINALS TO ARCH RIVAL WESTLAKE AND PLACED SECOND OVERALL.

Sooo close were the ranger wrestlers from moving out of their tough pool to the championship bracket. On Friday, leading Flower Mound the (the 3rd seed) 34-21 the rangers just ran out of steam and lost a close 38-34 dual. Next were losses to powerhouses and eventual 2nd place and 3rd place overall finishers, Allen High and St. Marks. The Rangers ended the first day of wrestling with dominating victories over The Colony and Frisco. Saturday the boys went undefeated beating Trinity High School and ending their weekend in an exciting down to the last match dual vs. Regis Jesuit from Colorado. Austin Whatley came to wrestle with his team down 36-35. The gym was electric and the crowd was roaring. Austin got the first takedwon and never looked back winning the match and leading his team to a come from behind 38-36 victory to end the weekend. With a 4-3 record the Rangers had left with their first winning record at the Grape in team history. Wrestlers with winning records for the weekend were: Scottie Lampi (4-3), Cullen Martinez (2-0), Spencer (2-1), Israel Bustos (2-0), Bryan Osorio (6-1), Abel Suarez (4-2), Allan Hanzel (4-3), Austin Whatley(4-3), Brandon Sheldon (5-1), Bradley Lane (3-2), and Jon McCallum (5-2).

THE VR GYM WAS ROCKING WITH EXCITMENT FROM THE CHEERLEADERS, PARENTS, TEACHERS AND ALUMNI AS THE RANGERS TOOK ON 12 TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE STATE LAST SATURDAY. THE CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS WERE AT TIMES DEAFENING WITH AUSTIN BOWIE AND VISTA RIDGE HAVING 9 AND 6 FINALISTS RESPECTIVELY. AUSTIN BOWIE CAME AWAY WITH THE TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP TROPHY BUT THE MIGHTY RANGERS WERE NOT FAR BEHIND TAKING THE SECOND PLACE TROPHY. VISTA RIDGE ENDED THE NIGHT WITH 5 CHAMPIONS. MOST BY ANY TEAM. UNDEFEATED AND STATE RANKED HEAVYWEIGHT JON MCCALLUM PINNED HIS OPPONENT IN THE FINALS. AT 180 BRANDON SHELDON MADE A REMARKABLE RETURN FROM INJURY WITH A 9-4 VICTORY IN THE FINALS MATCH. SENIOR ALAN HANZEL CELEBRATED HIS 18TH BIRTHDAY WITH HIS FIRST EVER FINALS MATCH AND VICTORY DOMINATING HIS OPPONENT. #4 IN STATE ABEL SUAREZ CRUISED TO VICTORY 6-0 OVER HIS BOWIE OPPONENT. IN THE 119LB FINALS #3 IN STATE RANKED BRYAN OSORIO WRESTLED #2 IN STATE GREG GOGONAS IN THE MOST EXCITING MATCH OF THE AFTERNOON. IN A REPLAY OF THE CAPITAL CITIES FINALS A MONTH EARLIER OSORIO BEAT GOGONAS BY A CLOSE 6-5 MARGIN. OSORIO WAS AWARDED THE MOST OUTSTANDING WRESTLER AWARD FOR THE TOURNEY. ALSO PLACING FOR VISTA RIDGE WERE ISRAEL BUSTOS 112LB 2ND PLACE, AUSTIN WHATLEY 160LBS 3RD PLACE AND BRADLEY LANE 189LBS 3RD PLACE. GREAT TOURNAMENT OVERALL FOR THE RANGER WRESTLERS.

THE 3RD ANNUAL HILL COUNTRY DUALS HELD AT VISTA RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL BROUGHT SOME OF THE BEST WRESTLING TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS TO OUR GYM. THE RANGERS STARTED THEIR EVENING WITH A DISMANTLING OF DISTRICT RIVAL PFLUGERVILLE 83-6. THE NEXT DUAL WAS AGAINST THE WOODLANDS-COLLEGE PARK WHO ALSO WERE NO MATCH FOR OUR RANGERS. THEY WENT HOME WITH AN 85-9 THUMPING. THE WRESTLERS GO INTO WINTER BREAK WITH AN IMPRESSIVE 9-1 RECORD. NEXT THE RANGERS TRAVEL TO GRAPEVINE ON 1/4/08 FOR 10 DUALS IN TWO DAYS AGAINST THE BEST IN THE STATE AND IN THE COUNTRY. STAY TUNED.

At crosstown rival Leander High School Guns-n-Roses "Welcome to the Jungle" was blaring over the sound system as the Leander crowd worked themselves into a frenzy. The crowd was soon quieted when the Ranger wrestlers began their day with a 6-0 lead and never looked back. At the end of the night The hosts were vanquished 55-18. Impressive again in victory were Alan Hanzel (140), Scotti Lampi (103), Jamie Edelen (145), Paul Church (152), and Big John Mcallum (Undefeated this year at Heavyweight.) The Ranger wrestlers have started their season with a 7-1 record going into the Hill Country Duals Friday night at VRHS. Stay tuned...

A SHORT DRIVE UP NORTH TO KILLEEN LED THE RANGERS TO ANOTHER GREAT DUAL TOURNAMENT. AFTER A REDEDICATED EFFORT BY ALL AT PRACTICE THIS WEEK THE WRESTLERS CAME HUNGRY TO SHOW THAT THE WESTLAKE LOSS WAS JUST A BAD DAY. IT SHOWED AFTER THE RANGERS WON THEIR FIRST THREE DUALS IN CONVINCING MANNER TO MAKE IT INTO THE CHAMPIONSHIP DUAL/FINAL. LITTLE DID THEY OR ANYONE ELSE WITNESSING THIS DUAL KNOW THAT THE RANGERS WERE ONLY CATCHING STEAM (212)... AFTER A COMPLETE TEAM EFFORT OF TOTAL FOCUS AND DOMINATION THE RANGERS WALKED AWAY WITH AN 83-0 VICTORY. NOTABLE IN SUCH AN ANHILATION WAS "BIG JOHN" MCCALLUM FIGHTING FROM BEING DOWN 5-0, AND ON HIS BACK, TO GETTING UP, TAKING HIS OPPONENT DOWN AND PINNING HIM TO END THE NEAR PERFECT DUAL FOR THE RANGERS AND CONTINUE HIS REMARKABLE UNDEFEATED SEASON ALL VICTORIES COMING BY FALL. THIS WAS THE RANGER WRESTLERS SECOND YEAR IN A ROW TO WIN THE KILLEEN ELLISON DUALS. 12 TEAMS PARTICIPATED. "THANK YOU COME AGAIN." DUAL RECORD NOW 6-1

47-27 DEFEAT. FIRST DISTRICT DEFEAT IN TWO SEASONS. OUCH!!! NO EXCUSES WERE MADE ALTHOUGH ALL STATE WRESTLERS BRANDON SHELDON AND BRYAN OSORIO DID NOT WRESTLE THIS DAY. COACH TURNER GOT THE TEAMS ATTENTION WITH A LIVELY PRACTICE THE SAME DAY.

FIRST EVER TEAM TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE RANGER WRESTLERS. THE RANGERS LED THE WAY WITH 6 CHAMPIONS. AT 112, ANTHONY BUSTOS, 119 TYLER HARRISON, 125 ABEL SUAREZ, 135 JOHN BURNS, 145 JAMIE EDELEN, AND JOHN MCCALLUM AT HWT ALL WORE THE GOLD. ALSO PLACING 2ND AT 103 SCOTTIE LAMPI, 3RD AT 130 STEPHEN CROSSMAN, 2ND AT 140 ALAN HANZEL, 3RD AT 152 PAUL CHURCH, 2ND AT 160 AUSTIN WHATELY, 2ND AT 171 MARSHALL GUNTHER, 4TH AT 189 BRADLEY LANE AND DALTON CLARK ROUNDED UP THE MEDAL WINNERS WITH A 2ND PLACE SHOWING AT 215.

RANGERS SENT THEM HOME QUICKLY WITH A THOROUGH MAT WIPING.

THE RANGER WRESTLERS STARTED THEIR SEASON WITH A DOMINATING VICTORY OVER ANDERSON HIGH SCHOOL.

FIRST WRESTLING TOURNEY OF THE SEASON. WITH LESS THAN HALF THEIR TEAM PRESENT THE VISTA RIDGE RANGERS MANAGED TO PLACE 6TH OVERALL AS A TEAM. CHAMPIONS FOR THE DAY WERE BRYAN OSORIO AT 119 AND ABEL SUAREZ AT 125. ANTHONY BUSTOS PLACED 3RD AT 112. ALSO PLACING WAS ALAN HANZEL 4TH AT 140.