CHS Wrestlers Shine at Hobbs Dual

By Don Eskins

Carlsbad High kicked off the new wrestling season at the Battle of the Border Invitational in Hobbs on Saturday, November 29, and according to CHS head coach Mark Pratt, both the Cavemen’s and Cavegirls’ 2025-26 debuts went very well.

“Our coaching staff couldn’t be happier with the way our kids wrestled,” said Pratt. “They showed a lot of aggressiveness on the mat, and they listened well. Overall, the experience they got at the Battle of the Border was great.

“We saw a lot of success in Hobbs from both the Cavemen and Cavegirls,” continued Pratt. “Even our losses were close. With a different move or two, our losses could have easily turned into wins.”

Five teams from New Mexico and five from Texas competed in the boys’ division at the meet. A New Mexico vs. Texas event, no teams competed against teams from their own state.

Representing Texas were Lubbock Monterey, Lubbock Coronado, Lubbock Frenship, Lubbock High, and Canyon Randall.

Canyon Randall won the meet. Although the rest of the field’s places had yet to be determined at the meet’s end, it was reported that the Cavemen finished third. No individual tournament champions were recognized, as all the matches were duals.

Cavemen vs. Texas

As a team, the Cavemen posted a dual-meet record of 3-2 at the Battle of the Border Invitational. However, individually, Carlsbad’s grapplers shone, winning 71% of their 55 matches.

Led by seniors Justin Owens, 5-0, Francisco Calderon, 5-0, and Eddie Lopez, 5-0, CHS’s grapplers won 39 matches vs. just 16 losses. Equally impressive, but not perfect, were Xavier Huff and Juan Rubio, each of whom finished at 4-1.

“En route to his 5-0 finish, Justin beat a wrestler from Canyon Randall who wrestled in the Texas state final last year. He kept pursuing the kid throughout the match to get the win,” said Pratt. “Francisco also had a big win during his 5-0 performance. He pulled off a reversal against a good wrestler from Lubbock High during the match’s final 10 seconds to grab the victory.

“Eddie, a newcomer to the varsity squad this year, surprised everybody. He kept attacking his opponents throughout the tournament. He never backed up en route to going 5-0,” said the CHS coach. “But that’s the kind of story that pretty much defined most all of our kids in Hobbs. We’re so proud of them all for the efforts they put out.”

Cavegirls vs. Texas

Only three Texas teams, Lubbock Coronado, Lubbock Frenship, and Lubbock Monterey, competed in the Battle of the Border girls’ division. Overall, in match competition, Carlsbad went 0-3. But the match scores didn’t reflect the great effort Pratt got from his girls.

“None of the teams competing had full rosters. As for us, we had seven open weight classes, half of them, which put our girls at a huge disadvantage team-wise,” said the CHS coach. “Even at that, our girls were very competitive.”

Like the Cavemen, the Cavegirls won 71 %, or 15 of their 21 matches.

Leading the way for the Cavegirls were Scarlett Harmer, Emily Fuentes, and Presleigh Lindgren. All three girls posted unblemished 3-0 records. Cavegirl varsity newcomers Kendall Graziano and Atria Wells went 2-1.

“Out with an injury for most of the season last year, Scarlett appears to be making up for lost time this year,” said Pratt. “She was very tough and aggressive in Hobbs; that’s a great formula for success, so we look for her to have a big year.

“Emily reminds me of Rosalia Rubio, a former great one here at CHS. She, like Scarlett, is a very hard worker and wrestled with a lot of aggressiveness at the Battle of the Border,” he said. “If she keeps up this pace, we expect a big year for her also.

“Presleigh, more of a technical wrestler, also had a great meet,” said Pratt. “New to our varsity roster this season, we feel like she’s capable of having a great season of wrestling, too.”

Next up for the CHS wrestling team will be the Rio Rancho Invitational. The meet will take place on Friday and Saturday, December 5-6, in Rio Rancho.

CHS @ Hobbs Results:

Cavemen Team Scores: 1. Carlsbad, 54, Lubbock Coronado, 33; 2. Carlsbad, 55, Lubbock Monterey, 12; 3. Carlsbad, 68, Lubbock Frenship, 12; 4. Carlsbad, 18, Lubbock High, 64; 5. Carlsbad, 22, Canyon Randall (Amarillo), 42.

Boys’ Varsity Meet Records: 106, Open; 113, Phenyx Meier, 3-2; 120, William Graziano, 3-2; 126, Open; 132, Andrew Fuentes, 3-2; 138, Guess Box, 2-3; 144, Justin Owens, 5-0; 150, Francisco Calderon, 5-0; 157, Carter Police, 2-3; 165, Jay Norris, 3-2; 175, Eddie Lopez, 5-0; 190, Xavier Huff, 4-1; 215, Juan Rubio 4-1; Hwt, Open.

Cavemen Roster: Phenyx Meier, eighth grade; William Graziano, eighth grade; Andrew Fuentes, junior; Guess Box, sophomore; Justin Owens, senior; Francisco Calderon, senior; Carter Police, freshman, Jay Norris, senior; Eddie Lopez, senior; Xavier Huff, senior; Juan Rubio, sophomore; Jaxson Powell, sophomore.

Cavegirl Team Scores: 1. Carlsbad, 30, Lubbock Coronado, 33; 2. Carlsbad 30, Lubbock Monterey, 42; 3. Carlsbad, 30, Lubbock Frenship, 42.

Girls’ Varsity Meet Records: 100, Open; 105, Camila Gamez, 1-2; 110, Violet Harmer, 1-2; 115, Scarlett Harmer, 30; 120, Emily Fuentes, 3-0; 125, Presleigh Lindgren, 3-0; 130, Open; 135, Open; 140, Open; 145, Open; 155, Kendall Graziano, 2-1; 170, Open; 190, Open; 235, Atria Wells, 2-1.

Cavegirl Roster: Camila Gamez, freshman; Violet Harmer, sophomore; Scarlett Harmer, senior; Emily Fuentes, senior; Presleigh Lindgren, senior; Kendall Graziano, eighth grade; Atria Wells, senior.