Chris Mecate

[wrestlingman7]

I wanted to congratulate Chris Mecate and his family on an outstanding high school wrestling career. Chris accomplished his goal by winning a California state wrestling title, and followed it up with a third place finish at senior nationals. Chris will take his talent to Old Dominion University. Chris' success is owed to his father, Perry. Perry is one of a kind, lol. I say that with the upmost respect. Perry has driven Chris through 100 mile an hour winds, hail the size of tennis balls, snow storms, tsunami's, and iced roads just to get Chris to a wrestling event. I still remember when two CAGWA champs wrestled at Reno World of Wrestling 9-10 years ago to place. Needless to say my son, Alex, did not place. I and the rest of my family look forward to following Chris' career in college and wish him all the success.

The Cisneros family

[hvolbek]

I echo Cisneros' statement. Chris was always a hero of mine and a model for my son. Perry, I love you guy, just a stand-up father and a stand-up man. Loved our conversations and had some great times with Chris. Especially remember my kid and Chris working with Gene Mills. All the other kids were resting, Gene would have none of it and Chris and then my kid got out there with him. Chris is pretty good on a trampoline too.

Hope to see Chris and maybe even Perry on the east coast next year.

Russell

[a2zwrestlers]

I also witnessed Chris's trajectory an have admired what a Father (Perry) would do for a son willing to put in the time and effort to become a champion on and of the mat. We were fortunate enough to have Chris and Perry come to Monster Garage and give Anthony and Zahid a Redlands beat-down on occasion. Thanks for the thrills looking forward to following your college career.

With Much Respect,

Ruben Valencia & Son's

[BetterMove]

Thanks Dave, Russ and Ruben;

I remember that match at Reno quite well and I have a different take on it. As I recall Chris and Alex were both Cagwa MVP's for their division that year and at Reno, I thought to myself this kid (Alex) is going to be something special Chris was 1 &1/2 years older and when you are 9 and 7 1/2 that id a huge difference and they battled right to the end. As it urns out I was right, Alex is a 3 x State Champ and hoping not to jinx him will be a 4 timer after next year. So, I pestered and tracked down Dave until he would let Cris work out with Alex. Although Adam Tirapelle would I think jokingly tell people that Chris has that crazy dad who will drive 4 hours to practice (Chris overheard him tell that to people at Coach Lawsons camp), he was right. I knew for Chris to get to where he needed to be I had to get him the work that he needed with wrestlers who push him, so the journeys to Bakersfield, and Selma began and the beatings that chris took at the hands of Alex and the rest of the Selma boys began. I can still recall Chris and Alex flying out of the garage of Vincent Gomez's house (I think in Wasco)when no one else was home and David had the keys tio let us in. Chris and Alex would both get bloodied from landing on the cement when they flew off the mat in the garage and then jump right back up and going for more. Years later, we would drive 4 hours to Selma and work out in Gerald Penas garage and there would be Chris getting beat on by the mulitple State Champs from Selma as wellas their multitiude of state placers. And it has nothing to do with me, but all of the coaches that let Chris work out in their rooms over the years, Mark Perryman and Jason Lowe at Canyon Springs, Coaches Alpert and Campbell at Temecula Valley, Stan Holmes at San Jacinto, Coach Branstetter and Meyers at Poway along with Esteban Abas, Michio John, Wayne Grubbs, Dave Stidham when he was at Hesperia, going down to Brawley to work out with Sawyer Smith Dane Valdez, Tommy and Beto Vargas As wel las his own current Coaches Nick Chavez, Mike O"hara, Tyler Stiles, and past High School coaches Eliot Anderson, Al Wolters and Anthony Loera etc...

I can still remember when Chris said he wanted to learn how to wrestle when he was in Kindergarten after I read an article about some kid who won a kids tournament. I didn't even know that they had kids wrestling. So iasked sa kid who worked for me if knew of any places for kids wrestling and he said he did and the next year he gave me a flyer for the team and as it turns out it was for the very same team that the kid who won the tournament Team So Cal. When he said that he wanted to learn how to wrestle I though about another skiiny little kid whose dad use to tel me my boy is a wrassler and he is pretty good, at the time Iwas in college working at the local health club and I use to think to myself Ok,this skinny litle mop top kid like mine, who didn't pass the eyeball test.Turns out that dad was right, his kid was Lyndon Campell the 2x state champ who coaches at Temecula Valley and I thought that if that skinny kid could do it, maybe mine could too. Chris was very fortunate to have Chuck Chavez and the original Pat Cadwallader (j/k little Pat) be his mentors. They taught him about both wrestling and life skills.

That all seems like only yesterday we did all of those road trips to Reno, Pocatello,etc... I can still recall Alfredo Vargas spilling some coffee energy drink in my wifes brand new van as we drove through the middle of the night. Or Joe Williams (Thomases dad) begging me to pay to stay in a hotel room the next time on one of out folkstyle excursions up north to wresle at Foothill high and sleeping in the my wifes now not quite new van in the parking lot in Palo Cedro. Or Big Dan Luna almost crying in the van that is now very old as drove though the nigh on the way home from the kids Gilroy Mid Cals begging me to turn the air off saying it was to cold after spending the night before sleeping int he van the night before on the streets of Gilroy. Or the trips that just Chris and I took by ourselves, sleeping in the parking lot at Chico high or spending those times together driving to all of those places to just work out. Getting to meet a bunch of different parents, just like myself in many ways just tring to figure out the best best path for their own kids, whter it be Russ Hvolbeck and all of his wine, TJ Dawson and all of this theories, Honde Leon and his etiqutte, Dave Cisneros and his better half. Marc Smith and Tom Brown from down south, Alfredo with even more theories than Tj.The Selms twins, Usher, the phyllisophical (sp)Joey Costa, Miguel Rodriguez etc..

Then geting to know the next generation of California studs, Cheeks, Cade, the Valencia brothers Nico Colunga Robert Garcia and their parents etc..

Wow, now it's all gone and the boy will be off to college next year as I told Abel in a pm enjoy the ride it will be gone before you know it.

And as Adam said I might be crazy(remember Adam, not everyone has the benefit and of the Clovis program, double kidding Adam, but I wouldn't trade these moments for anything. To watch your son set and acheive his goals, to win a Team CIF Championship somehow luckily beating Temecula Valley with the kids he grew up with, then winning an Individual CA State Chanpionship this year, becoming an All American and helping California win a National Team Championship, as the American Express card says "priceless'

Sorry for the rambling, but I couldn't help myself. Dave see what you did and made me do Best of luck to everyone

ps. I was going to edit all of my grammatical and punctuatuion errors that were pointed out to me. However, in honor of anothe r one of my travelling road dogs GOODMOVE and his spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors from all of his posts. I wil leave them

[abe1727]

I've been a big Mecate fan ever since him and Alex Cisneros were extra nice to my son who was just cutting his teeth in the sport. My son watched them drill at a camp and was amazed. Little things like that matter to young wrestlers and after meeting those two he wanted to be just like them. He watched them the whole camp, lol . Perry, David and i have had great conversations about wrestling over the years. Good luck at the next level Chris i'm sure you will do great things. Perry, it's been a real blessing knowing you, thanks for being such a good role model for us fathers with young wrestlers. Take care and we look forward to watching you next season.

[Next Level]

Perry

Moms and Dads are the unsung heroes in our children’s lives. Some people say we are re-living our youth through our children but the truth is we love our kids and are willing to sacrifice our time, money and energy to help them be the best they can be. Congratulations to Chris on his success and congratulations to you for being a great parent. We look forward to watching Chris continue his successes in college.

Bo Longo

[tirapell]

LOL 'Crazy' in a good way Perry. We're all a little bit crazy in this sport and if you want to have a high level of success, you just have to be willing to be a little bit 'crazier' than the next person. I know the feeling. I'm glad you both got what you wanted out of the sport. God knows you put in the time and effort.

I'll enjoy watching Chris at the next level. Good luck to you both!

[anklepick]

Little late with my post about Chris, been out of pocket with the wrestling community (temporary working in a different country)..

Plenty of luck to Chris on a great college future… I’ve known Chris since he was 6-1/2 years old, and since then I always knew there was something special about this kid… Yes I have several stories with Chris and Perry on our long drives to tournaments.. It’s amazing how fast time flies.. I would love to go back and do it all over again (I REALLY MISS IT).. Great memories.

Instead of boring some of the readers (with my bla-bla about Chris/Perry), I’ll just mention one particular story that took place at Pocatello, Idaho back in 2001’.. Chris & Michael were wrestling at Western Regional tournament in June of 2001’… The boys just completed the Greco tournament, and Freestyle tournament was scheduled to start the next day.. Myself and Perry all we can talk about who Chris and Michael were going to wrestle the next day, but the problem was brackets were suppose to be posted day of the tournament. If I recall correctly the GRECO tournament ended by 4:00 pm, but weigh-ins for freestyle started at 6:00 pm.. So at least I didn’t expect to see the brackets until next day. However suddenly at approx 11:00 pm that evening (day before the freestyle tournament) Perry arrived (huffing and puffing) at the college dorms with copies of the brackets.. This was great because we were able to prepare on who are boys were going to wrestle the next day. Day of the tournament arrived and a rumor was floating around that someone saw a middle aged man crawling into a window at the arena late at night while the arena was closed..

As someone said earlier in the this form you have to be a little crazy to be successful in this sport. I agree..


Perry & Chris, we miss you guys already… Perry when you have grand kids, let’s do this again!!!
Also miss several the other kids and parents/coaches I’ve dealt with all of these years… When you get to know some of these kids/parents/coaches so will they become family (especially because of the sport there in). Also owe plenty of thanks all of the coaches.. It’s obvious they don’t do this for the money…


Alfredo Vargas (Freddy & Michael)

[teammrtnz]

So what, its all over? Doesn't Perry have another little one on the horizon? Say it isn't so! Perry never once did you ask to stay over at my estate.

Perry I know you remember the time when California hosted nationals and Frankie and Chris met up in the tourney. We were down 1st period and if it wasn't for Franks H&A we would have lost.

Good Luck to Chris in college.

[Michael Wright]

I too would like to congratulate Chris and his family and wish him well in college. I can not wait to see him wreslte for Coach Martin in the future. I can remember seeing him and Alex Cisneros running Granby camps all over California as little kids and hard they would drill. Chirs is a great young man and I wish him well. Perry you have raised a great kid and I am glad I got to meet him...just an example of what a good kid you have, this summer at the Fullerton Camp Chris spent time every day working with my 12 year old son and even wrestled live with him everyday. It is that kind of attention from a state champion that inspires and encourages others to work hard. Thanks Chris for your time and encouragement and good luck.