Junior wrestler Pasquale Maurici went down with an injury in the 2024 Region IV final. One year later, he returned to the tournament riding a sizzling hot streak. This time, he wouldn’t go down. Maurici took down junior Jude Ortiz from Harlingen in the finals, completing his fourth straight tournament win.
“Last year in that same match, I got hurt and wasn’t able to continue my season,” Pasquale said. “The fact that I was able to go back to that place and then win and become a state qualifier really made me happy, and I was really excited.”
Pasquale is not the only member of the Maurici family whothat is making waves at the varsity level. His younger brother, Nico, is a sophomore who finished fifth in the state tournament. Pasquale and Nico have been competing for years, challenging each other to improve constantly.
“It’s so much fun, especially this year,” Pasquale said. “Last year, we had a big weight difference so we wouldn’t get to wrestle with each other too much in the practice room. But this year, we’re partners every single day, so it’s fun to watch him grow and just push each other.”
Despite falling short in the state tournament, Pasquale will return to wrestle next year, and as a senior, will be a contender to win the 190-pound division.
“I’m a lot more confident in my wrestling,” Pasquale said. “I took a lot less losses because I started going to club and started wrestling earlier this year, instead of waiting for after football. I’m more confident, and I feel like I’ve developed a lot and I’m not injured this year.”
The early start made a huge difference for Pasquale. He was able to make it fully through the state tournament, and will look to further improve on his result going into his penultimate season.
“I’m trying to take the momentum from the loss and state,” Pasquale said. “Not being able to go on top of that podium was really upsetting for me, so it just gives me more of a drive to make sure I’m on top of the podium for my senior year.”
Having an injury in such a key part of the year in his sophomore season derailed a lot of his momentum. However, he pushed himself all year, building up to a significant improvement in his finish.
