During the first overtime of his match, senior male wrestler Macauley Fuld attempted to force his opponent to the mat, but his head got stuck on his opponent’s arm, cutting off blood flow to his head. He passed out for 10 seconds, but it felt like five minutes. When he woke up, his vision is faded, his hands were numb and for a second, he forgot where he was. Once he remembered what he was doing, he called injury time and took a minute to reset himself and take a sip of water before continuing the match.
Fuld, female wrestlers senior Escarleth Pena and junior Ray Perez advanced to the 2026 UIL Wrestling State Championship.
Fuld was an alternate to state last year, but he was the first boy wrestler to compete in state since 2018. Pena and Perez were the first girl wrestlers to go to state in three years.
Fuld said it was really nice to compete at state because he got to see his friend from Jesuit. Last year, Fuld helped him warm up before every match, but this year he got to actually compete instead of just watching.
Perez said she felt blessed being able to compete at state because that was her goal. She didn’t expect to podium because she wanted to be realistic so her goal was to make it there.
“When I first found out that I made it, I was like ‘Oh my god, I’m going to state like this is more than I asked for,” Perez said.
Wrestling coach Mike Roach said he always feels great when his wrestlers make it to state. He said it was a large stage which can get overwhelming, so it was definitely a learning experience.
“Each one gave their best efforts while they were wrestling,” Roach said. “I was very proud of what they did.”
Fuld lost his first round 15-0, but he battled back and his second match ended in a loss after triple overtime when he couldn’t clear his opponents hands to face him.
During his second round with 35 seconds left in the third period, his opponent turned Fuld on his back to score four back points, putting Fuld down 2-4. Fuld then took his opponent down earning two back points.
He said even though the clock was running out, he didn’t give up because losing this match would mean his season was over.
He said he was frustrated after the second match and wasn’t happy with the results. He didn’t agree with some of the calls the referee made including many back points he earned, but he knew this wasn’t the end because college wrestling still lied ahead.
Fuld said he stuck with everything he’s practiced this season instead of trying anything new.
“I got there because I stuck to what I’ve been doing,” Fuld said.
Pena said she was nervous the entire time at state because it was her first time there, but she kept telling herself to enjoy the experience.
She said her opponent in her first round was the toughest wrestler there, but she pushed through and lasted six minutes.
“I like kept pushing through it cause I wanted to prove that I had a meaning to be there,” Pena said.
Pena said while she was sad about losing her matches, she was happy that she made it this far.
“I got to where I wanted to be, and I got to experience it for my last match,” Pena said.
At the tournament, Roach told his wrestlers that no matter who the other wrestler is, the score is zero to zero when you step onto the mat. Nothing is determined until the final whistle is blown.
“You finish until it is over,” Roach said.
The week leading up to state, Fuld focused on losing weight to stay within his weight class. Since he was practicing and sweating a lot, he drank a lot of water to keep himself hydrated.
Fuld also practiced with another wrestler in the team almost every day. He would motivate Fuld by saying “This is your week” and “You got to do this.” He also made sure he didn’t accidentally hurt his ankle during practices while letting Fuld get all the work he needs.
Pena said she practiced on being more aggressive and her new moves such as the “fireman”, which is a takedown where the wrestler puts their opponent over their shoulder for a throw. She tried to do the fireman during her matches but it failed.
“I’m happy that I at least got to try the moves,” Pena said.
Perez said she practiced by repeating her “bread and butter” moves which are moves she knows how to do and is confident in executing them. She also ended up learning a new move a day before the tournament, where she throws her opponent when they have her in a headlock. She practiced it by instilling in her mind that it’s her bread and butter and kept practicing the move until she’s confident in doing it.
She said everyone was supportive throughout their journey to state. It didn’t matter whether she won or lost because her team made it feel like she won since it’s not easy to make it there.
Perez said from the tournament, she learned the importance of being mentally tough and not just physically strong.
“That really goes a long way, especially with wrestling,” Perez said.
Fuld said he learned that he can’t focus on the final score of his matches. He went into his matches thinking “I gotta beat this guy” instead of “I gotta win this position.” He said he needs to get out there and win one position at a time to get the most points.
“It’s kind of like shrinking down, not looking at the big picture, but looking at each individual thing and making sure that you don’t get overwhelmed by what you’re trying to accomplish,” Fuld said.
Roach said he hopes his wrestlers feel accomplished that they made it to state and are the top 16 wrestlers out of 250 teams in the state.
“Be proud of what you accomplished this season,” Roach said. “The majority of wrestlers never make it to state. You did a great job. You represented yourself, the team, the program and your school proud.”
