Ethan Gonzalez Is Chasing More Than a State Championship

For Ethan Gonzalez, wrestling has always been a family affair.

His mother is his high school wrestling coach at Edinburg Vela. His father doubles as his lifting partner and nutritionist. And one of the people Gonzalez most wants to inspire with everything he accomplishes is his 13-year-old younger brother.

It was also his mother who first pushed him toward the sport.

Gonzalez began Brazilian jiu-jitsu when he was eight years old before transitioning toward wrestling near the end of eighth grade. The transition was not immediate.

“I was against it at first, it was different and I wasn’t good at all,” Gonzalez said.

After one particularly difficult practice, Gonzalez remembers having a conversation with his mother in the car. She made it clear that if wrestling was something he wanted to pursue, the responsibility for his effort had to come from him.

“I don’t start your engine, you're the one that takes ownership and responsibility for what you do,” she told him.

The words changed the way Gonzalez approached the sport.

“Her words stuck with me and made me realize that I am the one in control of my outcome,” Gonzalez said. “And from that moment that changed me and made me want to work harder.”

Years later, Gonzalez has developed into one of the Rio Grande Valley’s top wrestlers. He has placed at the UIL State Championships in each of the past two seasons and enters his senior year at Edinburg Vela as a legitimate contender for a state title.

But the family members who helped get him started remain at the center of everything.

Having his mother in his corner gives Gonzalez someone who understands exactly what he needs during competition. She knows when to settle him down, when to push him and when to make sure success does not change the way he carries himself.

“She keeps me in check and will humble my butt real quick,” Gonzalez said.

He remembers one match when she felt he had begun showing off. Her message afterward was simple.

“Remember where you came from.”

Gonzalez understood exactly what she meant.

When he was younger, winning did not come easily. He remembered how it felt when more experienced athletes played around with him or made him feel as though he did not belong.

“No matter how much I improve or accomplish, I never want to forget what it felt like to be on the other side of that,” Gonzalez said. “It keeps me humble and reminds me to respect every opponent.”

His father has played a different but equally important role, helping Gonzalez with strength training and nutrition while supporting the countless hours required to pursue wrestling at a high level.

Then there is his younger brother.

At 13, Gonzalez believes his brother is already ahead of where he was at the same age.

“I want to set the bar high for him because I truly believe he is going to accomplish things even greater than I have,” Gonzalez said.

Building His Wrestling in South Texas

That family foundation has been matched by a training environment Gonzalez believes has transformed him as a wrestler.

Outside of Edinburg Vela, Gonzalez trains at Deadshot Wrestling Club, where Coach Rudy has played a major role in his development.

Gonzalez credits Rudy with helping him understand the details behind positions rather than simply teaching him moves.

“He was the first outside coach who really took the time to teach me the details of the sport,” Gonzalez said.

That attention has extended far beyond regular practices.

Every week, Gonzalez and Rudy meet at 6:30 in the morning to work through positions, situations and problems that have appeared during competition.

“He has especially invested a lot of time in me,” Gonzalez said. “Without him I would not be where I am today.”

Those sessions have helped Gonzalez develop what he describes as a more methodical approach to wrestling. Instead of simply reacting, he has learned to understand what he is trying to create in each position and why a particular movement matters.

His teammates have played an important role as well.

At Edinburg Vela, Gonzalez credits practice partner Alex Nieto with pushing his hand fighting and neutral offense. At Deadshot, he describes his teammates as brothers and sisters who continually challenge one another to improve.

It is a wrestling environment Gonzalez takes pride in representing.

Representing the Valley

Gonzalez grew up watching some of the Rio Grande Valley’s top wrestlers.

As a freshman, one of them was Edinburg Vela standout Diego Carmona.

“He was super dominant when he wrestled, and I wanted to be like him,” Gonzalez said.

Carmona eventually took Gonzalez under his wing and became one of his practice partners. Gonzalez also remembers watching Luis Nieto from Vanguard and being impressed by the speed and ease with which he competed.

Now Gonzalez has an opportunity to become that type of example for another generation of South Texas wrestlers.

“Representing the RGV is an honor because of how much wrestling is growing in South Texas,” Gonzalez said.

Developing as a wrestler in the Valley can require significant travel. Gonzalez and his family have routinely made long drives to tournaments and camps around Texas and beyond in search of high-level competition.

Those experiences have made representing his home region even more meaningful.

“Every time I step on the mat, I know I’m representing my family, my school, my coaches, my teammates, and the RGV,” Gonzalez said. “I want to show wrestlers from around the state that we can compete with anybody.”

For Gonzalez, that message is especially important for the younger wrestlers watching him.

“I'm not just trying to win for myself, I’m trying to set an example for the next generation of Valley wrestlers, especially my little brother.”

Learning He Belonged

Gonzalez has provided plenty of evidence that Valley wrestlers can compete with anyone in Texas.

As a sophomore, he finished sixth at the UIL 5A State Championships.

The medal proved he belonged among the state’s best, but his final two matches both ended in one-point losses.

“I was devastated with those losses but I remember my coach saying ‘you’re right there and you just need to step over the line,’” Gonzalez said.

The biggest adjustment was becoming more offensive.

Gonzalez returned to work on positions that made him uncomfortable and began developing the confidence to take more chances.

That process had actually started earlier during a pair of matches against his friend Sebastian Contreras.

During Gonzalez’s sophomore season, Contreras — already a three-time state qualifier — beat him 6-1 at a local dual.

Afterward, Gonzalez was frustrated. He believed he had done everything right in preparation.

His coach challenged that thinking.

“Just because you work hard and put in extra work doesn’t mean other people aren’t doing it too. Did you think you were going to win just because you work hard?”

Gonzalez realized preparation was only part of the equation. He still had to attack when opportunities appeared.

Later that season, the two met again in the regional semifinals. Gonzalez found himself trailing before finally committing to a slide-by. This time, he earned an 11-7 victory.

“That match was a defining moment for me because it gave me the confidence to believe that I could become a state qualifier,” Gonzalez said. “It felt like I had unlocked a new level in my mindset.”

A year later, he climbed even higher.

Gonzalez finished fourth at state as a junior, improving two spots from his sophomore season.

“My second state medal proved to me that I can compete with the best wrestlers in Texas and that I’m capable of dominating the field even more,” Gonzalez said.

One More Opportunity

Gonzalez will enter his senior year in a slightly different environment.

Edinburg Vela is moving from Class 5A to Class 6A, bringing a new collection of opponents and challenges.

For Gonzalez, however, very little changes.

He has spent much of his career learning how to become comfortable in difficult situations — something he traces partly back to his years in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

“I’m not invincible, I'm going to get scored on or be in sticky situations,” Gonzalez said. “My coaches always tell me to ‘score the next point.’”

That mindset will follow him into a season in which expectations are higher than ever.

Gonzalez is no longer simply trying to prove he belongs at the state tournament. After finishing sixth and fourth, the next obvious target is the top of the podium.

“It’s an honor to be considered a contender for a state championship, and honestly, sometimes it still feels surreal,” Gonzalez said.

He also knows his previous medals guarantee nothing.

“Everything I’ve accomplished in the past doesn’t guarantee me anything this season,” Gonzalez said. “I have to continue to earn it every day by training with purpose.”

The championship is the goal, but Gonzalez hopes what he leaves behind at Edinburg Vela is bigger than another medal.

“I want to be remembered as someone who always gave his best and never stopped wrestling, no matter the score, the situation, or the obstacles in front of me,” Gonzalez said.

That legacy has already started within his own family.

The kid who once needed his mother to remind him that he had to start his own engine is now a two-time state placer chasing a championship — with a younger brother watching closely and an entire generation of Valley wrestlers capable of following the same path.

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