By Ed Piper
Wrestlers played a wild game of rip-the-Saran-Wrap-ball-open that went at least five rounds, the 15 or so sitting on the floor and alternately trying to tear the big ball of plastic apart while wearing socks on their hands.
This was at the La Jolla team's winter potluck dinner Mon., Dec. 22. While one player was ripping, the one next to him or her was hurriedly trying to roll doubles to end the turn, creating energy and mass confusion to defy dad Joey Pace's admonition at the start, "No arguing or complaining."
Word was that Noah Pace, a senior at 126 pounds enjoying home mat advantage, scored a $25 gift card and other goodies. Others got chewing gum, gummies, candy, and other trinkets.
Meanwhile, in the background, dad Nick Mourlas, father of freshman Alex (138 pounds), an MMA nut, was talking about the good old days when he had four activities to choose from in the fall. This was in response to my explanation that my granddaughter, who became my reason to get involved with LJHS sports, was a cheerleader and never made it to trying out for basketball, her father's love.
"Nick the Greek", on the South Side of Chicago, played the saxophone. But he also wanted to play football. The marching band director, looking at the 120-pound specimen soaking wet before him, said, "Try out for band, then we'll see."
Nick passed the audition. But he also made the football team, and when our story was interrupted, he was asking the band director if he could put his band career on hold while he tried football. Two other sports options loomed. Stay tuned to find out what happened to those.
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