LJ wrestling: 'They were the funniest people'

Elliot Austin (right) looks for an opening in his

Hard Luck Bracket match at 115 pounds

Saturday morning. (Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

HOLTVILLE--"They cooked a roast for us. They were the funniest people," enthused La Jolla wrestler Elliot Austin after staying overnight with the family of Jimmy Zarate, a wrestler from host Holtville High, Fri., Jan. 29.

"They have chickens running around. They live on a ranch," said the British-born Austin, a little wide-eyed at the fact. He wrestled at 115 pounds in the 53rd Annual Holtville Tournament in the carrot capital of the world Friday and Saturday

Jimmy wrestles at the far end of the spectrum from the lithe Austin: he is Holtville's heavyweight at 285 pounds. His mother is Stella Chavez.

"We drove about 10 minutes to get to their house," said the La Jolla athlete. Dinner was served, Elliot said, at about 7:30 p.m., after the first day of competition in the 5,000-resident town. The tourney started at 1 p.m. Friday.

Twenty-nine families in Holtville, mostly families of wrestlers from the local high school, hosted many of the 295 wrestlers in the tourney overnight Friday. Twenty-seven schools were represented, including Madison, San Ysidro, Cathedral Catholic--all of whom the Vikings have faced or will face this season, either in dual meets or a practice--as well as LJHS.

Holtville's mascot is also the Viking. The gentleman charging admission at the front door was carving more of his creations, which include Vikings--but, unlike La Jolla's version, they're green. Can't do that.

"They were the friendliest people," Austin said, with emphasis, of the Chavez-Zarate family which provided dinner and a bed for him. He must have been popular in the house, too, with his outgoing nature and pronounced British accent.