San Benito High junior J.J. Melo receives inspiration from Haybalers’ wrestling coach Brian DeCarli everyday.
“In every practice, I tell J.J. that once he truly finds out how to wrestle, he’s going to be one unstoppable dude,” DeCarli said. “I would not be surprised at all if he makes the state tournament (either this season or next year). I think that much of him to believe that.”
Said Melo: “Coach always helps me and gets me determined to reach my goals.”
DeCarli points to Melo’s frame — an athletic 6-foot-5 competing in the 220-pound class — as the key reason why he believes Melo’s potential is limitless.
DeCarli went on to explain that taller wrestlers — assuming all things are equal from a talent standpoint — are tougher to compete against because there simply aren’t many of them.
“The wrestling world (at the prep level) is filled with the 5-7, 5-8 guys,” DeCarli said. “It’s hard for guys to match up against the bigger and taller kids because they have more leverage.
“They’re longer and they can pick you up off the ground easier, and conversely it’s hard to attack a guy with that much leg and body. J.J. is still green, and he’s still trying to figure out how to use his body from a technical standpoint. But the only thing holding him back is mat time and experience.”
Melo, who is also a standout defensive lineman on the football team, started wrestling at age 6, stopped four years later, only to take up the sport again in his freshman year.
Part of the reason why he stopped wrestling initially was because of boxing, a sport he took up at 7. Melo, who is currently ranked eighth in the Central Coast Section 220-pound division, still trains occasionally at Bulldog Boxing Gym in the offseason.
However, football has become his No. 1 passion, with wrestling a close second.
Ultimately, if things go as planned, Melo will receive scholarships to play both sports. For now, he’s focusing on improving his skills on the mat.
“Since I need to make a lot of improvements, I’ve been working on a lot of things,” Melo said. “I’ve been working on my shots from a standing neutral position, and going from double legs to single legs to get takedowns and points in the first round. My bottom game wasn’t good last year, either, but I feel like I’ve improved a lot in that area, too.”
Melo went 3-1 and took third place in last week’s Elite 8 Tournament, which was hosted by San Benito. Melo’s loss came via pinfall to Cupertino’s Brett Koci, the second-ranked 220-pounder in the section.
The Balers ran away with the team tournament title, totaling 221.5 points to easily outdistance second-place Cupertino, which finished with 154 points.
The Balers’ individual winners included Eric Loredo at 115, Juan Gutierrez at 122, Jaime Aleman at 134, and Patrick Ippolito at 140. Melo said he receives tremendous support from his parents, Jim and Robyn, who try to attend every one of their son’s matches.
“I come from a big Italian family, and it’s cool to be able to hear my parents in the crowd,” Melo said. “Even if there are a lot of people in the crowd, I can still hear them.”
Melo has aspirations to make the state tournament this season. To do so, he’ll have to be among the top three in his weight class at the CCS Wrestling Championships. Last year, Melo went 2-2 in CCS, and to improve on that, he’ll need to beat some of the same guys he lost to last season.
Melo said he’s up for the challenge.
“It’s going to be great, and I can’t wait to redeem myself,” he said. “I want to wrestle all the top guys and see where I’m at.”
DeCarli feels Melo is on the cusp of greater things: “You can tell J.J. is starting to gain more confidence, and once you start believing in yourself, it’s amazing the things you can do.
“He’s starting to take more leadership in the room (practice), and he’s come a long way. Right now J.J. is still learning and wrestling more on athleticism than technique. His best wrestling days are way ahead of him. I can’t wait to see what he does now and in the future.”
For Melo, the future can’t arrive soon enough.
