THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 15, 1995 TAG: 9502150572
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
Wrestling one member of Lake Taylor's Jimenez clan - who have a combined record of 64-8 this year - may be tough enough, but at least opponents don't have to worry about wrestling all three.
That is, unless they drop by the Jimenez home.
``Last week,'' said Joel Jimenez, pointing to his brother Donnie and cousin Paul, ``these guys got into a disagreement about girls and started going at each other in the living room. So I get down there and start counting, like I'm the referee.
``Donnie's got Paul down, and Paul's like `Joel, help me!' So I tag off and now I'm wrestling Donnie. We go at it for a while and then Jimmy (an older brother) tags Donnie and he's wrestling me.
``We'll keep going like this until we all get tired, somebody's face gets rubbed into the carpet or Mom comes home and makes us clean up the house.''
Rosita Jimenez may not approve of these impromptu tag-team bouts, but she's used to them.
Since 1983, at least one member of the Jimenez family has worn a Titans singlet. This year, for the first time, three are wrestling on the varsity at thesame time.
``You get people saying, `Jimenez, is he still there? How can he have any eligibility left?' '' Lake Taylor coach Russell Flynn said. ``It's not like it's been the same guy. There's just a lot of them.''
It started 12 years ago with R.J. Jimenez, described by Flynn as ``a kid who didn't have a lot of moves but was really tough.'' After R.J. came Roy, then Jimmy, who backed up Roy.
One year, Flynn bumped Roy up two weight classes to clear a spot for Jimmy in the district tournament. Both knocked off the top seeds, and the move wound up costing Norview and then-coach Ken Whitley the district title by one point. Whitley now coaches with Flynn at Lake Taylor.
``He's never forgiven me for that,'' Flynn said.
Urged on by Jimmy, Joel took up the sport next. He was a fast convert.
``I remember when I was a freshman. You lose weight for two days, then go out and get your butt whipped,'' Joel Jimenez said. ``I'm thinking, `This is great!' ''
Last season, Donnie joined Joel as a Titan mainstay, placing second in the Eastern District. This season has seen the emergence of Paul, a backup last year.
``Jimmy (a two-time Eastern District champion) inspired us all,'' said Joel, the youngest of five brothers and one sister. ``We got into wrestling to finish what he started.''
So far, so good. Joel, a senior and a state qualifier last year, has a 21-2 record and is the top-ranked 130-pounder in the area. Donnie, a senior and No. 3 at 112, is 23-2. Paul, a 103-pound sophomore, has gone 20-4.
Furthermore, a rare loss by one Jimenez appears to make the others that much tougher. When Granby's Rueben Dio pinned Paul in the final of the South Norfolk Holiday Tournament in December, Donnie, set to wrestle next, took it personally.
``That made me so mad,'' he said.
So mad, in fact, that he blew a 7-1 lead before rallying in overtime to nip Granby's Rueben Waites.
Despite the flashy regular-season records, no one is satisfied yet. That's because postseason success has typically eluded the family in years past. Joel's fourth-place finish in last year's Eastern Region tournament was the best showing ever by a family member.
``If one of us makes it to (the Group AAA state tournament), that's fine, but the goal is for all three of us to get there,'' Joel said.
Another one of Joel's goals is to attend college, something he'd probably treasure more than a state title since, when he came to this country from the Santa Rosa province of the Philippines at age 7, he couldn't speak or understand a word of English.
These days, Joel has teenspeak - ``Cool! No way, man!'' - down to a science.
What's really cool, however, is that he received mostly A's on his last report card and has already been accepted to Old Dominion University.
English hasn't come as easily for Donnie, 19, who despite 11 years in this country is still much more comfortable with the Ilocano language of his native land. Donnie grades well on subjects (math, technical drawing) that don't require a lot of reading and is also a budding electrician.
``Donnie can fix anything in the house,'' Joel said.
Paul, 16, is still developing both athletically - he's only been wrestling two years - and academically. But according to Flynn, he could turn out to be the best Jimenez of them all.
Not to mention the last Jimenez, at least for a while.
``Once Paul gets finished, that'll be it for the Jimenezes,'' Joel said. ``But I've got nephews ages 5 and 2. In about 10 years, look for another Jimenez back out there again.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
PAUL AIKEN/Staff
From left, Donnie, Joel and Paul Jiminez are the latest of five
brothers to wrestle for Lake Taylor. They have a combined record of
64-8 this year.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE WRESTLING by CNB