“Not only am I going into state with everything I’ve been through, I’m going in with my best friend. She picks me up when I fall down and she’s always there for me.””

Morton Ranch senior Brittany Cotter on younger sister Rachel

People say Morton Ranch’s Brittany and Rachel Cotter look alike. They don’t see it that way.

“We don’t believe it,” said Brittany, a senior and two grades above Rachel. “She looks short, curly head. I look taller, straight hair. I don’t know about the looks part, but our personalities definitely prove we’re not the same.”

Well, there’s no debating this: The Cotter sisters are regional champions. They headlined the Class 6A Region III wrestling meet Saturday, April 17, at the Merrell Center. Brittany won the 110-pound class for her second regional title. Rachel won the 95-pound division for her first regional title.

They advanced to the UIL state meet April 23-24 at the Berry Center in Cypress. Katy High won the boys regional team title for the sixth consecutive season. Tompkins won the girls regional team title for the second straight season.

Brittany, the Mavs program’s first four-time district champion, is making her fourth trip to state. Rachel is making her second.

“It means everything to me,” Brittany said. “When she first started wrestling, it was so hard for me to be calm with her. I’d be like, ‘You don’t understand how good you can be! If you could just see yourself in my eyes, you’d dominate everyone!’ I could see how much stronger she was than everyone. She just didn’t believe in herself like I or my dad believed in her. She’s starting to finally believe me.

“Now I see a confident wrestler, a domineering wrestler. It’s really incredible.”

Brittany is 19-1 overall after defeating Clear Springs junior Zhivanna Magdaleno by fall in the regional final. She has never finished worse than runner-up at regionals.

“The biggest difference is my health, first and foremost,” said Brittany, who battled the Epstein-Barr virus, rhabdomyolysis, and insomnia last season. “The second is my mindset. Typically, when I went in my first two years, I felt I was competing against better wrestlers. This year, I was just more confident and comfortable with myself.”

Rachel is 7-1 after beating Cinco Ranch senior Isabella Walsh by fall. Rachel said she is mentally stronger and more goal-oriented this season.

“This year, I had a much better mindset,” Rachel said. “I was more confident in myself. I’m able to get myself mentally ready before matches. That’s been huge. Last year, I didn’t have any confidence at all.”

Rachel is inspired by her older sister.

“I’m so grateful to have her,” Rachel said. “She’s always been by my side. She’s someone who never gives up and always has the right attitude. Having that around me, it’s been a big help. When we wrestle, we’re different, so it’s good to practice against someone who doesn’t wrestle like I do.”

Brittany is more technical and deliberate on the mat. Rachel is more aggressive and fast-paced.

“We’re both good wrestlers, just different,” Rachel said.

Brittany is emboldened by Rachel. Rachel gives Brittany a loving hug after every match, but they tend to feel better after wins.

“Not only am I going into state with everything I’ve been through, I’m going in with my best friend,” Brittany said. “She picks me up when I fall down and she’s always there for me.”

Brittany said no one is as big of a fan of hers as her dad, Sheb, and Rachel. Her mom, Raylene, cheers the loudest and longest.

Rachel said Brittany and Sheb taught her everything she knows. Perhaps no one is enjoying the sisters’ postseason success as much as Sheb, who began wrestling as a child and competed all the way through college.

“I remember when I told my mom that I wanted to wrestle and she said, ‘OK, go tell your dad,’” Brittany said. “I was like, why would I tell my dad? But, OK, so I did, and I wish we took a picture of how big his smile was. It was the biggest smile I’ve seen my entire life. That’s when he told me he wrestled.”

Brittany was confused as to how her and Rachel had never known this.

“It was his whole life,” Brittany said. “He never told us. He just said, ‘It never came up.’”

But she also thinks it helped.

“We never felt forced,” Brittany said. “Maybe with other kids, a parent or sibling wrestled, and they feel forced to kind of do it, too. Not us. Rachel and I like wrestling because that’s what we want.”

On the boys side at regionals, Katy High had two champions in seniors John Raymundo (106 class) and Jackson Crandall (126). Raymundo is 23-2 after winning by decision over Cinco Ranch’s Esai Deras. Crandall is 16-1 after winning by decision over Morton Ranch’s Ruben Moreno.

Taylor had a regional champ in junior Michael Bone (145), who is 24-1 after beating Westside’s Freddie Pagan by fall. Seven Lakes had a champ in junior Jose Salinas (113), who is 23-2 after winning by decision over Clear Lake’s Ty Annoura.

On the girls side, Tompkins had three regional champions in Lily Broadrick (119), Kaitlyn Bryant (165) and Nicole Blinn (185). All three are undefeated this season. Broadrick is 22-0, winning by fall over Langham Creek’s Annika Gotlieb. Bryant is 21-0 after winning by fall over Clear Falls’ Camryn Tresler. Blinn is 21-0, winning by decision over Seven Lakes’’ Annmarie Jenssen.

At the Class 5A Region III meet in Anna, Paetow had its first regional wrestling champion in senior Jeramiah Marquez in the 195 class. Marquez is 18-1 after winning by decision over Lucas Lovejoy’s Jakob Underwood.

Paetow seniors Josiah Bernhardt (second, 152), Cameron Jiminez (second, 110) and Brittney Galindo (third, 102) also qualified for state.

REGION III-6A WRESTLING RESULTS

>> Saturday, April 17, Merrell Center

>> Top 4 advance to state tournament

>> Regional champs in bold

BOYS

Teams: 1. Katy High, 147; 2. Seven Lakes, 111.5; 3. Cypress Ranch, 105.5; 4. Cinco Ranch, 91; 5. Kingwood, 88; 6. Clear Lake, 85; 7. Westside, 73; 8. Tompkins, 72; 9. George Ranch, 71; 10. Langham Creek, 60.

106: 1. John Raymundo (23-2), Katy; 2. Esai Deras, Cinco Ranch.

113: 1. Jose Salinas, Seven Lakes (23-2); 3. Ty Ferguson, Mayde Creek.

120: 3. Phoenix Medrano-Martinez, Katy.

126: 1. Jackson Crandall, Katy (16-1); 2. Ruben Moreno, Morton Ranch.

132: 2. Luke Holland, Katy.

138: 2. Cole Minnick, Tompkins; 3. Connor Timmons, Katy.

145: 1. Michael Bone (24-1), Taylor.

152: 2. Michael Amico, Seven Lakes; 3. Juan Pablo Garcia, Katy.

160: 3. Truman Timmons, Katy.

182: 2. Lane Staton, Cinco Ranch.

195: 2. Joe Racicot, Seven Lakes.

220: 2. Landon Parrish, Cinco Ranch.

GIRLS

Teams: 1. Tompkins, 146; 2. Seven Lakes, 113; 3. Katy High, 89; 4. Langham Creek, 70; 5. Cypress Park, 66; 6. Morton Ranch, 60; 7. Cinco Ranch, 55; 8. Clear Lake, 53; 9. Cy-Fair, 51; 10. Cypress Ranch, 50.

95: 1. Rachel Cotter (7-1), Morton Ranch; 2. Isabella Walsh, Cinco Ranch; 3. Kimmie Castaneda, Katy.

102: 3. Julia Nowak, Seven Lakes.

110: 1. Brittany Cotter (19-1), Morton Ranch.

119: 1. Lily Broadrick (22-0), Tompkins; 3. Ruby Stamatis, Seven Lakes.

138: 2. Graycen Hall, Katy; 3. Demitra Petritsis, Tompkins.

148: 3. Katherine Knight, Cinco Ranch.

165: 1. Kaitlyn Bryant (21-0), Tompkins.

185: 1. Nicole Blinn (21-0), Tompkins; 2. Annmarie Jenssen, Seven Lakes.

215: 3. Rewa Chababo, Mayde Creek.