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Each of the last two years, Danny Rodriguez has advanced to the semistate.


And each of the last two years, the Highland wrestler was either a favorite or a likely candidate to advance to the state meet.

Both seasons, though, ended in disappointment. There was no trip downstate. Rodriguez was left to wonder those infamous words -- what if.

As a freshman, Rodriguez was a regional runner-up at 103 pounds, but suffered a hip flexor injury that limited him at the semistate. He made it to the "ticket round," where a victory gets him downstate, but lost.
Last season, as a sophomore, Rodriguez was a 112-pound regional champion. But he never touched the mat at the semistate. A shoulder injury minutes before the end of practice the Friday before the semistate forced him to withdraw.