Borregos Salvajes
The Borregos Salvajes (in English: Rams) is the name of all the sports teams that represent the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education (ITESM) in various sports, such as: basketball, volleyball, American football and football for both men's and women's teams.[1]
American football
The Tec de Monterrey teams are best known for college football across Mexico. The two most successful Borregos football teams are those from the Monterrey and State of Mexico campuses. Whenever these two teams meet, the game is considered a derby. These two teams have won the majority of the college league championships since the early 1990s.
Monterrey campus
In 1945, a group of young students from an emerging educational institution came together to create a team of a little-known sport called American football, to accept an invitation from the newly created team of the Autonomous University of Nuevo León. They did not realize at the time that this match would give birth to an icon of the regional culture.[2]
The first "Clásico" was played on November 20, 1945, and the Borregos won 12-7. From 1945 to 1947, they competed in a league that included the local teams Tigres and Gatos Negros. However, the rapid growth of this sport in Monterrey allowed for its expansion, and the so-called Second Force league was established in 1946. When the First Force season of 1947–1948 arrived, the Borregos obtained their first victory in a First Force Clásico on November 8, 1947, under the command of a new head coach, Leroy Willeford.[2]
The next year, on December 11, 1948, the Borregos won their first championship in the major category. On July 17, 1950, the Estadio Tecnológico (Technological Stadium) was inaugurated. The Borregos won the major league trophy in 1950, 1951, 1953, 1958 and 1959, and were crowned champions of 1962-1964 season. In 1965, the team disbanded at a decision of the ITESM, but was reassembled the following year.[2]
In 1974, with a new head coach, Julio Ayala, the Borregos Salvajes became the new national champions. In 1985, coach Frank González inherited a team that would become champions in the 1987, 1988 and 1989 seasons of the National Conference of the newly created ONEFA. After losing the title despite advancing to the postseason in 1991 and 1992, the Borregos Salvajes started the 1993 season with the assurance that they were on the right track to achieve their first national championship trophy in the "10 Grandes" (Big 10) conference.[3]
In 1994, González led the Borregos Salvajes to an ONEFA title. In 1996, the team began a 14-year winning streak. The Borregos Salvajes have played the ONEFA Major League championship game 14 consecutive times, winning 9 titles in the highest level of college football in Mexico. The team's dominance of the sport is such that it has recently won the title 5 consecutive seasons from 2004-2008. Currently, the Borregos Salvajes are a sports fixture, renowned throughout the country, and their games are viewed on the main sports television channel, ESPN, broadcasting throughout Mexico and Central America.[3]
Toluca campus
This team began in the major league in 1995, when most of the players were rookies. In 1997, with an administrative change and a new head coach, they reached the "10 Grandes" conference.[4] In 2000, another head coach took over, and with committed staff members, they retained their position in the conference as one of the most important teams in the league.[4]
Mexico City campus
American football at the Mexico City campus began in 1992. Participation was initially low but a dedicated group of young students eventually secured it as a traditional sport at the campus.[5]
In 1994, coach Manuel "Pibe" Vallarí arrived. Vallarí restructured the team, making an effort to recruit players from outside the campus, inviting them to play and study at the Institute.[5]
In 1995, the Mexico City Borregos played their first championship in the free intermediate category, which encouraged more students to join the team. This interest made it possible to launch a major league team on campus.[5]
In 1996, the Borregos Salvajes won the Youth "AA" CONA league championship, noting that the competitive level of this team was on the rise. The scholarship program began to support student football players, bringing the team into the major leagues. In 1997, the Borregos Salvajes entered the national conference, ONEFA.[5]
The new stage of football at the Mexico City campus began in 1999 with the arrival of head coach Jaime Antonio Martinez Celaya. For the 2000 season, the Mexico City campus were the favorites to win the championship, and advanced to the "10 Grandes" conference.[5]
From 2001 to 2004, Mexico City campus won a single game in the conference. The male volleyball team, beating teams like the CEM, Mty, UANL, UNAM, UDLA and others (teams probably Borregos CCM would be well served with scoring more than 10 points in a match) won 3 national championships (1st division) which coincidentally are same amount of games won by the American football team in the same period of time. Consequently, the administration hired a new head coach, Mario Revuelta Zúñiga, who brought the Youth A team to an uncontested championship and, in the major leagues, the team managed to win 3 matches; the following year was also a success.
In 2006, an advisory committee was created in which both the Mexico City campus and the Santa Fe campus would cooperate to strengthen the football program. This committee appointed a new head coach, César Martínez Sánchez.[5] Under this new leadership, the team remains in the "10 Grandes" conference.
State of Mexico campus
Beginning with the foundation of the State of Mexico campus in 1976, sports were regarded as an "essential activity in the comprehensive education of [the] students." One of the sports that had great acceptance and the support of the campus community was American football.[6]
This sport was introduced 1979, in the intermediate category, and, in 1984, the ITESM had teams in 3 different categories: Youth A, AA and Intermediate. They eventually reached the Major Category in 1994, participating in the ONEFA, and taking second place.[6]
In 1996, with a record of an undefeated 11 wins, the team won the national conference championship, giving this team the opportunity to play at the highest level in the country. In their first appearance in the conference, they took 4th place, with 5 wins and 5 losses, and lost the semifinal. The year 2000 saw the Borregos win the "10 Grandes" conference. In the years since, the team continued to place in the top 3.[6]
Other campus
Starting in 2010, all of the Borregos Salvajes Teams are competing in a new league, the CONADEIP premier league. This league also features three new teams, coming from the Puebla, the Santa Fé Campus and the Querétaro Campus.
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Borregos Salvajes. |
References
- ↑ ITESM. "Dirección de Deportes del Intituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-10-20.
- 1 2 3 ITESM Campus Monterrey. "Borregos Salvajes Campus Monterey" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-10-20.
- 1 2 Borregos Salvajes Campus Monterrey. "Borregos Salvajes Campus Monterey" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2009-10-23. Retrieved 2007-10-20.
- 1 2 ITESM Campus Toluca. "Borregos Salvajes Campus Toluca" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-10-20.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 ITESM Campus Ciudad de México. "Borregos Salvajes Campus Ciudad de México" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-10-20.
- 1 2 3 ITESM Campus Estado de México. "Borregos Salvajes Campus Estado de México" (in Spanish). Retrieved 2007-10-20.