Determined, fierce and funny.

These are just some qualities that have helped West High wrestler Mike Simmons become a two-time Tri-City Athletic League champion, and — he hopes — qualities that will turn him into a two-time CIF Sac-Joaquin Section meet qualifier Saturday.

A natural fierce streak was put to use on the mat when longtime Tracy and West wrestling coach Pete Mullen approached him in an eighth-grade physical-education class.

During that time, he tagged along with his still-friend Anthony Segoviano, another current Wolf Pack wrestler, and couldn’t keep out of trouble.

When Mullen came into the picture, things started to turn around for both Simmons and Segoviano.

“He turned out to be a father figure for the both of us,” Simmons said. “He kept me and Anthony from getting in trouble.”

During his campaign as a Wolf Pack wrestler, he’s morphed from a wild and often unpredictable grappler into a wise mentor and team captain, helping out his teammates and giving them pointers to win matches.

With Simmons’ leadership, the Wolf Pack put together a tremendous season, going 4-1 in TCAL.

This year alone, Simmons has put up a record of 30-2 and won tournaments at Escalon, Cupertino and Lincoln before he wrapped up his second-straight TCAL title with a pin.

Simmons exposes his aggressiveness before each match in a hard-hitting manner.

Prior to each match, he puts on his iPod and listens to rapper 14-Caliber — “Gangster music,” he calls it — before running around and slapping his face and his hands to intimidate his opponents.

After a disappointing one-point loss in overtime at the James Lick Tournament, Simmons shook his opponent’s hand without getting upset and sat down to think about his match.

“Mike just accepts the consequences,” teammate, classmate and friend Juan Villarreal said.

Simmons also has the determination to help others and to make sure that they never give up.

After teammate and friend Anthony Segoviano suffered a severe blow by a crowbar in December 2005 — an attack that nearly killed him — Simmons’ assistance helped Segoviano to make a comeback on the mat and in the classroom.

Without Simmons’ aid, Segoviano would have never had the will power to rebound from his injury.

“Mike is the only reason why I came back,” Segoviano said.

But Simmons just as quickly puts the focus back on his friend.

“He showed his inspiration and never gave up,” Simmons said.

Simmons not only pushes his friends to do better — he pushes the whole team.

“He tries to get on you when you are not trying,” said Villarreal. “If you’re not working hard enough in practice, he lets you know.”

First-year West head coach Ed Carlos sees the electricity that Simmons gives off every match.

“He feeds off the energy during the matches,” Carlos said. “When he does well, the team does well.”

Simmons exceeded some expectations last season by qualifying for the section meet, the only West wrestler to do so. But going to sections isn’t enough — striving to improve in each match is his priority.

“I have to work a lot harder,” Simmons said. “Being a senior keeps me wanting to do better.”

But along with his fierceness and determination, he also brings a unique sense of humor to West’s wrestling room.

Before every match, Simmons likes to crack jokes with his teammates to boost their morale.

“When he jokes around, we all joke around,” Segoviano said.

His teammates also like to joke around with him. At the James Lick Tournament, Simmons bragged to his teammates about putting Oakdale junior Trevor Machado-Ching, who won first place at the CIF State meet as a freshman, in a reversal. He ended up not facing him in the tournament and got to meet him instead.

When he shook Machado-Ching’s hand, his teammates bursted out laughing and took a picture to commemorate the moment.

“It was pretty funny,” junior teammate Alvaro Tellez said.

Simmons and other wrestlers feel that their sport has not got its due, but with his willpower and sheer fortitude, all he can do is look up — and keep working toward a berth in this year’s CIF State meet in Bakersfield, something he can do this weekend at the divisional tournament in Modesto.

“Don’t break out of a sport if you haven’t tried it,” Simmons said. “Keep your head up win or lose.”

Brent Morrow is an intern for the Tracy Press.