It goes without saying… this season has ended with a BANG!

Second in the State!
2 State Champions
6th Straight CCS Title
and the list goes on…

Congratulations to the entire team, coaches, parents, volunteers and community that make Gilroy Wrestling one of the best programs in the State!

Below is a copy of the Gilroy Dispatch article…

Hunter Collins raises his arms in victory after defeating Jake Meredith of of Temecula Valley to win the state title. Photo by: Nick Lovejoy, Staff Photographer

Martin Gonzalez was one of two Gilroy wrestlers to take home a state title Saturday night with a win over Brandon Rocha of Lemoore. Photo by: Nick Lovejoy, Staff Photographer

Gilroy takes second to cap off best season in school history
Mar 3, 2008
By Josh Koehn – GHS Wrestling

The greatest season in Gilroy High wrestling history was matched by two individuals, and set by by a team Saturday.

Martin Gonzalez (121 pounds) and Hunter Collins (173) both won CIF state titles in their respective divisions at the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, Calif., twenty-one years after a 138-pound Kordell Baker became the first and only Gilroy wrestler to win a state title.

For the nine individuals that competed at state for GHS this weekend, win or lose, each could away knowing they contributed to something special: The greatest performance at state ever put on by an already prolific Gilroy High program.

The Mustangs finished in second place with a score of 113, just 5.5 points behind first-place Clovis and four points ahead of third-place Central Catholic Modesto.

“This is the best team in Gilroy history,” coach Armando Gonzalez said without hesitation about the team’s legacy. “As you asked last week, now it’s here.”

Had Martin Gonzalez and Collins not won their final matches, however, the Mustangs would have finished in third. The highest placing a team from Gilroy had accomplished previously was fourth in 2006.

Martin Gonzalez, a junior, won a grind-it-out 3-1 decision over Brandon Rocha of Lemoore, scoring a takedown with just 23 seconds left to break a 1-1 tie. Rocha was a familiar opponent Martin has “wrestled all his life,” said coach Gonzalez, only made harder by the fact that Martin had been suffering from the flu all week as well as a torn ligament in his toe.

“I got through a very tough day,” Martin said. “My toe’s killing me but when you’re wrestling you don’t feel nothing because of the adrenaline.”

Collins’ match was even more tense, as the senior entered overtime deadlocked 0-0 with Jake Meredith of Temecula Valley. Collins capped off his career in style by using a “Ukrainian Series,” a move that requires lifting the left arm while grabbing the right leg and driving through. Meredith fell flat on his back as Collins sealed the match with a pin, giving him victories in all of his matches by fall.

The technique used to win was taught to Collins the summer before his sophomore year when he and coach Gonzalez’ other son, Armando Jr., traveled to the Ukraine to train. He hadn’t used the maneuver in a match since.

Asked about how much it meant to him to have his son Martin and Hunter, treated like a son by the Gonzalez family, win titles, the eyes of Gilroy’s coach welled up.

“I’m just so shocked right now, it’s hard to put into words,” coach Gonzalez said. “I’m so happy I can’t believe it.”

Jesse Delgado, the third of “The Big Three,” bounced back from a semifinal defeat by winning the consolation championship. The victory was good for third place and came through a pin of Northview’s Steven Salinas.

Leading 3-0 at the time, Delgado used a variation of an “Iranian,” a move that allows someone to be pinned while the person on top has their back to the opponent.

“I shot and he kind of tilted and rolled on his back,” Delgado said. Delgado pulled Salinas’ arm while pressing his back against the chest, allowing the Gilroy sophomore to lock up third place for the second year in a row.

While no one else placed for Gilroy, everyone made contributions in some shape or form.

Tim Ibanez (127 pounds) lost his first match but was able to score points for Gilroy by beating Daniel Horcasitas of M.L. King in his first consolation match 5-4. Vincent Aboytes (142) lost his first-round match as well, but rebounded to score a couple wins in the consolation bracket. Travis Sakamoto (147) lost both of his matches, the second by a very small margin, while Ethan Ogle (162) won a consolation match after losing to eventual state champion Jason Welch of Las Lomas in the first round.

Jesse Rogers (217) was crucial to the team’s success with a 3-2 record but missed placing by one match, being eliminated by St. Francis’ Drew Meulman.

Luis Barragan (287) was also an integral part to Gilroy’s second-place finish as he went 2-2.

Gilroy Sports Editor Josh Koehn followed the Gilroy High School wrestling team to the state championships Saturday and documented the wrestlers’ hunt for – and in two cases, capture of – the first state titles in 21 years.

11:05 p.m.

Kordell Baker just got some company when it comes to having the best season in Gilroy High wrestling history.

Martin Gonzalez (121 pounds) and Hunter Collins (173) both won CIF state titles in their respective divisions Saturday at the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, Calif. Twenty-one years had passed since Baker became the first and only Gilroy wrestler to win a state title.

For the nine individuals that competed at state for Gilroy this weekend, win or lose, each could walk away knowing they contributed to accomplishing something special. The Mustangs finished in second place with a score of 113, just 5.5 points behind first-place Clovis and four points ahead of third-place Central Catholic Modesto.

“This is the best team in Gilroy history,” coach Armando Gonzalez said without hesitation. “As you asked last week, now it’s here.”

Had Martin Gonzalez and Collins not won their final matches, however, the Mustangs would have finished in third. The highest placing a team from Gilroy had accomplished previously was fourth in 2006.

Martin Gonzalez, a junior, won a grind-it-out 3-1 decision over Brandon Rocha of Lemoore, scoring a takedown with just 23 seconds left to break a 1-1 tie. Collins’ match was even more tense, as the senior entered overtime deadlocked 0-0 with Jake Meredith of Temecula Valley. Collins capped off his career in style by using a “Ukranian Series,” a move that requires lifting the left arm while grabbing the right leg and driving through. Meredith fell flat on his back as Collins sealed the match with a pin.

Collins won all of his seven matches by fall.