Gilroy Wrestling

http://www.gilroydispatch.com/sports/263017-wrestling-mustangs-are-tcal-champs

Feb 6, 2010
By Josh Weaver

GILROY – Seven Mustangs wrapped up individual titles as the GHS wrestling team toppled the competition at Saturday’s Tri-County Athletic League championship tournament, winning the team crown with 257 overall points.

Already capturing the league title, going undefeated in dual meets for the eighth straight season, the Mustangs left no doubt at the top of the leader board at this year’s tournament, using 39 points to separate themselves from second place San Benito – a much different outcome in comparison to last year’s fiasco at the top in which the top-three finishers (Palma, Gilroy and San Benito) were spaced by a mere 4.5 points.

The Chieftains eked out the victory by .5 points over the Mustangs. Palma finished fourth Saturday with 146.5 points.

Nine wrestlers appeared in the finals Saturday, two more than second place San Benito’s seven grapplers.

Leif Dominguez (105), Jesse Delgado (125), Willie Fox (132), Blake Kastl (137), Vincente Aboytes (154), Dominic Kastl (162) and Luis Barragan (287) took home first-place medals in their respective weight classes.

Rodney Balajadia (119) and Adam Rosso (147) finished in second place, and Mike Lucero (140) and Andrew Toste (189) achieved third place, punching their tickets to the Central Coast Section championships.

“CCS is coming up and they are getting stronger,” head coach Greg Varela said.

The top-six wrestlers from the TCAL in each weight class advance to CCS. Jasmine Yanez, who won the girls state championship last weekend, will also participate.

“I can’t wait to get back in the room and grind it out,” Varela said with a huge grin on his face. “I know for sure what we need to work on.”

The CCS championships take place in two weeks at Independence High School in San Jose. The Mustangs are seven-time defending champs.

In the past, only one week separated the league tournament and the CCS championships, this year, however, the Mustangs have two weeks to prepare and recuperate.

“I think it will affect us in a good way,” Barragan said. “It gives us time to get in even better shape. It gives us a lot more time to focus on technique. Going into CCS a lot of us are already focused on one person.”

Dominguez, a freshman, had his opponent, Johnny Alonzo of Alisal searching for escapes from the get go in the 103-pound finals. Dominguez posted points in a fury of take downs and near-falls, working his way to a 16-0 technical fall victory.

“I try to listen to my coaches,” Dominguez said. “I’m not a guy who likes to show off, so I just take one match at a time.

Defending state champion and three-time state placer, Delgado, demonstrated another methodical dismantling of a challenger in the 125-pound finals, racking up 22 points in a technical fall triumph over Arturo Morado of Alisal.

Fox, Aboytes, the Kastl brothers and Barragan all came away with pins, with Barragan getting the nod in just 46 seconds.

“It boosted my confidence,” Barragan said. “I hadn’t been able to win a single tournament this year and I’m not used to that.”

Arguably the most intense showdown of the afternoon came in the 119-pound finals, where the Mustangs’ Balajadia took on San Benito’s best wrestler, Junior Davila.

In a rematch of last Wednesday’s pairing in the league-dual meet finale, the two went back and forth, each taking single-leg shots at one another in search of the match-changing attack.

Davila jumped in front with a take down in the first period, but Balajadia responded in the second, taking a more aggressive approach and recording two take downs.

Davila went up 5-4 heading into the third period and capitalized on a Balajadia missed takedown, picking up the senior and slamming him to the mat for two points, to secure a 7-5 win.

“I shouldn’t have given that take down,” said Balajadia, who will most likely get another crack at Davila at CCS. “I just have to get stronger over the next two weeks.”

The Mustangs are currently ranked fourth in the state and first in CCS, according to The California Wrestler.

2010 TCAL Championships

TEAMS

1, Gilroy, 257; 2, San Benito, 218; 3, Alisal, 170; 4, Palma, 146.5; 5, North Salinas 105; 6, Salinas, 99; 7, Everett Alvarez, 24.5.

INDIVIDUAL

103 – 1, L. Dominguez, Gilroy; 2, J. Alonzo, Alisal; 3, A. Espinoza, Everett Alvarez; 4, N. Busby, Palma; 5, A. Gatto, San Benito; 6, A. Fragoso, North Salinas.

112 – 1, E. Lopez, Alisal; 2, N. Renteria, Salinas; 3, J. Gonzalez, Palma; 4, R. Rodriguez, San Benito; 5, G. Martinez, North Salinas; 6, J. Yanez, Gilroy.

119 – 1, J. Davila, San Benito; 2, R. Balajadia, Gilroy; 3, C. Moreno, Alisal; 4, S. Eastman, Palma; 5, L. Combs, North Salinas; 6, A. Farias, Salinas.

125 – 1, J. Delgado, Gilroy; 2, A. Morado, Alisal; 3, J. Garcia, San Benito; 4, C. Palacios, Palma; 5, A. Galapon Olivas, Salinas.

130 – 1, W. Fox, Gilroy; 2, Z. Rodriguez, San Benito; 3, A. Nunez, North Salinas; 4, O. Mendez, Alisal; 5, N. Short, Palma; 6, C. Perales, Salinas.

135 – 1, B. Kastl, Gilroy; 2, E. Meza, Alisal; 3, E. Henry, San Benito; 4, D. Proa, Salinas; 5, A. Reyes, Palma.

140 – 1, E. Tapia, Alisal; 2, M. Soto, San Benito; 3, M. Lucero, Gilroy; 4, A. Noza, North Salinas; 5, E. Farfan, Palma.

145 – 1, T. Christenson, San Benito; 2, A. Rosso, Gilroy; 3, R. Sarmiento, Palma; 4, E. Antonio, North Salinas; 5, C. Ivey, Salinas; 6, A, Gonzalez, Alisal.

152 – 1, V. Aboytes, Gilroy; 2, S. McVannel, Salinas; 3, N. Abulencia, Palma; 4, J. Antonio, North Salinas; 5, E. Ortega, San Benito; 6, J. Ochoa, Alisal.

160 – 1, D. Kastl, Gilroy; 2, M. Sarmiento, Palma; 3, D. Guzman, Salinas; 4, J. Raine, San Benito; 5, H. Bueno, Alisal; 6, J. Rodriguez, North Salinas.

171 – 1, A. Berber, Alisal; 2, L. Diller, San Benito; 3, A. Martinez, Palma; 4, B. Torricer, Gilroy.

189 – 1, M. Martin del Campo, San Benito; 2, N. Castillo, Salinas; 3, A. Toste, Gilroy; 4, R. Galvan, Everett Alvarez; 5, S. Nakamura, North Salinas; 6, J. Pulealii, Palma.

215 – 1, A. Davis, San Benito; 2, G. Omictin, North Salinas; 3, J. Talauban, Palma.

285 – 1, L. Barragan, Gilroy; 2, B. Pulealii, Palma; 3, T. Avila, Alisal; 4, C. Flores, North Salinas; 5, M. Avila, Salinas; 6, N. Angelo, San Benito.

http://www.gilroydispatch.com/sports/262934-wrestling-mustangs-wrap-up-regular-season-with-victory-over-balers

GILROY – The Mustangs honored nine seniors in front of a large crowd gathered inside Bob Hagen Gym prior to Wednesday’s Tri-Country Athletic League dual meet against rival San Benito.

After the ceremony, it was business as usual for the home team in a 47-25 triumph to close out the regular season.

Seniors Rodney Balajadia, Jesse Delgado, Vincente Aboytes, Mike Lucero, Adam Rosso and Luis Barragan are on track for their fourth straight Central Coast Section team title and the eighth in a row for the Mustangs’ program. Senior transfer Dominic Kastl, a three-time CCS individual champ, is in search of his first team-title after finishing runner-up a year ago with St. Francis.

“It’s their last home meet in front of their home crowd against Hollister,” head coach Greg Varela said. “They wanted to put on a good show and do their part. It’s just great that we can count on the seniors like that. They are definitely sharpening their claws getting ready for state.”

Wednesday’s win gives the Mustangs their eighth straight undefeated league dual meet season.

Both teams showcased why they are considered the top-two squads in the TCAL and are predicted to finish first and second at Saturday’s league championship tournament in Gilroy.

The Balers built an early 13-5 lead after capturing three of the first four bouts. However, once the meat of the Mustangs’ lineup began to take the mat, the momentum swung toward the fourth-ranked team in the state.

“I knew it was going to be rough because we bumped a few guys up in weight class,” Varela said. “They are tough. I’ve got nothing but great things to say about Hollister. They have been our rival for so long because they are so good. They are well coached and the kids are tough. For them to come out and battle us was no surprise.”

After Leif Dominquez earned a 17-2 technical fall in the opening match of the night, the Balers stormed back, getting three key victories, including a pin by Robb Rodriguez and a 6-3 decision from Junior Davila.

“I think we did pretty good,” Davila said. “We gave it all we got. We just have to keep working hard. We are working toward CCS and state, so this is just practice.”

The tide began to turn as Delgado, Willie Fox and Blake Kastl picked up three wins in a row. Kastl didn’t waste any time, pinning his man in 40 seconds.

The Balers responded with two straight decision victories, pulling to within four team points, 23-19.

But three consecutive pins by Aboytes, Dominic Kastl and Ben Torricer blew the gap open as the Mustangs took a commanding 41-19 lead.

The quickest pin of the night went to Dominic Kastl, when he disposed of his opponent in 22 seconds.

“This is probably one of the more memorable moments,” said Aboytes, who missed the last few weeks resting an injury. “My condition is still there. I didn’t miss a run, I didn’t miss a lift and I didn’t miss one practice. Getting that three-week rest really helped my body.”

Gilroy High will be the site of Saturday’s TCAL championship tournament. Competition will begin between 9 and 10 a.m.

The CCS championship are two weeks away, followed by the state meet during the first weekend of March.