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Jasmine Yanez looks to be the first femal placer in the CCS.

          This off season, Jasmine Yanez has been working out hard and gaining experience in and outside of the United States in order to accomplish a few personal goals this wrestling season. “I want to place in the top 5 in the Central Coast Section Championships and place first in each girl’s tournament,” she says. Every wrestler desires to be among the best in their respective weight class for their section, and Yanez has the ability and work ethic to accomplish that this upcoming season.  Last year, Yanez, who is now a junior at Gilroy High School, finished 3^rd at the Cupertino Memorial Tournament, 8^th at MidCals, she went 2-2 at the Mission San Jose Tournament, and she took 2^nd in the Tri County Athletic League finals. Continue reading here.

 It’s one of the shortest routes to Bakersfield, some would say of the CIF’s San Francisco City Section. With only seven competing teams in San Francisco, the section is granted only one state qualifying berth for each weight class, and it is earned annually at the All-City Tournament, which of late has been dominated by Washington High School.

Of the 14 qualifying state spots for each weight class, George Washington H.S. came out of the 2009 tournament with 9 qualifiers and 1^st in the team race by over 80 points. Normally 9 qualifiers for a school at the state tournament would have coaches salivating with illusions of top 5 finishes and a nice plaque. However, transferring the success from the All-City Championships to the state meet has been a different story altogether for the S.F. City Section. The disparity in the level of wrestling within local competition against the state’s highest caliber wrestlers is naturally expected to be great, but over the past three years, the difference has been overwhelming and resulted in dreary experiences for the city’s best wrestlers.

The evidence of the large deviation between the City Section’s success and that of the larger traditional section powerhouses in the state comes in the form of a goose egg, “0”. Dating back to the 2007 CIF State Tournament, the S.F. Section has 0 wins compared to 84 losses, and this leads many to believe that their qualifying spot, although only one, is unwarranted and that the section should be absorbed into the Central Coast Section altogether. Whether those opinions are justified or not is an article for another day.

Regardless of opinion, what is important are the future prospects for wrestling in this section.  What will be different in the upcoming 2009-2010 season from the last few years? One reason for optimism is that we will be seeing the continuing fruition of Washington Coach Mike Meneses’s Presidio Middle School wrestling program. Seven years ago, Coach Meneses began the program to help develop wrestling skills in kids at young ages so that by the time they entered high school they could begin wrestling already being familiar with basic techniques and with some experience, qualities that the majority of high school freshmen lack when they come out for the sport. Additionally, it has garnered the interest of kids. Without the built interest in wrestling, it would have been difficult for Meneses to put together full line ups and to keep the wrestling room packed, and without full line ups and packed wrestling rooms, it would have been hard to maintain kids’ interest in wrestling. Meneses has been able to balance this symbiotic relationship and as a result, Washington High School has benefitted.

Coach Meneses’s blueprint has turned Washington High School into the new section power by claiming the All-City Championship title as well as 21 out of a possible 28 state qualifying spots over the last two seasons. Hopefully, to the benefit of the section as a whole, other San Francisco high school coaches implement this feeder program formula for their schools and even add on to it. The next progressive step would be to encourage kids to wrestle year round in the local Bay Area Wrestling Association (BAWA), throughout California, and even throughout the country. This is the minimum that will be needed to stay on par with other sections in the CIF, and it will definitely assist in decreasing the disparity in competition that the S.F. City Section Champions encounter when they arrive at the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield. As for silencing critics,….other than exhibiting success, no remedy as of yet has been discovered to keep them quiet.

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Gilroy's Luis Barragan will go for his second CCS Championship in 2010.

After a one-year lay off from his Central Coast Section crown in 2008, Luis Barragan of Gilroy will return for his senior season this year looking to reclaim the heavyweight title. With all the other place winners from 2009 departed, Barragan will have the inside track as the heavyweight favorite. However, Max Lohr of Pacific Grove (Sr.), and Brian Newell of Sequoia (Sr.) return as well with the desire to place within the top four to advance to the California State Tournament and to try and deny Barragan of repeating as a CCS Champion.

Barragan compiled a domineering track record against CCS opponents last season, losing only to departed CCS champion Richard Segovia from Silver Creek.  And, by seeing how he has fared in California’s toughest tournaments last year, he should be more than adequately prepared for any opponent that should rise to challenge him. He placed 1st at the Peninsula Invite and Cupertino Memorial, 2nd at Mid Cals and the Five Counties Invitational, 4th at the Doc Buchanan, and 6th at the Reno Tournament of Champions and Mission San Jose Tournament by default. His success landed him the 2nd seed at the 2009 CCS and he rolled straight through to the finals, pinning Tony Lozano of Oak Grove (1:03), Emmanuel Scott of Evergreen Valley (3:52), James Gonzalez of Junipero Serra (0:34), and Evan Swanson of Palma (2:48), before falling to Richard Segovia by a 3-1 decision.

At the Rabobank Arena In Bakersfield, Barragan commenced the CIF State Tournament with a victory by a 3:13 pin over Randall Hicks of Fullerton (7th place finisher in Southern Section) but fell by a tight 2-1 decision to Loren Baize of Lemoore (1st place finisher in Central Section).   Barragan won another match over Teddy Furnish of Kerman (7th place finisher in Central Section) by an 11-3 major decision before being eliminated by Peter Anguino from Elk Grove (2nd place finisher in Sac-Joaquin Section) in another close 2-1 decision, and finishing the tournament with a 2-2 record.

Max Lohr and Brian Newell entered the Central Coast Section last year seeded 5th and 6th, respectively, and both opened up their tournaments with strong runs, as each advanced to the quarterfinals. Lohr, one of the favorites to place, advanced to the round of 16 via a bye, and then defeated Arman Rahbar of Lynbrook in a 0:10 pin before being sent down to the wrestlebacks by Valley Christian’s Chris Tozer by a 2:45 pin. Evergreen Valley’s Emmanuel Scott eliminated Lohr in a 6-1 decision in the following match. 6th seeded Newell advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Salinas’s Cody Steele in a 2:27 pin and the defeating Chris Karabats in a 3-2 decision before losing to eventual 5th place finisher Evan Swenson of Palma by a 3-0 decision and then being eliminated by Lozano.

With the departure of 5 out last year’s 6 placers, there will undoubtedly be some fresh new faces standing atop the winner’s podium at the end of next season’s Central Coast Section Championship, and should Barragan, Lohr, and Newell, continue to improve above and beyond their competition, it can be expected that they will be the individuals standing there.

Watch Luis Barragan’s Five Counties finals match against Jose Lopez here.

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Photo by Lora Schraft, courtesy of Gilroy Dispatch.

2009 California World Challenge

Clovis West High School

October 9, 2009 (Weigh-Ins)

October 10 (11th, if necessary) Wrestling

Are you getting the itch to step onto a mat before the actual high school wrestling season begins? Between October 9th and 10th (11th if necessary), Clovis West High School in Fresno will host the 2009 California World Challenge. This event is part of the California USA Wrestling’s Triple Crown Championship Series and will be open to the Junior, High School Girls, Cadet, School Boy, Novice, Midget, Bantam, and Rookie Divisions. All that is required to compete will be a 2010 USA Wrestling Card that is available online at www.themat.com (click here to be taken to the registration page) and a $26.00 entry fee for registration prior to October 5, 2009 or $36.00 fee for a late registration, which closes on October 8, 2009 at 8pm. To go to the link to register for the tournament online, please visit Track Wrestling.

To find more contact information, visit the Clovis West Wrestling site.

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Photo courtesy of Clovis West Wrestling.

Drew Meulman of St. Francis will enter the 2009-2010 season as the favorite at 215 lbs.

Over the course of the past two seasons, the Central Coast Section 215 lbs. weight class could easily be perceived as the Drew Meulman and the rest division, and his performances during that span in the CCS Tournament certainly justify that recognition. He is not just 10-0 since his sophomore year, but, rather, more like 10-0, and not one individual that was very close. Of those ten wins, eight came by way of pin, while the other two were a 13-0 major decision and a 5-1 decision (which was his CCS finals match as a sophomore). Of his eight pins, six occured in the first round. Essentially, he likes to pin, and he likes to pin quickly.

Those figures, meanwhile, aren’t meant to discredit the local competition in the weight class. Hunter Baird of Palma, who Meulman wrestled in the section finals, went 3-2 in the California State Tournament. George Dunlap, the 4^th place section finisher out of Soquel, and Rustin Mayorga, the 3^rd place finisher from South San Francisco, who Meulman hadn’t wrestled, each went 2-2 and 1-2, respectively, at the Continue reading here.

As the school year has come underway, we can now start the countdown of the beginning of wrestling season in November. However, just because November is the month when wrestling can officially take place for high school teams, it doesn’t mean that you necessarily need to wait until then to get onto a mat to start refreshing your memory and to shake the cobwebs out of your knee pads and head gear. Wrestling Prep will be holding open mat rooms from late August through the end of September and further dates will be announced as they are released.  The best part is that they are FREE! There is no obligation, and no strings attached. These are opportunities provided by Wrestling Prep to help spur growth in the sport and to help wrestlers in the community improve their abilities. Furthermore, some of these open rooms will have CC Fisher in attendance, who brings in a wealth of knowledge on wrestling. Following are the open mat room dates and locations. Continue reading here.

Tyler Edwards will move up to 171 lbs. next season and make a run to place among California's best at the 2010 CIF State Tournament.

Tyler Edwards of Monterey High School will be joining Kellogg, Tran, Perrigo, Rivera, and Alvarez in the 171 lbs. weight class, adding considerable depth and experience. He returns with high expectations after having competed on the national stage in Freestyle and Greco-Roman in the spring and summer.  Edwards represented California and took part in the 2009 USAW Juniors Freestyle and Greco-Roman National Duals in Oklahoma City. He finished as California’s state finalist in Freestyle and, while preparing for Junior Greco-Roman Nationals in Fargo, Edwards spent time training with 160 lbs. California State Champion and University of Wyoming bound Patrick Martinez, 160 lbs. state runner-Up and Columbia bound Stephen West, 152 lbs. California 7th place finisher and also Columbia bound Tyler Sheridan, and 215 lbs. California 5th place finisher Austin Moorehead of Sutter Union. He eventually finished the national tournament with 2 wins and 2 losses that came at the hands of Greco-Roman National Champion Mark Stenberg of Illinois and last year’s Cadet National Champion Levi Clemons of Florida. As if the summer of training wasn’t enough, Edwards will also be competing in football this coming fall season as a returning all-league defensive tackle. Normally, such an exhausting and grueling off season would be enough for anyone to get burned out, but for Edwards, it doesn’t seem like he’d rather have it any other way, and Central Coast Section fans should keep an eye out on him all season to watch how his commitment and dedication pay off. Continue reading here.

The CCS will turn to Logan Kellogg and Jeff Tran to try and be the first 171 lbs. placers at the CIF tournament since Hunter Collins (above) of Gilroy in 2008.

At a coaching clinic this past weekend, I had the privilege to see 2008 California State Champion and four time state placer Hunter Collins display a simple pre-practice warm up routine. Missing were his patented Ben Askren-esque curly locks and Gilroy High School wrestling attire, which were replaced by clothes pressed with “M” emblems on them, which represent the University of Michigan, the college he wrestles for now. He demonstrated the tiresome sparring that he took part in at Gilroy High School, his alma mater. He showed the coaches top work tactics, and he showed off his super duck under, which looked as smooth as water pouring from a glass.  Just a few minutes had passed and I could see the look on some of the coaches’ faces in the room looking on with a sense of relief that their own 171 lbs. wrestlers would not have to face this person any longer. And I don’t blame them. Even at my age now, I’d probably be hesitant to have faced him when he was a freshman. But I think that behind those relieved faces were mixed senses of forlornness. It’s been a year and a half since the Central Coast Section’s 171 lbs. pride and joy has left, and now the section is left wondering when its next “Hunter Collins” will come along.

Looking forward into the 2009-2010 season, the Central Coast Section will try to develop a deeper and more experienced 171 lbs. weight class, and it will have to start with its two returning place winners from 2009 and their supporting cast. With the top four placers from 2009, Zack Blumenfeld of Gunn, Jason Luchetti of Terra Nova, Devan Santos of Palma, and Omar Al-Helew of Santa Teresa, leaving, Logan Kellogg (Jr.) of San Lorenzo Valley will enter the 2009-2010 season looking to climb up to the top spot of the CCS winners’ podium after coming up a win short of qualifying for the CIF State Tournament last season. He began his post season last year with a 1st place finish at the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Finals. His finishes at the Peninsula Invitational (4th), Central Coast Team Duals (1st), Cupertino Memorial Tournament (2nd), Big Valley Classic (5th at 160 lbs.), and Mission San Jose Invitational (4th at 160 lbs.), along with his SCCAL Championship, earned Kellogg the 2nd seed in the 171 lbs. weight bracket at the Central Coast Section Championships. Continue reading here.

Blake Kastl (right) grapples against San Francisco State University All-American Naveed Bagheri

It has been reported that Blake Kastl will wrestle next year at Gilroy High School at 135 lbs., and he is walking around naturally around 140 lbs.  Prior to his high school career, Blake was the 2008 Schoolboys Folkstyle National Champion. He wrestled last season at 125 lbs., and  although Blake Kastl did not compete in the state, or section tournament last season, he did compile an impressive showing in his inaugural regular season. He won the Kurt Mettler Invitational, he was considered the top wrestler in his weight class at the Newark Memorial Iron Man Duals, he placed 2nd at Mid Cals, losing to two-time state champion Martin Gonzalez of Gilroy, and he placed 5th at the Five Counties, which is considered one of the toughest tournaments in the nation. This past off-season Kastl won the 2009 California Cadet Freestyle Championship at 135 lbs. and he took first at the NHSCA Freshman National Tournament at 135 lbs.

Photo courtesey of Carolyn Wester of Wrestling Prep.