DualMeet.com

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.

Last season, Edwards competed in the 160 lbs. weight class and finished the regular season having placed 1st at the Peninsula Invitational and Coast Classic at 171 lbs., 1st at the San Ramon Valley Tournament and Overfelt Classic, 2nd at Mid Cals, and 1st in the Monterey Bay League Championships. Edwards advanced all the way to the semifinals at the CCS Tournament before finally falling to 3rd seeded and tournament runner up Patrick Sheehan of Palo Alto in a 3-1 decision. After defeating 5th seeded Matthew Thalin of Kings Academy in a 4-0 decision, Edwards encountered Enrique Lucatero of San Benito, losing in a 3-2 decision, and took 4th place.

Tyler Edwards wrestled very well at the CIF State Tournament. He initially lost to Adam Delagarza of Vacaville, who went on to place 3rd in the state, in the opening round, but Edwards  went off and took four wins straight over Matt Skinner of Sonora (7th place finisher in Sac-Joaquin Section), defeating him in 9-7 decision, John St. James of Tehachapi (7th place finisher in Central Section), beating him in a 12-5 decision, Sean Datte of Tesoro (7th place finisher in Southern Section), posting an 11-2 major decision, and Ian Roy of Poway (1st place finisher in San Diego Section), coming away with a 1-0 victory, before being eliminated from the tournament by a 2:59 pin from fellow Central Coast Section wrestler Dominic Kastl. He was just one round away from placing at the state tournament.