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. Not too bad of a season from a young lady that actually really didn’t enjoy wrestling when she first started.

           Jasmine admits, “I really didn’t like (wrestling) the first few weeks, but eventually I starting picking it up and stuck with it.” She credits her mom, who was also very active growing up, for introducing her to the sport in junior high, and her coaches and teammates for keeping her motivated and making the sport enjoyable for her. “They’re like family to me, and just truly supportive.”

          When asked what it was like to be in the same room as some of the state’s best wrestlers (Jesse Delgado, Martin Gonzalez, Hunter Collins), Jasmine replied, “It’s amazing to be around them and be able to see and be motivated by their work ethic. They’re great guys and they treat me the same as anyone else.” This year, Jasmine will also be able to add Blake and Dominic Kastl to the list of talented wrestlers that she will gain knowledge from.

         Along with being the first girl to place at the MidCals tournament, Jasmine also won a match in the CCS Championships to help Gilroy High School earn its 7^th consecutive Central Coast Section team title.  After watching her teammates Delgado and Gonzalez win state championships, Yanez went back to work and competed in Freestyle. Representing the Gilroy Hawks, Yanez placed third at Cadet Nationals in the 108 lbs. division, winning her last match over Shelby Morrison of Tascosa High School in Texas by a decision,1-9, 5-0, and 4-1.

          A few months later in August, Jasmine made her first trip ever out of the country and competed in the Cadet Pan American Championships in Managua, Nicaragua where she actually wrestled a weight class up in the 114.5 lbs. weight division and took 2^nd place. She posted a victory over Carolina D’larosa of the Dominican Republic, 3-2, 2-3, and 4-2. Her loss was against Eunice Jimenez of Mexico in 0-4 and by fall in 1:47. In addition to gaining invaluable international freestyle experience, Jasmine also enjoyed the experience of meeting some of the nation’s top wrestlers and being able to travel.

         Now, with all the experience the she has gained and dedicated hard work that she has put in, Jasmine appears poised accomplish the goals that she set out for this season, and the only advice to give anyone that should match up against her is this: definitely do not underestimate her.

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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.

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 State Tournament. There was a high level of competition in the weight class, but,  to his credit, Meulman is simply a few rungs higher in terms of his skill and ability, and fortunately for the CCS, the reach of his dominance is not only limited to his opponents within the section.

During the 2008-2009 season, Meulman, of St. Francis, showcased his ability and skill to the entire state in a three week tournament schedule, first travelling to Fresno to compete in the Doc Buchanan Invitational,then to Fountain Valley in Southern California for the Five Counties Invitational, and finally to Gilroy for MidCals. Week after week, Meulman impressed spectators and fans and finished 1^st in each of these tournaments, which are regarded as the most difficult in the state, with Five Counties considered as one of the nation’s toughest. He squared off against the legitimate title contender (and 2009 CIF 3^rd place finisher) Josh Wood of Modoc, at the Mid Cals final and against the state’s returning 2009 7^th place finisher Brian Schoene of Bakersfield twice for the finals at Five Counties and at the Doc Buchanan Invitational. He also finished first at the Newark Rotary Duals as a heavyweight, and at the Cupertino Memorial. His lone 2^nd place finish was at the beginning of the season at the Lou Bronzan Tournament and his 11-5 loss came at the hands of his cross bay rival, Nick Pica of Concord.

Meulman’s post season commenced with his second consecutive West Catholic Athletic League championship. Ranked first at CCS, Meulman pinned his way to the championship title, dispatching Angel Reyes of Salinas in 1:14, Donovan Jackson of Monterey in 1:50, Martin Garcia of San Benito in 0:52, Juniel Morales of Oak Grove in 2:56, and Hunter Baird of Palma in 3:29, and then headed to Bakersfield to pursue his quest for a state championship. Through the first two rounds, Meulman picked up right where he left off, and pinned Jesus Vargas of La Puente ( 7^th place finisher in Southern Section) in 1:16, and Kalafitoni Pole of James Logan (2^nd place finisher in North Coast Section) in 1:00. In the quarterfinals, Meulman faced a familiar opponent in Brian Schoene, of Bakersfield, in a thrilling match that went into over time. Although he had faced Schoene twice before, and defeated him 6-1 and 6-0, Schoene rose to the occasion and forced the scoreless match into over time. However, after attempting a shot, Meulman was able to capitalize to score and end the match by a 2-0 decision. Schoene eventually went on to place 7^th in California.

By advancing into the semifinals, Meulman set up rematch against Josh Wood of Modoc (1^st place finisher in Northern Section) who he just escaped in a 5-4 decision at the Mid Cal tournament. Wood defeated Meulman 6-2 at the 2008 State Tournament, and Meulman decided to not let history repeat itself. In another difficult match up, Meulman was able to come away with a 4-2 decision, and set up another rematch against the very dominant and aggressive Nick Pica of Concord (1^st place finisher in North Coast Section) for the 2009 215 lbs. CIF Title. Ultimately, Meulman was unable to overcome Pica’s aggressive and overbearing style that consisted of single leg attacks and snap downs, and he lost in 10-4 decision.

This coming season, California wrestling aficionados can anticipate Meulman’s season to culminate in another CIF Finals match. However, to get there he’ll have to run the gauntlet against some tough returning state placers including William Knowles of Calvary Chapel, Austin Morehead of Sutter, and Brian Schoene of Bakersfield. Just because the incumbent champion Pica will be graduating doesn’t mean the title will be easy to earn.

Juniel Morales (top) will be one of dozens that will try and stop Meulman next season.

Looking to join the  CCS Champion and State Finalist at the state tournament next year will be returning Central Coast Section placers Juniel Morales (Sr.) of Oak Grove and Joey Lopez (Sr.) of Junipero Serra. Morales advanced all the way to the semifinals at the 2009 CCS Tournament until his encounter with Meulman resulted in a fall in 2:56. The loss sent him into the consolation bracket, where he was promptly greeted by George Dunlap of Soquel, the 4^th place finisher in the section, who handed him a loss by a 7-1 decision. Subsequently, Morales moved into the match for 5^th/6^th and defeated Joey Lopez of Serra by a pin in 3:45.

Joey Lopez took the longer and much more unorthodox method of placing. Lopez, who was not even ranked in the top 10, advanced to the round of 16 via a Bye, and wrestled against Dunlap and lost by a pin in 1:23. While in the wrestlebacks, Lopez won four straight against Alfredo Mireles of Gilroy (fall 2:08), AJ Castillo of Palo Alto (fall 1:44), Martin Garcia of San Benito (7-4 decision), and Hector Cristobal of Freemont (6-2) before falling to South San Francisco’s Rustin Mayorga (11-3). He ended the tournament with a loss to Morales to finish in 6^th place. With this accomplishment in hand, Lopez should be able to wrestle with more confidence, and at the same time he’ll need to be aware that he will no longer be able to fly under many coaches’ radar.

To watch Drew Meulman’s California State Finals match against Nick Pica of Concord, click here.

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Photo courtesey of Tech-Fall.

Sunday August 30 -  CC Fisher Confirmed 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm @ Newark
Memorial High School (39375 Cedar Blvd – Newark, CA) NO CHARGE – ALL WELCOME

Sunday September 6 -  NO OPEN ROOM – Labor Day

Sunday September 13 -  1:30 pm to 3:30 pm @ Newark Memorial High School
(39375 Cedar Blvd – Newark, CA) NO CHARGE – ALL WELCOME

Sunday September 20 -  1:30 pm to 3:30 pm @ Newark Memorial High School
(39375 Cedar Blvd – Newark, CA) NO CHARGE – ALL WELCOME

Sunday September 27 -  1:30 pm to 3:30 pm @ Newark Memorial High School (39375 Cedar Blvd – Newark, CA) NO CHARGE – ALL WELCOME

If you have specific questions or need information or want to request work
out partners please contact Carolyn @ 650 245-3533 or
carolyn@wrestlingprep.com.

Along with being a National Junior FILA head coach, CC Fisher was also an assistant coach under Bobby Douglas at Iowa State University, at Duke, and at UNC-Charlotte. Coach Fisher hails from Durham, North Carolina and competed for the North Carolina Tar Heels as a four-year starter, qualifying for the NCAA Nationals twice. As the wrestling team captain at the University of North Carolina, CC Fisher earned All-ACC honors twice, once for his runner-up finish at the ACC tournament in 1997 and again in 1998 as the ACC Champion at 126 lbs.

For more information on Wrestling Prep, click here.

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Maison Davis (red) looks to come back from last year's season ending injury and claim a CCS title.

After looking at my notes over and over, and searching other sites, reading forums and analyzing statistics on the upcoming season’s 189 lbs. weight class, I have finally came to an ilation. I believe this year that two wrestlers will distinctly stand out in this season’s upcoming 189 lbs. weight division.  However, just to be certain, I thought that I’d use my “text a friend option” for some additional consideration. And I figured who else better to call upon than someone who might have some of the most experience against the top returners other than 2009′s 189 lbs. Central Coast Section Champion, Will Eleazar, formerly of Aragon High School in San Mateo. Well, without providing any persuasion or intimidating him (too much) to accept my perspectives and outcome, his conclusion was purely identical to mine. The two front runners to stand atop of the 189 lbs. podium next year at the CCS Championships are Alan Yen of Saratoga and Maison Davis of Hillsdale in San Mateo.

Maison Davis you ask? Or more specifically, the inquiry may be into the whereabouts of Maison Davis been since his stellar sophomore season from 2007-2008? As an assistant coach for last season’s Hillsdale squad, I fielded this question from other coaches and wrestlers alike at every tournament numerous times, and even asked if I was Maison! (Maybe even implying that as a 26 year old, I still have the physical qualities of a 16 year old, which I’m still not certain on how to take).  Well, all I can say about him now is that he’s around, and he is preparing himself adequately for the upcoming season.

I first encountered Davis in the summer of 2008 while working out during one of Skyline College’s summer open mat session. A coach had pointed him out to me and whispered “that kid is tough.” I looked at him and sized him up. ” Is he the 184 pounder?” The coach answered back, “No, 189 pounds in high school.” I was in disbelief. He was holding his own very well, and actually quite successfully, in a room where his competition was primarily junior college wrestlers. We ended up wrestling together for a little bit and he was just as tough as advertised. He was strong, wrestled intelligently, and didn’t expose too many flaws to capitalize on: all characteristics that very high level wrestlers posses. I eventually wound up running into him a few times that summer at the Peninsula Wrestling Club summer sessions where he and Eleazar would grapple together while a lot of the other wrestlers in the room would also watch them out of the corner of their eyes. After all, it was a state qualifier caliber workout they were all witnessing, as well as a possible preview of that year’s CCS finals match up.

Davis entered the 2008-2009 season fresh off of accomplishing some impressive achievements. He took 6th place in the previous year’s section finals, after, unfortunately, defaulting from each match after the semifinals, as only a sophomore. That off season he placed 2nd in California in Cadet Freestyle and Greco-Roman while also placing 5th in the Juniors Division, and he also earned three wins in the 2008 Greco-Roman Cadet National Tournament in Fargo, ND. From the beginning of the season he came in sharp and with a mindset to take on the toughest competition in the state. However, a setback prohibited him from this challenge just a few weeks into the season as Davis sustained a season ending knee injury. Rather than rush and push for a quick rehabilitation and still face uncertainty about returning to wrestling, Davis opted for surgery and to have the ability to properly rehabilitate the injury, and be completely ready for the 2009-2010 season.

Saratoga's Alan Yen seeks to surpass last season's accomplishments by winning the 189 lbs. CCS title and making a deep run in the CIF tournament.

Alan Yen of Saratoga, on the other hand, has ceased to slow down since his breakout season from 2007-2008, when he also went to Cadet Freestyle Nationals in Fargo and earned three victories. Last season, Yen placed 3^rd at the Coast Classic, 5^th at the Sierra Nevada Classic, 4^th at Mid Cals, 3^rd at the Mission San Jose Tournament, and was the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League Champion. At the Central Coast Section Tournament, Yen pinned Steve Rhodes of Woodside in 4:54 and posted an 8-6 decision over Bellarmine’s Tony Oreglia, who placed 4^th in the section, before accomplishing an amazing upset over the 189 lbs. Goliath, Zach Jimenez, of Palma. Prior to that match, Jimenez had faced Yen once and won that match by a pin in 3:19. In addition, Jimenez was also entering the bout with some intimidating momentum, winning his first three matches by a 12-1 major decision, a pin in 1:22, and a 17-1 technical fall over Ben Oliver of Freemont, Jesus Zamarripia of San Jose, and Mason Hayden of Santa Teresa, respectively. Despite these factors, Yen beat the odds and came out 4-3 decision, thus setting up a finals match against a very familiar foe, 2^nd seeded Will Eleazar of Aragon.  The two faced off on numerous occasions throughout the season, with Eleazar taking the lion’s share of victories. This instance was possibly the most exhilarating as it went down to the final seconds to be determined. Yen was ahead by a score of 4-3 with less than ten seconds remaining in the final period. However, Eleazar managed to execute a reversal and gain near fall points on Yen to come out on top 7-4 and walk away as the 2009 CCS Champion. Despite the finals loss, Yen’s post season continued into the CIF State Tournament.

In the opening round of the CIF Tournament, Yen faced off against Nokolai Crouch, a highly talented graduated senior from Sante Fe (2^nd place finisher in Southern Section) that finished as the California 189 lbs. runner-up, and lost by a fall in 5:13. Yen won two matches in the consolation bracket, first against Wade Jackson of Kingsburg (6^th place finisher in Central Section) by a 9-7 decision, and then against Justin Baffico of Freedom (4^th place finisher in North Coast Section), and was eventually defeated by James Chandless from Marysville (6^th place finisher in Sac-Joaquin Section) to end his tournament run. However, Yen’s wrestling didn’t end there. He continued to take the same route as he has taken in previous years and participated in Freestyle during the off season to help supplement his Folkstyle wrestling. He participated in the National Duals as a member of California Wrestling and he competed in the 2009 Freestyle National Tournament, this time in the Juniors Division, and posted two victories.

Davis will have to go through the regular trial and tribulations of coming back and getting into wrestling shape after sustaining an injury, including breaking down any mental barriers such as hesitancy or tentativeness to   Although Davis has been working out to return to his pristine form, Yen’s training and accomplishments indicate that a clear shot straight to the championship won’t come easily. Either way, these two would make for a remarkable finals match up. That is unless any other members of the 189 lbs. weight class look to stand in their way.

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Photo courtesy of Tech-Fall.

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.

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.

Through the first two rounds, Kellogg’s road into the CCS finals match seemed imminent. He pinned Adan Rivera of Mt. Pleasant in 2:22 and posted a 9-0 major decision over Doug Tomlinson of Los Altos. However, upstart Devan Santos of Palma was concurrently mounting some momentum of his own. The Tri County Athletic League Champion pinned Nick Bruno of Archbishop Mitty in 3:38 and Noah DeLaCruz of Pajaro Valley in 0:59. The match-up that ensued as a result, between Kellogg and Santos, resulted in a 7-1 decision for Santos, and Kellogg was left to continue grappling in the wrestlebacks. In the consolation bracket Kellogg defeated Rob Reidler of King City in a 7-1 decision, and SCCAL rival Trevor Perrigo of Harbor in a 6-3 decision, but was defeated by Omar Al-Helew. Al-Helew, who was the top seed and was upset by eventual CCS champion Zack Blumenfeld, came out on top with a 5-4 decision. Kellogg then faced Jeff Tran of Milpitas, defeating him in a 10-3 decision to take 5th place.

Jeff Tran of Milpitas, on the other hand, didn’t have the same good start as Kellogg. Right out of the gate, Tran went up against top seeded Al-Helew and was pinned in 1:04. Subsequently, Tran made a remarkable run of five straight wins in the consolation bracket, pinning Cesar Coronado of Alisal in 3:21, pinning Doug Tomlinson in 4:30, defeating Gilroy’s Michael Penyascek in a 12-6 decision, beating out Jordan Rivera of Prospect in a 10-4 decision, and edging out Raul Rauda of South San Francisco in a 7-6 decision, and was set to match up against Palma’s Santos. These two had met before with Tran victorious, but this time Santos was too much and he pinned Tran in 4:45 en route to his 3rd place finish. Tran would end up finishing with a 10-3 loss to Kellogg to take 6th and end the tournament with five wins and three losses.

Others to watch in this class include seniors Trevor Perrigo of Harbor, Jordan Rivera of Prospect, and Martin Alvarez of Cupertino. Perrigo, the SCCAL runner-up, finished the CCS Tournament with three wins and two losses at the hands of Raul Rauda and 5th place finisher Kellogg. Rivera, the Blossom Valley Athletic League runner-up, finished the tournament with two wins and suffered losses to tournament champion Blumenfeld and 6th place finisher Tran. In the regular season he placed 4th at Lou Bronzan, 2nd at the Central Coast Team Duals, and 6th at the Big Valley Classic, all while competing in the 189 lbs. weight class. He finished 2nd at the Jim Root Classic and 5th at Mid Cals wrestling at 171 lbs. Alvarez, the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League Champion, of Cupertino finished with three wins at the CCS Tournament and suffered losses to Jason Luchetti of Terra Nova, who was the 2nd place finisher at the CCS Tournament, and to Rauda. He placed 4th at the Overfelt Tournament and 8th at Mid Cals.

Kellogg and Tran, along with the trio of Perrigo, Rivera, and Alvarez, are all positive starting points for the section. However, when four of the five graduate after next season, the Central Coast Section may be back to the drawing board. But who knows?  There could be another special freshman or sophomore out there that comes along to reign over the weight class for the next three or four years. And maybe it will be just as dominant and as impressive as the way Hunter Collins did it.

Watch Hunter Collins face off against Jake Meredith of Temecula in the 2008 171 lbs. state finals here.

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Photo courtesy of Hollister Freelance.

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.