Wrestling: Sunset League far from done
ONTARIO — Seven proud Sunset League wrestlers walked into Citizens Business Bank Arena on Friday with one goal in mind.
After the first day of the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, five of those representatives still have a shot to make the trip up to Bakersfield to compete in the state championships.
All of them will have to qualify the hard way, as none of the locals were able to win their first three matches in the main draw to punch their ticket to state.
Fountain Valley’s Karson Ayres came the closest, winning his first two matches of the day.
He went up against Lakewood Mayfair’s Khalil Howard in the second round.
The two wrestlers had taken a good look at one another back in the Five Counties Tournament, as they faced each other twice on the same day, splitting the bouts.
Ayres won the rubber match, scoring the go-ahead takedown in the second period. An illegal headlock call against Howard put the match out of takedown range.
“That was good to beat him,” Ayres said. “I was pissed about losing to him at Five Counties. To come back and show him that I am better is definitely good, especially here where it counts.”
After defeating Howard, 5-2, a win would have qualified Ayres for state. He was in position to get it. The two-time CIF-SS individual champion led Riverside King’s Brandon Esparza, 7-5, going into the third, but that hope disappeared when he was tossed for a combination.
Esparza emerged from the series of takedowns and nearfalls with an 11-8 lead, and Ayres was unable to recover.
“Giving up the back points [buried] me,” Ayres said. “I would have still been in it if it was just a takedown.”
The top nine placers advance to state. Since all five surviving locals are in their respective consolation brackets, they will have to win their first match on Saturday to advance.
The area is guaranteed one qualifier, as Ayres will square off with Newport Harbor’s Xander Moreno when action resumes.
Moreno had a six-point second period in his consolation third-round match, and it was all he would need to set up the league meeting.
“When I’m wrestling, I try to get as many points as I can,” Moreno said of seeking combinations. “That’s my first thought. Get more points, then pin. If I can take my shot and get a couple of nearfall points, that’s good.”
Ayres versus Moreno is a CIF-SS Southern Division semifinals rematch in the 145s. John McCoy will also see round two with his semifinal foe. The Marina junior will face Villa Park’s Caleb Reynolds for the right to go to state.
McCoy earned the opportunity with a thrilling, come-from-behind victory in the third round of consolation. His takedown with 43 seconds left gave him a 3-2 lead, and he held on for the 5-4 decision over Jesse Pacheco of Temescal Canyon.
Vikings Coach Chris Rasmussen fist pumped toward the crowd when McCoy pulled out the win.
Asked if he had ever seen his coach get that excited, McCoy said, “No, not that many times. I’m feeling good right now.”
“I’m kind of still processing it all. To be one match away from state is something that I really wanted to do.”
The pressure was on Huntington Beach’s Jackson Oehling (160s) from the moment the CIF-SS Southern Division Finals were over.
Oehling had gained considerable weight on championship Saturday, and he had to cut 14 pounds to be eligible to wrestle on the first day of the Masters Meet.
A lack of food in his system may have cost Oehling his first-round match, as he gave up the decisive takedown inside of 30 seconds to go.
The Oilers senior said he immediately sought out nourishment after the loss. He devoured a veggie burger, popcorn, and some Pedialyte, and he was ready for battle in the consolation bracket.
Oehling rolled out of a couple of potential takedowns, turning them into two-point scores for himself. The second solidified his third-period lead against Simi Valley Royal’s Gerry Fulgentes, whom he edged, 5-2.
He followed that performance with an 8-3 decision over Walnut’s Christian Elias, and a 6-4 decision over Trabuco Hills’ Cody Burdette put him on the verge of advancing.
Oehling called his comeback “gnarly,” but he added the following.
“It’s solid for the Sunset League,” he said of five members moving on to day two. “Marina is turning out. We’ve got Newport Harbor, too. We Coastal cities, we don’t just surf, we wrestle, too. It’s good to get the name out there.”
Fountain Valley’s Merrick O’Donnell (182s) saw his path to the state meet get tougher after a hiccup in the second round. He trailed, 7-5, going into the third period versus Righetti’s Issaya Finley.
The Barons senior was unable to rally, as Finley never let him up from his belly in the final period.
O’Donnell, who has been known to be an emotional wrestler, seemed to get angry after the defeat. He bulled his way to victory in the next two rounds.
“I got pretty upset because I could have beaten [Finley],” O’Donnell said. “I just used that anger. I harnessed it and wrestled with it. One of my main strengths is to use that emotion.”
Marina’s Wyatt Been (170s) suffered first-period pins in each of his matches.
Fountain Valley’s George Sykes (195s) also exited early, dropping his first two bouts of the tournament.
Ocean View’s Vu Concedes State Spot
Seahawks wrestler Angie Vu did not travel to Visalia to participate in the girls’ state championship.
She was unable to go due to a torn rotator cuff that she suffered in the qualifying tournament.
CIF-SS Masters Meet
At Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario
Locals On Day One
145s
First Round – Xander Moreno (Newport Harbor) dec. Joe Garcia (La Quinta/LQ), 11-4.
Second Round – Zander Silva (Alta Loma) tech. Xander Moreno (Newport Harbor), 17-0.
Second Consolation – Xander Moreno (Newport Harbor) tech. fall Benjamin Niesen (Burroughs/Ridgecrest), 16-1.
Third Consolation – Xander Moreno (Newport Harbor) dec. Seth Bloomer (Sultana), 6-2.
First Round – Karson Ayres (Fountain Valley) pins Jose Cano (Coachella Valley), 2:59.
Second Round – Karson Ayres (Fountain Valley) dec. Khalil Howard (Mayfair), 5-2.
Third Round – Brandon Esparza (ML King) dec. Karson Ayres (Fountain Valley), 11-9.
First Round – John McCoy (Marina) dec. Benjamin Niesen (Ridgecrest Burroughs), 6-2.
Second Round – Troy Mantanona (Palm Desert) pins John McCoy (Marina), 1:11.
Second Consolation – John McCoy (Marina) dec. Joe Garcia (La Quinta/LQ), 5-0.
Third Consolation – John McCoy (Marina) dec. Jesse Pacheco (Temescal Canyon), 5-4.
160s
First Round – Trung Tran (South Hills) dec. Jackson Oehling (Huntington Beach), 7-6.
First Consolation – Jackson Oehling (Huntington Beach) dec. Gerry Fulgentes (Royal), 5-2.
Second Consolation – Jackson Oehling (Huntington Beach) dec. Christian Elias (Walnut), 8-3.
Third Consolation – Jackson Oehling (Huntington Beach) dec. Cody Burdette (Trabuco Hills), 6-4.
170s
First Round – Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert) pins Wyatt Been (Marina), 0:16.
First Consolation – Ismael Bautista (Warren) pins Wyatt Been (Marina), 0:56.
182s
First Round – Merrick O’Donnell (Fountain Valley) pins Jarrod Nunez (Mayfair), 1:20.
Second Round – Issaya Finley (Righetti) dec. Merrick O’Donnell (Fountain Valley), 7-5.
Second Consolation – Merrick O’Donnell (Fountain Valley) pins Colby Allen (Rio Mesa), 1:13.
Third Consolation – Merrick O’Donnell (Fountain Valley) dec. Martin Solano (Norte Vista), 13-6.
195s
First Round – Arick Lopez (Yucaipa) tech. fall George Sykes (Fountain Valley), 19-2.
First Consolation – Leo Molina (Sultana) maj. George Sykes (Fountain Valley), 11-2.
Twitter: @ProfessorTurner
