Wrestling: Ayres turns in fourth-place finish

FOUNTAIN VALLEY – Much respect has to be given to those who brave the mortal combat that takes place on the wrestling mat.

Over the last two days, many a wrestler took a beating at Fountain Valley High.

They will all tell you it was worth it, as they were trying to make a name for themselves against the sport’s best in the prestigious Five Counties Tournament.

No matter how long the season goes on, people will marvel at the fact that Fountain Valley’s Karson Ayres is back in the physically demanding sport after tearing his ACL on Sept. 11.

Being back in action should have him grinning from one ear to the other, but it is not easy to ask a former CIF champion to lower their expectations.

After reaching the semifinals of the 145-pound weight class and taking home fourth place on Saturday, Ayres was already thirsting for his next opportunity.

He lost the third-place match to Khalil Howard of Lakewood Mayfair (4-1), whom he had already beaten in the quarterfinals of the main draw.

“We had each other figured out after wrestling in the quarters,” Ayres said of facing Howard. “That is definitely a bummer to lose to him after I already beat him.”

“He had a strategy going in, and I kind of wrestled to his strategy instead of working on my own stuff. I definitely hope that I get another shot at him at some point this season.”

The two squared off in their first match of the day, and it was a strong showing from Ayres. He engineered a comeback from a 5-2 deficit to an 8-5 victory.

Ayres was knocked out by major decision against top-seeded Zander Silva of Alta Loma, 9-1. He then majored Hanford’s Jeronimo Cardoso, 11-2, to reach the consolation final.

The fourth-seeded Ayres had three majors and a decision for his four wins of the tournament.

On the subject of his expectations, Ayres had mixed feelings as to whether or not reaching the semifinals of Five Counties was a success.

“That’s somewhat of a success, but my goal was to be in the finals and to win it, so I’m kind of disappointed,” he said. “I performed to the best of my ability, and it just shows me what I need to work on for state and stuff like that.”

Three local wrestlers were alive in the main draw on the morning of the tournament’s second day.

Only Ayres advanced to the semifinals, although his teammate made a concerted effort to join him.

Merrick O’Donnell was pinned by Norco’s Noah Kelsoe in what was a hotly debated ruling in the 182-pound quarterfinals. The Barons senior took his opponent to the ground near the boundary, but Kelsoe pulled off a reversal for a 13-10 lead.

The score was not the issue, but the abrupt end to the match via pin was the source of the argument. The Fountain Valley camp believed that the wrestlers were off the mat. That would have nullified the decisive pin with 20 seconds remaining.

“When I got pinned, I was 100 percent sure that I was out of bounds,” O’Donnell said. “(The referee) called it a pin and told me the match was over.”

“I hope to see (Kelsoe) again at Masters or State. He’s good. He beat me.”

O’Donnell had rallied from a 6-2 deficit after the first period, drawing even at 10-10 in the third.

As the tournament progressed, O’Donnell continued to battle. He earned a tough win by decision, 9-8, over Jeremiah Smith of Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World in his first consolation match.

In his next bout, he used an inside trip move for a takedown and pin of West Torrance’s Ryan Price to move on to the consolation semifinals.

He fell to No. 3 seed Dylan Kranich of Lodi Tokay, 9-2, but bounced back to end his day with a major victory over Roosevelt’s Brandon Leon, 15-5, in the fifth-place match.

O’Donnell used a high-octane, wrecking-ball style of wrestling to reach the medal round. The force of his takedowns was surely felt by his foes.

“I think that’s one of the things that I have at this weight class,” O’Donnell said. “Speed, strength, and technique.”

“I came out at the end with a win. That’s all that matters. I didn’t stop, didn’t give up.”

Marina’s John McCoy suffered a technical fall from Selma’s Tony Mendoza, the No. 1 seed in the 138s, to start his day.

He recovered to pin Santa Monica’s Chase Greenich in his ensuing consolation match, earning a spot in the medal round.

The Vikings junior finished in eighth for his division after falling to Cypress’ Devin Daugherty by decision, 8-3.

“I like that he was able to compete with some of the best kids in California,” Vikings coach Chris Rasmussen said. “He hadn’t really gotten any recognition for the amount of work that he has put in.”

McCoy has been a consistent performer this year, placing on a regular basis in the tournaments at which he has competed.

Rasmussen noted that the junior is working deeper into the main draw of tournaments this season, and his confidence has risen as he has entered more matches as the favorite.

“Close matches were not the matches that he was winning last year,” Rasmussen added. “This year, he’s winning the close matches.”

Individual Championships

106 – Eddie Flores (Northview) dec. Tristan Lujan (Selma), 1-0.

113 – Nate Yanez (Roosevelt) maj. Jacob Ruiz (Camarillo), 12-2.

120 – Alex Nunez (Alta Loma) pins Josh Medina (Servite), 2:53.

126 – Robert Garcia (Selma) dec. Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo), 1-0 F/OT.

132 – Gary Joint (Lemoore) dec. Gabriel Cortez (Northview), 2-1.

138 – Tony Mendoza (Selma) dec. Dalton Lackman (Foothill), 1-0.

145 – Zander Silva (Alta Loma) dec. Jonathan Ramos (Selma), 5-0.

152 – Jaden Enriquez (Mission Oak) dec. Nasir Grissom (Santa Monica), 8-5.

160 – Aaron Olmos (Mater Dei Catholic/SD) dec. Augustine Garcia (Madera South), 9-5.

170 – Christian Rodriguez (Selma) dec. Dylan Miracle (Madera South), 4-3.

182 – Angel Solis (Lemoore) dec. Gerardo Hernandez (Capistrano Valley), 2-1.

195 – Chasen Blair (Rancho Bernardo) pins Jesus Coronado (Simi Valley), 3:29.

220 – Dane Martinez (Brawley) dec. Rigo Estrada (Northview), 5-1.

285 – Armando Barcenas (Hanford) dec. Arath Rangel (Centennial), 4-2 F/OT.

Team Standings

1. Selma 219; 2. Northview 196.5; 3. Rancho Bernardo 144.5; 4. Hanford 144; 5. Alta Loma 131.5; 6. Lemoore 128; 7. Mayfair 119.5; 8. Servite 117; 9. Brawley 103; 10. Roosevelt 99.5; 23T. Fountain Valley 62; 54. Marina 33.5