Wrestling: San Fernando wins third straight title

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At San Fernando, the only necessary question about its premiere wrestling program is how many champions will it send to the state championship meet in Bakersfield?

The answer this year is six.

The Tigers, who hosted the City Section championships on Saturday, had nine wrestlers in the finals of the 14 weight classes. Six of them won titles -- Benito Mendez,103 pounds; Miguel Gallegos, 112 pounds; Mike Lee, 119 pounds; George Garcia, 125 pounds; Mike Solis, 140 pounds; Rashaad Reynolds, 145 pounds.

‘I needed the other three guys to be completely happy,’ said Tigers Coach Fernando Gonzalez, referring to Eric Ceja, Adolfo Medina and Matt Castillo. Those three lost in the 152-, 160- and 189-pound championship matches.

‘But six is good.’

San Fernando also won its third straight team title, sixth in the last eight years, and a school record 13th wrestling championship overall.

Only one thing is missing from the Tigers’ resume -- a state winner.

‘I know they are as prepared as we can get them,’ Gonzalez said. ‘We’ve trained and conditioned; gone to wrestling camps; wrestled all spring, summer and winter. We took them to the toughest tournaments we could possibly take them to.

‘We’ve led them to the water. They’re the horses who have to drink.’

-- Mike Terry