Poway, Helix, Clairemont Win Section Wrestling Titles

In the section’s 2-A final, it was a night of firsts at Helix High.

For the first time in five years, a team other than Valhalla won the championship. Helix took a two-point lead into a head-to-head match at the 157-pound weight classification, where Helix’s Doug Hammell took a 5-0 lead over Valhalla’s Paul Stevens and hung on for a 10-9 victory that clinched the team title.

For the first time, Fallbrook had a wrestler win a section title. That happened when Anthony Bonton took Helix’s Ken Carlile into overtime and then beat him, 7-1. Bonton is 30-6 and wasn’t challenged until the finals.

For the first time in two seasons, Hilltop junior Brian Wallner lost. When Valhalla’s Arthur Takanashi pinned him 3:13 into the match, it was the first time in three years of wrestling that Wallner had been pinned. Takanashi gained control when he locked Wallner’s head.

“Usually I slip out of those,” said Wallner, a transfer from Yuma. “He had more strength on me then.”

Wallner (29-1) was the Arizona state freestyle champion in the 98-pound division as a sophomore last season.

Takanashi, a senior, is 36-7. He won 19-2 and 10-0 in his first two matches Saturday and by pins in his last two. Unless he completely falls apart at next week’s master’s meet, he will make his third appearance at the state meet.

“I just tried to work on my technique for the state meet,” Takanashi said. “I want to place in the state finals. It’s my third year to try.”

In other weight classes, Serra’s Richard Lazot improved his season record to 34-0 with an 8-4 decision over Helix’s Chuck Leptich in the 178-pound class. Lazot, whose three-year career record is 95-11, pinned his first three opponents and was named wrestler of the meet.

San Pasqual freshman Brett Castillo defeated Thanh Phan of Hoover, 9-1, to win the 101-pound class.