They Wrestle With the Name Game : Greg Jackson, Tony Trujillo Are Following in Their Brothers’ Footsteps

Oh, brother. There’s another star wrestler named Jackson at Santa Monica High School, and a Trujillo at Covina.

Is this what they mean by tag-team wrestling? One brother dominates his weight class, graduates, and another comes right in?

Or is this what they mean by a coach’s dream come true.

At Santa Monica, there was Laurence Jackson, a cyclone of a competitor who flattened most everything in his way. He won state titles in 1983, ’84 and ‘85, went 140-7 in his career, 122-0 over the final three seasons and was lauded as one of the best in the nation.

Now there is Greg Jackson, a junior who already has won two Southern Section titles, including one last month in the 2-A, and another second-place finish and a third straight trip to the state meet, held March 4-5 at Stockton. He reached the quarterfinals before losing to Terry Watts of Caruthers.

Covina had Frank Trujillo, a two-time Southern Section champion before he graduated in 1985. Tony Trujillo, who lost to Mike Grubbs from Oceanside of El Camino in the semifinals, got bogged down in the little-brother syndrome until he won his Southern Section 4-A title last season. He won another this year and, like longtime friend Jackson, made trip No. 3 to the state meet as a junior.

Greg Jackson and Tony Trujillo began sharing rides to meets, sometimes going as far as Mexico. They have traveled the same road many times, this brother thing being no different.

Jackson, at least, is a clone in name only. Although his achievements are approaching Laurence-like status in the Southern Section, his style is a definite contrast. And whereas Laurence, a redshirt freshman at Oklahoma State, topped out in the 136-pound division in high school, Greg has already been up to 141.

“He just happens to have the same last name, which is unfortunate for Greg because Laurence, for sure, was one of the all-timers in the state and maybe even the country,” Santa Monica Coach Norm Lacy said. “They have a different style. Laurence was an excellent technician with very quick feet. Greg is more of a mauler. He’s a tougher type, a more physical wrestler.”

Said Greg, who competed in the 138-pound division at the state meet: “I’m used to (the comparisons). It’s all right. At first, it kind of bothered me because I was always in the shadow of my brother. . . . But starting last year and then with this year, they would call me Greg Jackson instead of Laurence Jackson’s brother.”

A sweet victory off the mat, no doubt.

Family get-togethers, now and in the past, are just as would be imagined with a family of three wrestling sons. Aaron wrestled at Cal State Chico before turning to coaching. The tables are pushed aside, the lamps are moved out of harm’s way and, well, they try not to put too many marks on the wall.

The biggest showdowns usually occur during Christmas vacation, when Laurence is able to come home from Stillwater, Okla., and Aaron heads south from Chico.

“Laurence has dominated so far,” Greg said. “He’s dominated for a while. But I’ll give him a run for his money next year.”

The Trujillo legacy is just as impressive. At the head of the family is the father, Frank Sr., a former wrestler at La Puente High and Mt. San Antonio College and now a youth coach in the sport.

Next is Frank Jr., who won the state junior college title in the 128-pound class for Cypress College in December, and then comes Tony, second in line to his brother in age, but second fiddle to no one.

“I didn’t think I could live up to my brother’s name,” Tony, who was in the 105-pound division at the state meet, said the other day.

“But he has been an inspiration to me from the start. He and my father. I’m really glad they’re there. They’re my family and they’re my coaches.

“My freshman year (at the state meet), I didn’t feel like I belonged. I was scared. . . . I was my own enemy as a freshman.”

He got his major confidence boost when he beat longtime rival Nick Kobb of Anaheim Loara for the Southern Section title last season as a sophomore and went on to win the California championship at 101 pounds. This year, he is officially 41-1, but 41-0 on the mat, the only loss coming when he defaulted in the championship match of the Estancia Tournament in January with a separated right shoulder.

The injury still bothers him during harder workouts, but he hasn’t had many of those in meets. He has been that dominating.

“He has great balance and super determination,” said Marc Haygood, who is in his 15th year as coach at Covina. “I’ve coached good kids in the past . . . but Tony is something else. He’s a student of the sport. His eyes are always open and his ears are always up. Everything I teach him, he probably already knows.”

Like Jackson, he’s heard it all from his brother.