West on Top of Ocean League Wrestling

With 11 West Torrance High wrestlers feted in the finals of the Ocean League qualifying match, West Coach Kent Wyatt knew his team had earned ample representation in next week’s CIF 3-A competition.

But Thursday night in the West gym, the Warriors exceeded even Wyatt’s expectations by winning eight of the matches and putting a fitting capper on their league championship season.

All 11 earned the right to wrestle next Friday and Saturday in the CIF competition at West. North Torrance, which earned three individual league titles, places eight wrestlers in the CIF.

North and West won all but two of the individual league titles.

“I think we’re peaking at the right time,” Wyatt said. “We were aiming for this thing as a qualifier, and we hit it good. We were hot tonight.”

Leading the way for West was 165-pounder Mike Ramirez, who captured his third straight league title by pinning Redondo’s Lynn Mirovsky 3 minutes into the match to run his season record to 36-2.

Also Kelly Yokoe, a 126-pounder who was the league runner-up two years in a row, finally earned a championship with a 9-2 victory over North’s Richard Rose. Said Yokoe: “Last year it hurt to have to say I only came in second. It didn’t feel like much of an accomplishment. This feels a lot better.”

Sophomores Scott Herman (119) and heavyweight Tracy Taylor pinned opponents while Steve Lee (98), Jed Kraus (132), Henry Lee (145) and Jerry Decker (154) also visited the winner’s circle for West. Steve Lee ran his record to 33-6.

North’s Mike Masumoto (105), a first-year wrestler, Jason Roper (112) and Elvis Sabio (138) brought home titles for their squad.

Ronnell Lane, a 175-pound wrestler from Morningside, defeated North’s Timo Mataalii on a technical fall, and South Torrance’s Danny Kataa defeated West’s Dan Chaney, 12-4, in the 191-pound division.

The top three wrestlers from each weight division earn a spot in the CIF competition.