San Fernando Charge Pins Loss on El Camino Real, 37-26

For the first 60 minutes of Thursday’s Valley League high school wrestling showdown between City Section powers El Camino Real and San Fernando, the contest was about as even as a tractor pull and every bit as grueling.

The lead changed hands three times between the schools--either one of which has worn the City crown every year since 1986--while wrestlers traded takedowns and both benches pounded the padded floor of the San Fernando gym in support.

The struggle became so intense at one point that Jorge Hernandez of San Fernando was penalized for unnecessary roughness for grinding his knuckles into the face of El Camino Real’s Matt Tuttle.

But a breakthrough came swiftly for San Fernando when the Tigers quickly recorded consecutive pins by Orlando Martinez (152 pounds) and Paul Escalera (160) to trigger a swift conclusion that ended in a 37-26 victory before about 100.

“It was really Orlando’s pin that got the juice going,” San Fernando Coach Mike Castillo said. “Once he got the pin, Paul just fed off it and it went from there.”

Actually, the turning point appeared to come earlier.

With El Camino Real leading, 14-13, after seven of 13 matches, the Conquistadores’ Mike McLean was disqualified for stalling against Manuel Munguia in the 145-pound match after Munguia had rallied to tie the score, 9-9, late in the third period. McLean had taken a 9-1 lead into the second period, but Munguia instead was awarded a 6-0 victory and defending City champion San Fernando (8-6, 3-0 in league play) never trailed thereafter.

“If (McLean) could have pinned him instead of being disqualified, it would have been closer,” El Camino Real Coach Terry Fischer said.

That outcome reversed the momentum that El Camino Real (12-10-1, 2-1) had claimed with Tuttle’s come-from-behind win in the 140-pound bout.

In the most tightly contested match, Hernandez (3-1), last season’s 135-pound City champion, grabbed a 2-0 first-period lead before the one-point penalty triggered a rally by Tuttle (27-3). “He had good balance and I was just hoping I could hold on,” Tuttle said. “I just did what I could do and I was glad it worked.”

Said Hernandez: “I had him and he escaped.”

After McLean’s disqualification, the match came to a furious conclusion with the final five bouts ending in pins.

San Fernando’s Martinez pinned Hugo Jordan in 1 minute 10 seconds. Escalera then pinned Brian Waldron in 1:24.

In one of the top matches, El Camino Real’s Matt Austin (25-6) pinned Nate Green in 1:37 in the 171-pound class.

San Fernando’s Dennis Anerios pinned Cesar Davis in 2:38. El Camino Real heavyweight Ron Avneri pinned Steve Serrano in 51 seconds.

In other matches, San Fernando’s Manuel Anaya pinned Eduardo Nochez in 4:25 in the 130-pound class.

In the 135-pound match, El Camino Real’s Rick Ullman defeated Miguel De La Torre, 13-8. In the 125-pound match, San Fernando’s Isaac Duran defeated Darren Good, 4-2. In the 103-pound match, San Fernando’s Joe Martinez defeated Casey Lee, 9-1.