Canyon Wrestlers Upset, Streak Ends

Coach Gary Bowden saw the future Wednesday. While the Canyon High School wrestling team was busy pounding Oxnard Channel Islands on the near mat, Bowden took a glance at the goings-on on the far mat, where Fontana was handling El Monte in similar fashion.

“It looks like the end of the streak,” Bowden said to no one in particular.

Less than two hours later, it was true. Fontana ended Canyon’s dual-meet winning streak at 87 with a stunning 39-25 victory in the semifinals of the Southern Section 4-A dual-meet tournament Wednesday at Canyon.

Top-seeded Canyon hadn’t lost a dual meet since December, 1986, when it fell to Rosemead in a nonleague contest. The Comanches also hadn’t lost a dual meet in their gymnasium since a 1980 loss to Esperanza, according to Bowden.

Fourth-seeded Fontana improved to 31-1 and advanced to the 4-A final against second-seeded Indio next Thursday at Edison.

“It’s funny,” Bowden said. “I kind of forgot what it’s like to lose a dual meet.”

Most of the wrestlers in Thursday’s meet were in junior high school when it last happened.

Still, Bowden didn’t treat the loss as if it were a disaster.

“It just wasn’t our night,” he said. “It had to end sometime. At least the monkey is off the kids’ back.”

Bowden gave the credit where it was due--with Fontana. It was no secret how Canyon lost; the only startling thing was simply that the Comanches did fall.

“We lost because we went on our backs,” Bowden said. “It’s not like us. I’m not sure why we did. They were a very opportunistic team. They took advantage of every mistake we made.”

Fontana recorded five pins, allowed only two and built an 18-0 lead after the first four matches. It looked as if the teams had switched uniforms. Over the years, that’s the sort of performance one would expect from Canyon’s teams.

Canyon opened the tournament--the first of its kind held by the Southern Section--with a resounding 66-0 victory over San Clemente.

At the other end of the gym, Fontana defeated Calexico Central, 50-16.

In the quarterfinals, Canyon routed Channel Islands, 57-8, and Fontana buried El Monte, 48-9.

When Bowden glanced across the gym to see the Fontana-El Monte score, he knew Canyon might be in trouble.

Later, he asked Fontana Coach Bob Brown how in the world the Steelers ever lost an early-season meet to Etiwanda.

“Just one of those nights,” Brown said.

“I know about that feeling,” Bowden said, smiling.

Canyon’s Matt Padgett, a 160-pound senior, pinned Fontana’s Scott Romo 3 minutes 4 seconds into the match to improve his record to 40-0 with 35 pins. Dave Cha had Canyon’s other pin, stopping John Flores 1:58 into their 135-pound match.

So much for the Canyon highlights; the rest of the match went Fontana’s way.

David Meschon (103 pounds), Jorge Avila (112), Anthony Olivas (140), Roman Robles (145) and Donald Leonhardt (heavyweight) had pins for Fontana.

In other 4-A action:

Thousand Oaks 40, Dana Hills 23--Third-seeded Thousand Oaks defeated Dana Hills, the South Coast League champion, in the quarterfinals at Indio. Thousand Oaks later lost to Indio, 56-7. Indio faces Fontana in the final.

In the 3-A:

Torrance 39, Valencia 23--Host Torrance, the No. 2 seed, defeated third-seeded Valencia in the semifinals.

Individual Wrestling at a Glance

Defending champions: 4-A--Indio; 3-A--Savanna; 2-A--Moreno Valley Canyon Springs; 1-A--Calvary Chapel.

Top teams: 4-A--Canyon, El Monte Arroyo, Fontana, Indio; 3-A--Savanna, Valencia, Ventura; 2-A--Canyon Springs, University; 1-A--Calvary Chapel, Norwalk Glenn.

Top wrestlers: 4-A--Jack Artman (Thousand Oaks, 152 pounds), Mike Bolster (Huntington Beach, heavyweight), Matt Brockman (Indio, 189), Jess Calderon (Indio, 130), David Gayer (Canyon, 130), Daniel Maes (Arroyo, 140), Barry Mohn (El Modena, 112), Barney Padgett (Canyon, 171 pounds), Matt Padgett (Canyon, 160), Nick Rios (Arroyo, 145), Zac Tapia (San Clemente, 130), Robert Vasquez (Westminster, heavyweight), Joey Zepeda (Arroyo, 130). 3-A--Scott Adams (Ventura, 189), Hugo Amaya (Valencia, 103), Brad Belanger (Savanna, 140), Willie Green (Savanna, heavyweight), Jim Provencio (Valencia, 112), David Quintero (Valencia, 125), Gilbert Quintero (Valencia, 119), Chris Xavier (Torrance, 112); 2-A--Ryan Brubaker (Laguna Hills, heavyweight), Mark Hamman (Canyon Springs, heavyweight), Dan Hansen (University, 171), Shane Holloway (Saddleback, 135), Dan Long (Temecula Valley, 130), Javier Mejia (Canyon Springs, 189), Adolfo Ornelas (Saddleback, 160), Modesto Tavares (Saddleback, 189). 1-A--Joe Coughran (Calvary Chapel, 125), Tony Desousa (Chaffey, 119), Joel Hanson (Quartz Hill, 152), Shane Valdez (Calvary Chapel, 112).

Notes: 4-A--Canyon suffered a stunning loss to Fontana in the semifinals of the section dual-meet tournament Wednesday, ending the Comanches’ 87-meet winning streak. And that has lowered Canyon’s stock and elevated that of Fontana. Padgett (40-0 with 35 pins) is an overwhelming favorite to win the 160-pound title, however. “Matt just wears you down until you are a little pile, then he puts you away,” Canyon Coach Gary Bowden said earlier this season. “It’s a ferocious onslaught.” Arroyo doesn’t have the depth to challenge as a top dual-meet team, but Maes, Rios and Zepeda will be tough to beat in their weight classes. 3-A--Ventura’s Adams, Valencia’s Amaya and Provencio and Savanna’s Belanger and Green have to be considered mortal locks to win titles. 2-A--This figures to be the most unpredictable division, but Saddleback’s Holloway is among the top contenders at 135 pounds. 1-A--Chaffey’s Desousa was a finalist at the Five Counties Invitational. Calvary Chapel’s Coughran and Valdez will be tough to beat.