Torrance Wrestlers Pinned by Ventura in 3-A Final

Torrance High came up short in the Southern Section’s first-ever dual-meet wrestling championships on Thursday night.

Top-seeded Ventura defeated the Tartars, 32-18, in the 3-A Division title match at Huntington Beach Edison. The Channel League champions secured the victory by winning seven matches. Torrance could win only four and there was one draw.

After the teams went 2-2 in the first four matches, Ventura (21-1) took control with three consecutive victories. Pioneer League champion Torrance (23-3) clawed back with two consecutive victories, but the Cougars wrapped up the victory when 189-pound Scott Adams pinned Tartar junior Joe Field to give Ventura an 11-point lead with one match remaining.

“I just think Ventura was a better team tonight,” Torrance Coach Mike Liebig said. “Basically, they were just better than us. They’re a good team.

“There were a couple close matches there that, if they go the other way, things get interesting. They didn’t, and give Ventura the credit. They did a great job against us and earned the title.”

As expected, Torrance’s two individual Southern Section champions fared well. Chris Xavier needed only 1 minute 39 seconds to pin his opponent in the 112-pound match and Matt Driggs shook off a slow start for a 5-0 victory in the 152-pound match.

The Tartars’ 125-pound representative, Kenji Nakajima, took an early lead in his match, then withstood his opponent’s charge for a 7-3 victory.

Dan Leon snapped Torrance’s three-match losing skein with a major decision in the 145-pound match and Driggs followed with his win. Sophomore 160-pounder Gerald Fazis earned a tie in his match.

Liebig was hoping three-time tournament and league champion Aaron Bonsall (38-8) could beat Ventura’s Justin Jackson in their fourth match of the season. But for the third time Jackson won, 8-0.

“We were thinking he might be able to beat him this time but it wasn’t meant to be,” Liebig said. “He tried very hard and got beat. You can’t ask much more of him than to try hard, so in that respect there’s no disappointment at all.”

On Saturday, Torrance sends Driggs, Xavier and 171-pounder Fernando Sanchez to the Southern Section master’s meet at Fountain Valley High. Bonsall and Leon will make the trip as alternates.

And as far as Liebig is concerned, the inaugural team championships were a success.

“The only problem I see with it is that it was too close to the master’s meet,” he said. “But overall it’s a great concept and one that’s long overdue. I’m really glad we finally got this thing going.”