These Coaches Are Not Difficult to Pin Down

Wrestling coaches Terry Fischer of El Camino Real and Paul Clementi of Ventura are perennial pessimists when it comes to preseason prognostication.

But this season they have proclaimed their teams the best in their tenures.

El Camino Real (15-3), which beat City power Bell, 56-16, on Thursday, is a favorite to win its third City title in Fischer’s six seasons.

Seniors David Amaya (152 pounds) and Erick Cornejo (171) both are 16-1. Cornejo has won 13 matches in a row without a pin.

“We have such depth it just keeps us at the top,” Fischer said. “We have six guys battling it out for our 135 and 140 spots.”

Ventura (10-1), which last week thumped Hueneme, 69-8, in a Channel League opener, not only is the class of its league and Ventura County but a contender for the Southern Section Division I title.

Cristobal Gonzalez (189), Joe Martinez (215) and Dustin Clocherty (130)--all juniors--have three losses among them.

Gonzalez (24-0) was the first sophomore in school history to advance to the state finals. Martinez’s only loss this season was an 8-5 setback to Dathan Miller of W.C. Wood, a state finalist last season.

One of Clocherty’s two losses was to Jesse Bautista of Rio Mesa (23-0), a two-time Channel League champion and state qualifier as a sophomore in 1995.

“For all my years of crying wolf, this really is the best team I’ve ever had,” Clementi said.