Outmanned Ventura Is Perfect in Finals

Ventura High, which was short four wrestlers, won all seven of its matches in the finals to capture the Channel League championship Saturday at Dos Pueblos in Goleta.

The Cougars finished with 177 points. Rio Mesa was second with 148.5 and Hueneme third with 124.5.

Ventura Coach Paul Clementi planned to bypass the 112- and 130-pound classes. But he was forced to improvise when his 103- and 119-pound wrestlers failed to make weight.

Xocoytzin Moraza moved up from the junior varsity and finished third for the Cougars at 103 pounds.

Rio Mesa led Ventura, 140.5-139, entering the finals. Buena’s Harmon Singh decisioned Rio Mesa’s Agustin Franco, 20-18, at 119 pounds, and Ventura junior Josh Kellim pinned Rio Mesa’s Scott Speakman at 1:48 of the 125-pound match.

Ventura won two other head-to-head matches with Rio Mesa. Cristobal Gonzalez pinned Bo Espinoza in 5:46 at 189 pounds and Mark Martinez decisioned Paul Almanza, 4-2, for the heavyweight title.

Joe Martinez (215), Dustin Clocherty (135), Jace Wardlaw (152) and Kevin Hardesty (160) also won titles for Ventura.

Del Rey League finals--Alex Herrera of Alemany won the 135-pound title at St. John Bosco to lead four Indians who qualified for the Southern Section meet.

Herrera won the final by forfeit and teammates Eddie Nodal, Ricardo Garcia and Brian Dimeo each finished second.

Nodal lost to Brian Paredes of Bishop Montgomery, 9-0, in the 140-pound final. Garcia lost to Theo West of Bishop Amat, 5-1, at 145, and Dimeo lost to Brale Penfold of St. John Bosco, 6-0, at 171.

Golden League finals--Highland, the league dual-meet champion, won six individual titles at Palmdale High.

Joe Fanning (137 pounds), John Garfinkel (142), Robert Estrada (147), Stuart Young (154), Adam Cloud (173) and David Heermance (heavyweight) each won championships for the Bulldogs.

Palmdale, which finished second in dual-meet competition, had three individual champions--Devon Zemp (132), Tyson Chiaro (162) and Rickie Ford (191).