Spartans Take Down Vanguards

Villa Park let El Modena up. Villa Park took El Modena down.

That was the strategy used by the fourth-ranked Spartans in their 34-26 Century League victory Wednesday night at Villa Park High. Allow the fifth-ranked Vanguards a one-point escape and then counter with a two-point takedown.

“We know we’re better on our feet than them,” Villa Park senior Doug Yadon said. “They’re a little better on the bottom.”

Yadon used that method against Bertin Tinoco at 125 pounds. Yadon, the county’s top-ranked wrestler in his weight class, traded points with Tinoco until scoring a 25-10 technical fall with 12 seconds left in their match.

Villa Park’s Sergio Sanchez used the same strategy in a 16-6 major decision at 135 pounds, and teammate Buck Barger traded points with Ricardo Sepulveda before securing a 12-4 major decision at 140 pounds.

“[Takedowns are] something we work on all the time,” said Barger, the county’s top-ranked wrestler at 140 pounds. “You have to be in pretty good shape to do it though.”

El Modena’s Ron Brown ended a five-match losing streak with a 4-2 victory at 145 pounds, but Andrew Fennell gave the Spartans a 31-7 lead after pinning Mark Hales with 50 seconds left in their match.

Hales, who defeated Fennell by three points in El Modena’s 33-30 loss to Villa Park last season, said the Spartans’ wrestling style was noticeably different.

“Last year they just rode us out,” said Hales. “This year they were a lot better in the neutral position.”

Nick Diaz clinched Villa Park’s victory with an 11-9 victory at 160 pounds. El Modena’s David Contreras tied the score, 9-9, with an escape with 22 seconds remaining, but Diaz scored a takedown with 11 seconds left to earn the victory and give the Spartans a 34-7 lead.