Local trio take wrestling titles in Cossarek Classic
- Share via
WESTMINSTER — Fountain Valley’s boys’ wrestling team leveraged the work of five finalists to a third-place finish in the Cossarek Classic on Saturday at Westminster High.
Vinnie Gutierrez and Christian Stoeber secured titles for the Barons, who had a total of nine podium-placing wrestlers at the tournament.
Gutierrez, a junior competing at 138 pounds, had his guard up throughout the two-day event, never surrendering a takedown in his five matches. He recorded two pins and two technical falls, before beating Bellflower St. John Bosco’s Zaydrien Hernandez by a 2-1 decision in the final.
“I was just trying to control the match,” Gutierrez said of his low-scoring final. “I had trouble earlier this year with just starting to get into too many flurries, so I think just staying poised and calm, working my hand fighting and doing what I’m good at really helped me.”
Stoeber, a junior in the 165-pound weight class, was equally stingy on the scoreboard en route to posting three pins and two technical falls. He earned a second-period pin of Oakdale’s Zeke Meza in the championship bout.
“At the beginning of the year, right now, I didn’t get the seeding, or the state rank, that I wanted,” Stoeber said. “For these upcoming tournaments, I know what I have to do to beat the guys that are in front of me. It’s definitely doable, and I’ve been putting in the work and effort in the wrestling room.”
Additional finalists for Fountain Valley included seniors Hunter Jauregui (120 pounds), Chris Qureshi (126) and Liam Qureshi (132).
St. John Bosco topped the 34-team field with 368 points, followed by Oakdale with 265 points and Fountain Valley with 227 points. Servite (169 points) and Huntington Beach (122 points) rounded out the top five.
Huntington Beach had six wrestlers reach the podium, including finalist Logan Pistilli, a senior competing at 144 pounds. The Oilers also saw freshman Luke Flores (106) and senior Devlin Weaver (190) reach the semifinals of their respective brackets.
“I feel like our team this year is definitely going to come for people, and they aren’t going to be ready for it,” Pistilli said. “We have the best team, probably, we’ve had in four years. Everyone’s placing, everyone’s putting up a fight, no one’s giving up, and I feel like everyone’s going to be shocked by what we do this year.”
Pistilli pushed to the edge of glory, but Santa Ana’s Jayden Palomino came up with a title-winning takedown in a match that was decided, 10-7, in overtime.
“I like finals matches that are high-energy, because it really means that both people want it,” Pistilli said. “I feel like if only one person wants it, it’s just not worth it anymore. It doesn’t mean as much. I hope I wrestle the kid again, and it goes my way, but I’m happy with how I performed. I feel like he deserved it today…but I feel like I can get him next time.”
Laguna Beach’s Xavier Brooks secured a pin just as the clock was set to expire in the first period of the 215-pound final. The junior transfer — from Prosper (Texas) Walnut Grove — is making more noise in wrestling after contributing to the Breakers’ Foxtrot League title on the football field.
“I was really looking for the pin on the outside, flip my hips, try holding him down, but I realized probably we’re going to end up outside of the circle,” Brooks said. “I was like, ‘All right, circle outside, take it as a challenge. I’ve got 15 seconds to pin him. I either pin him now, or he’s going to be absolutely exhausted for the next [period], and then that’s where I wrap it up.’”
Junior Alek Ramirez placed third at 126 pounds for Laguna Beach.
Marina had four placing wrestlers, led by junior Karden Nguyen’s fifth-place showing at 113 pounds. Edison’s Max Fate placed sixth at 106 pounds.
Cossarek Classic
At Westminster High
Team Results
1. St. John Bosco 368; 2. Oakdale 265; 3. Fountain Valley 227; 4. Servite 169; 5. Huntington Beach 122; 6. Orange Lutheran 110; 7. Canyon 102; 8. Los Alamitos 87; 9. Marina 79.5; 10. Laguna Hills 78; 14. Laguna Beach 68.5; 30. Edison 29.5; 33. Ocean View 7.
Championship Matches
106 — Luke Loren (St. John Bosco) pins Kaleb Ortiz (La Habra), 0:56.
113 — Mason Schlaht (St. John Bosco) pins Andrew Reyes (Pacifica), 1:37.
120 — Nathan Reynolds (St. John Bosco) dec. Hunter Jauregui (Fountain Valley), 14-13.
126 — Massimo Ortiz (Servite) maj. Chris Qureshi (Fountain Valley), 10-0.
132 — Nathan Carrillo (St. John Bosco) tech. fall Liam Qureshi (Fountain Valley), 19-4.
138 — Vinnie Gutierrez (Fountain Valley) dec. Zaydrien Hernandez (St. John Bosco), 2-1.
144 — Jayden Palomino (Santa Ana) dec. Logan Pistilli (Huntington Beach), 10-7 (OT).
150 — Michael Romero (St. John Bosco) pins Jeremy Valdez (Servite), 1:39.
157 — Sergio Gomez (St. John Bosco) wins by forfeit.
165 — Christian Stoeber (Fountain Valley) pins Zeke Meza (Oakdale), 3:25.
175 — Kaden Curry (St. John Bosco) dec. Jesse Meza (Oakdale), 4-1 (OT).
190 — Mason Savidan (St. John Bosco) tech. fall Xander Birakos (Oakdale), 18-3.
215 — Xavier Brooks (Laguna Beach) pins Mario Guerrero (El Rancho), 1:59.
285 — Matthew Cooley (Oakdale) dec. Milton Carter (St. John Bosco), 3-1 (2OT).
