San Marino High wrestler Julian Flores keeps state championship hopes alive

While one San Marino High wrestler’s season soared to new heights, it came to a heartbreaking end for another at the CIF State Meet Friday at Bakersfield’s Rabobank Arena.

Titans freshman 120-pounder Julian Flores advanced to the semifinals championship with three wins Friday. Fellow San Marino freshman Evan Wick (113) had his season come to a close with two losses that came by three points.

“It’s a great experience, obviously,” San Marino co-Coach John Azevedo said of the state experience. “Julian is in the semifinals and will hopefully be a state champion as a freshman. These kids are just freshmen and they’re going to be very good; they’re going to dominate. They’re going to get much better.”

Flores opened Friday with a pin of Rodriguez High’s Brandon Wu 1:25 into the match. He then just knocked off Central Union High’s Micah Perez in overtime, 3-1.

“It came about halfway through the minute overtime,” Azevedo said of Flores’ match-clinching takedown. “He had a really nice double leg, got both legs and took him down.”

It was the fourth time Flores and Perez had faced off this season with Perez winning their previous three meetings, Azevedo and San Marino co-Coach Joe Gallardo said.

“It was huge for him to show he’s improved and a huge confidence boost going into tomorrow,” Gallardo said of Flores, who opens with Mason Pengilly of Porterville High in the semifinals Saturday.

Flores advanced to the semifinals with a 5-1 win over Ricky Coster of Freedom High in the quarterfinals.

Wick started Friday with a pair of impressive wins over Brawley High’s Isaac Moreno, 17-1, and Kenney Jones of Lassen High, 7-3. The freshman was sent into the consolation bracket when he fell to Wasco High’s Isaiah Hokit, 4-1.

Wick rebounded with a 6-1 win over Vacaville High’s Anthony Hernandez, but had his season come to a halt in a 7-4 loss to Northview’s Eric Ochoa.

“He was right there,” Azevedo said of Wick. “He’s just got to keep working hard and widen the gap on these guys. They were matches that could have gone either way. There were a few positions he could have won and could have scored on, but he didn’t. That’s why he didn’t win, he had opportunities, but couldn’t capitalize on them.”

While Wick was disappointed, Gallardo said a 2-2 run at state was nothing to be disappointed with. Azevedo also had another word of encouragement for Wick.

“It’s like we told him, ‘No one’s going to remember your freshman year when you rattle off a few state titles later on,” Azevedo said.