Hoover High wrestling leaner, more focused this season

Perhaps no sport is more associated with occasional purges than wrestling.

Certainly, there is a thinning out process taking place at Hoover High, but this type of trimming isn’t about pounds, but about dead weight.

Tornadoes Coach Dave Beard and his squad began their season Thursday in a three-way meet versus Eagle Rock and Torrance with 23 wrestlers, well below the squad’s mid-30s numbers a year ago at this point.

The drop in participants isn’t necessarily about a lack of interest, contends Beard, but a lack of heart.

“Yes, we’re much smaller than we were last year, but this small group seems to be a lot more committed,” said Beard, who is entering his second year. “We’ve already kicked a couple of kids off the team. It’s difficult, but we have to establish what sort of program we’re going to be.”

Last season, Hoover took giant strides as the fourth-year program set a benchmark in wins in going 6-2, while moving up from fifth place to third in the Rio Hondo League behind San Marino and La Cañada.

At the league finals at Monrovia High on Feb. 1, perhaps the program celebrated its greatest single day, as senior 160-pounder Arthur Ghukasyan and 170-pounder Sebastian Ghouliance won league titles and eight other Tornadoes (making up the team’s entire contingent) earned advancement to the CIF Individual Tournament.

Beard and the Tornadoes then witnessed Ghukasyan advance from the CIF Individual Tournament to the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet and eventually to the CIF State Meet, as Ghukasyan became both his school’s first-ever qualifier to Masters and state and finished with a 24-5 record.

“Last year you really got to see the family atmosphere we have here at Hoover, one we’re continuing to build,” Beard said. “We had 20 or so people going to Ontario (for the Masters Meet) and then going to state to cheer on Arthur. That’s the program I’m proud of and I really want that to continue.”

Hoover graduated four of its 10 postseason qualifiers from a year ago, including Ghukasyan, while one moved out of state and another CIF Individual Tournament qualifier was kicked out of school.

Beard is hopeful that his remaining squad will not only be lean, but mean.

“Believe it or not, this is a tough group and we’re setting goals higher than last year,” Beard said. “Last year we got 10 to CIF and this year, our goal is to get more guys to the second day of CIF and maybe more to Masters.”

Leadership from this year’s squad will come from the Martinez brothers, juniors Geraldy and Jessie.

“One thing we really want this season is take second place in league,” Jessie Martinez said. “La Cañada got us last time, but this year, we’re only voiding two weights instead of four like last year.”

Last season, 138-pound Jessie won the Franklin Tournament and finished with a regular season record of 22-7, while 145-pound Geraldy was 20-9 and finished third individually in the Rio Hondo League.

“I don’t have a set weight for them yet because we’re really stacked from 138 to 152 pounds,” Beard said of the Martinez brothers. “But, they’re obviously going to play a big role in our plans. Both guys are football players, they’re used to going up against guys who are 300 pounds, so guys half that weight aren’t an issue.”

Part of that “stacked” lineup includes junior Narek Zamanyan, who was 17-10 last season and finished third in league.

“I just think a big difference for us this year is that this is a more serious team,” Geraldy Martinez said. “We have a good group and we’re seeing progress.”

Outside of the middle weights, the Tornadoes return league runner-up Davit Nersisyan. The senior wrestled at 152 pounds and is making the jump to 160 pounds this year.

Two-way football player Joshua Lee is also expected to be a steady contributor at 220 pounds.

“I have a few more surprises along the way that I’m not going to mention now,” Beard said. “Let me just say, I think despite our numbers, we’re going to be very competitive this year and a lot more focused.”