Chargers fall just short against No. 3 Cougars

The Channel League’s biggest wrestling match-up came early this year, and it lived up to its bill as host Dos Pueblos, ranked 10th in CIF, lost to No. 3 Ventura 37-34 on the mat at Sovine Gym on Thursday night.

“I’m not going to cry about it, because we put ourselves in a position to win and I’m very proud of that… This is supposed to be the year when they go and win CIF and we almost got ’em,” said longtime DP coach Anthony Califano.

Due to the traditional dominance of both teams over the rest of the conference, the showdown has been held as the season finale in previous years. But after the league meeting in the off-season, it was decided that the schedule should rotate. In wrestling, teams only compete against each other once, and the sizable crowd at Sovine Gym showed how important the match was.

“We’re always the top two in league, but they’ve taken the past few so we really want to get this one,” said senior Anthony Sarena just after his match-opening victory against Patrick Birkimer in the 103-pound division.

Sarena — Dos Pueblos’ 2008 Homecoming King — got the crowd riled up early with a pin at 1:22 in the lightest weight-class, a win that Califano described as huge.

“I just felt that we really needed to get off to a strong star, and being a senior leader I had to get it done,” said Sarena. “In the third round coach told me to go up and said I could turn him, and coach was right. It felt real good to get that pin.”

The bouts continued by weight class, and the Cougars won the next four before DP’s Chuy Lopez calmly stepped in against fiery Cougar Michael Dupargue, who was bouncing around like a kangaroo before the 135-pound bout began. Lopez came through with a 7-0 decision.

Kevin Little took a 9-6 decision in the 152s, and standout Connor Dorais pinned Noel Alvarez at 1:02 in the 171-pound class. The Chargers won the next three to close out the match on a pin by Josephy Story in the 189s, a 9-8 decision by Raul Yescas in the 215s and a pin by heavyweight Nick Wagner.

Yescas, a senior in his first year as a wrestler, particularly impressed Califano.

“He was about to get called for stalling and lose a point but all of a sudden flipped it around and ended up winning it. That was really big for us,” said Califano.

Ultimately, however, Ventura slipped by thanks to five wins coming by way of a pin.

VENTURA 37, DOS PUEBLOS 34

103 — Anthony Sarena (DP) def. Patrick Birkimer (V) by pin, 1:22.

112 — Vincent Morales (V) def. Shannon Dixon (DP) by maj. decision, 13-1.

119 — Ramon Escobar (V) def. Max Ross (DP) by pin, 4:50.

125 — Josh Pain (V) def. Richard Case (DP) by decision, 12-7.

130 — Brian Venzon (V) def. Kameron Gunsolley (DP) by pin, 2:45.

135 — Chuy Lopez (DP) def. Michael Dupargue (V) by decision, 7-0.

140 — Karmichael Pompa (V) def. David Alvarez (DP) by pin, 2:28.

145 — Henry Jordan (V) def. Weston Soto (DP) by pin, 1:13.

152 — Kevin Little (DP) def. Michael Williams (V) by decision, 9-6.

160 — Ryan Bortness (V) def. Abraham Lizama (DP) by pin, 5:15.