Nico Martinez turned the table on his Buena opponent and recorded a pin in the final match of the night, giving Dos Pueblos a 36-27 dual meet win over the Bulldogs and setting a showdown with Ventura for the Channel League title on Thursday.
Dos Pueblos was clinging to a 30-27 lead going into the 145-pound bout. Buena needed a pin to take the match and Bulldog wrestler Joseph Mendez attempted the risky suicide cradle move to put Martinez on his back. But Martinez fought off the move and ended up pinning Mendez.
DP coach Anthony Califano said a key to the team win was the performances of Andrew Wakamiya at 132 pounds and Armando Villegas at 106 pounds. They didn’t win their matches but they battled and avoided being pinned.
“They both lost, but, in sense, they kept us in it by not giving up pin,” Califano said
Wakamiya, a sophomore, was wrestling against a senior, while Villegas was coming back from a knee injury.
“They battled. There’s always that give and take in a dual meet,” Califano said. “This was an all-around team effort.”
Results
106— Fabian Aguilera, B, dec. Armando Villega 8-5
113—John Morales, B, dec. Esteban Flores, 16-1
120—Nico Sorenson, DP, dec. Jordan Davis, 20-5
126 —Chad Lampe, DP, pinned Austin Grooms, 4:22
132 — Kurtis Gibson, B, dec. Andrew Wakamiya 9-0
138 —Carson Holoien, DP, def. Chris Marquez, 4-3
145 — Nico Martinez, DP pinned Joseph Mendez, 5:52
152—Jonah Bernard, B, dec. Malcolm Cellard-Farrell, 4-2
160—Aaron Leon, B, pinned Jon Li, 5:30
170—Yaskin Solano, DP, pinned Victor Varela, 3:00
182—Hans Boesterli, DP dec. Isaiah Young, 14-6
195—Donny Ahmadian, DP, dec. Pablo Barron, 4-2
220—Rudy Cortes, DP pinned Nick Justiniano
285—Connor Booth, B, pinned Francisco Lagara, 1:52
