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| Trojans wrestle up D-II banner; Bruins 2nd By Scott Warden | Democrat correspondent | February 22, 2009 14:43 |
D-II CHAMPS -Trojan
wrestlers, coaches
and staff assistant
gather around the
2008 Division II banner
the Oak Ridge team
won Saturday. Photo by
Billie West
wrestlers, coaches
and staff assistant
gather around the
2008 Division II banner
the Oak Ridge team
won Saturday. Photo by
Billie West
LOOMIS - For the second week wrestlers from Oak Ridge, Ponderosa and Union Mine dominated competition in the Sac-
Joaquin Section Division II Wrestling Tournament at Del Oro.
Wrestlers from three leagues all fought to place in the top five of each weight class to qualify for this weekend’s Masters
Tournament at the Spanos Center in Stockton, the next stop before the state championships.
Oak Ridge proved its strength, finishing first with 241 points. Tournament champions Joey Pacific (119 pounds), Vinny
Waldhauser (145) and co-coach Casey Rhyan all echoed the same sentiments, saying “We are all finally healthy as a
team and everyone made contributions for us. We’re working very hard and the results are starting to show.”
The Bruins finished second with 214.5 points. Ponderosa’s chances of winning the team title took a severe blow in the
opening round as highly-ranked and potential state placer Lyndell Scarr went out with a season-ending injury but the
setback didn’t dampen the Bruins’ mood.
“We got 10 guys through to Masters next week and we had five finalists so it was a pretty successful two days,” Bruin
coach Tyson Escobar said. “This group has overachieved all season long and here at Divisionals it was no different as
guys wrestled hard and found ways to win.”
Union Mine finished sixth with 122 team points.
“This group of wrestlers has just been doing great. Seven of our wrestlers are moving on to Masters next week and six of
them finished fourth or higher,” D’back coach Tim Brown said.
Overall a combined 27 wrestlers qualified, many taking first or second.
Ponderosa’s Tim Ditrich (103) pinned all his opponents to finish first ahead of Trojan Cameron Miller, who took second.
“I just have to keep winning and stay focused to do well at Masters and make state,” Ditrich said.
In another all-county match, Bruin Kyle Meniketti (112) and Union Mine’s Evan Barba met for a second straight week with
the same result as Menikitti used a near side to score a takedown, a near fall and later a reversal for a commanding lead.
Barba scored two takedowns late in the match but Meniketti prevailed 12-5 to take the championship.
Pacific locked up with Woodcreek’s Spencer Mason. He went into the second period with a 4-2 lead courtesy of a hip toss
for a reversal late in the round and with those moves, endurance and determination, Pacific pulled out a 10-6 victory for
the 119-pound title.
The next intra-county match was one of the best as D’back Cody Tow and Bruin Colby Haley (125) provided plenty of
excitement. The two traded takedowns, escapes and reversals until Haley took a 7-5 lead with 20 seconds to go.
Tow got in on a deep shot and Haley was penalized “fleeing the mat” as the wrestlers went out of bounds. Down 7-6 with
11 seconds left, Tow scored a quick takedown on a double leg to go up 8-7 but was called for locking hands, tying the
match and sending it to overtime. Tow was the aggressor in OT and won 10-8 with a double-leg takedown.
“As the match began I was wrestling not to lose instead of to win and I know better than that. In the third I became much
more aggressive and that made the difference,” Tow said.
Josh Dawson (130) of Oak Ridge continued the run of county finalists but took second when he lost 16-0 to Del Oro’s
Connor Morgan.
In the most anticipated match of the finals, Troy’s Kyle West (140) took on Jesse Stafford of Del Oro and quickly gained a
2-0 lead on a takedown, but was unable to turn Stafford to his back and was reversed late in the first to tie the score.
West couldn’t score in the second and trailed 4-2 in the third after Stafford finished a wild scramble with a takedown. West
earned an escape to narrow the gap to 4-3, but couldn’t finish a shot for a takedown late in third and had to go home with
a tough second-place finish.
Waldhauser (145) dominated his match against Del Oro’s Kevin Burrage, scoring an early takedown and near fall to get a
4-0 lead and controlling the remainder of the match for a 7-0 victory.
Troy’s Nick Rohrer (160) and Bruin Bret Blubaugh crossed paths in the finals and Rohrer took early control and
dominated from start to finish with takedowns and reversals to earn a 7-0 victory. Trojan teammate Lukas Wilmore (171)
continued the parade of county finalists but fell to Christian Brothers’ Ryan Lutz 8-2.
Bruin Paul Buchanan (215) was entangled in a 1-1 battle with Rocklin’s Brandon Barone late in the third period. The
match appeared headed to OT when Buchanan was put to his back for five points and had to settle for second place
after the 6-1 defeat.
Trojan Kavon Tillotson (HWT) faced a similar fate against Del Oro’s Bobby Gallagher. Tillotson wrestled a hard match
that went to OT but was reversed to his back and pinned in the final seconds.
Union Mine, Ponderosa and Oak Ridge had finalists in 11 of the 15 weight classes. The Trojans had eight and came
away with three champions and five second-place finishers. The Bruins had five finalists with two taking the title and three
placing second. Union Mine had two finalists for a champion and runner-up.
Wrestlers moving on in third are Oak Ridge’s Trey Reese (112) and Kyle Sundby (152); Ponderosa’s Jesse Routsong
(130) and Aaron DeMay (140); and D’backs Aaron Dekalb (135) and Dillon Craik (HWT). Finishing fourth were Oak Ridge’
s Greg Barrier (125); Ponderosa’s Allen Emmons (145); and Union Mine’s Cody Mitchell (130) and Mike Gachowski (152).
Taking fifth were D’back Mitchell Woods (145), and Bruins Gaaret Marinelli (152) and Kenny Steers (171).
The top seven wrestlers in each weight class from the Masters qualify for the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield
March 5-7.
Joaquin Section Division II Wrestling Tournament at Del Oro.
Wrestlers from three leagues all fought to place in the top five of each weight class to qualify for this weekend’s Masters
Tournament at the Spanos Center in Stockton, the next stop before the state championships.
Oak Ridge proved its strength, finishing first with 241 points. Tournament champions Joey Pacific (119 pounds), Vinny
Waldhauser (145) and co-coach Casey Rhyan all echoed the same sentiments, saying “We are all finally healthy as a
team and everyone made contributions for us. We’re working very hard and the results are starting to show.”
The Bruins finished second with 214.5 points. Ponderosa’s chances of winning the team title took a severe blow in the
opening round as highly-ranked and potential state placer Lyndell Scarr went out with a season-ending injury but the
setback didn’t dampen the Bruins’ mood.
“We got 10 guys through to Masters next week and we had five finalists so it was a pretty successful two days,” Bruin
coach Tyson Escobar said. “This group has overachieved all season long and here at Divisionals it was no different as
guys wrestled hard and found ways to win.”
Union Mine finished sixth with 122 team points.
“This group of wrestlers has just been doing great. Seven of our wrestlers are moving on to Masters next week and six of
them finished fourth or higher,” D’back coach Tim Brown said.
Overall a combined 27 wrestlers qualified, many taking first or second.
Ponderosa’s Tim Ditrich (103) pinned all his opponents to finish first ahead of Trojan Cameron Miller, who took second.
“I just have to keep winning and stay focused to do well at Masters and make state,” Ditrich said.
In another all-county match, Bruin Kyle Meniketti (112) and Union Mine’s Evan Barba met for a second straight week with
the same result as Menikitti used a near side to score a takedown, a near fall and later a reversal for a commanding lead.
Barba scored two takedowns late in the match but Meniketti prevailed 12-5 to take the championship.
Pacific locked up with Woodcreek’s Spencer Mason. He went into the second period with a 4-2 lead courtesy of a hip toss
for a reversal late in the round and with those moves, endurance and determination, Pacific pulled out a 10-6 victory for
the 119-pound title.
The next intra-county match was one of the best as D’back Cody Tow and Bruin Colby Haley (125) provided plenty of
excitement. The two traded takedowns, escapes and reversals until Haley took a 7-5 lead with 20 seconds to go.
Tow got in on a deep shot and Haley was penalized “fleeing the mat” as the wrestlers went out of bounds. Down 7-6 with
11 seconds left, Tow scored a quick takedown on a double leg to go up 8-7 but was called for locking hands, tying the
match and sending it to overtime. Tow was the aggressor in OT and won 10-8 with a double-leg takedown.
“As the match began I was wrestling not to lose instead of to win and I know better than that. In the third I became much
more aggressive and that made the difference,” Tow said.
Josh Dawson (130) of Oak Ridge continued the run of county finalists but took second when he lost 16-0 to Del Oro’s
Connor Morgan.
In the most anticipated match of the finals, Troy’s Kyle West (140) took on Jesse Stafford of Del Oro and quickly gained a
2-0 lead on a takedown, but was unable to turn Stafford to his back and was reversed late in the first to tie the score.
West couldn’t score in the second and trailed 4-2 in the third after Stafford finished a wild scramble with a takedown. West
earned an escape to narrow the gap to 4-3, but couldn’t finish a shot for a takedown late in third and had to go home with
a tough second-place finish.
Waldhauser (145) dominated his match against Del Oro’s Kevin Burrage, scoring an early takedown and near fall to get a
4-0 lead and controlling the remainder of the match for a 7-0 victory.
Troy’s Nick Rohrer (160) and Bruin Bret Blubaugh crossed paths in the finals and Rohrer took early control and
dominated from start to finish with takedowns and reversals to earn a 7-0 victory. Trojan teammate Lukas Wilmore (171)
continued the parade of county finalists but fell to Christian Brothers’ Ryan Lutz 8-2.
Bruin Paul Buchanan (215) was entangled in a 1-1 battle with Rocklin’s Brandon Barone late in the third period. The
match appeared headed to OT when Buchanan was put to his back for five points and had to settle for second place
after the 6-1 defeat.
Trojan Kavon Tillotson (HWT) faced a similar fate against Del Oro’s Bobby Gallagher. Tillotson wrestled a hard match
that went to OT but was reversed to his back and pinned in the final seconds.
Union Mine, Ponderosa and Oak Ridge had finalists in 11 of the 15 weight classes. The Trojans had eight and came
away with three champions and five second-place finishers. The Bruins had five finalists with two taking the title and three
placing second. Union Mine had two finalists for a champion and runner-up.
Wrestlers moving on in third are Oak Ridge’s Trey Reese (112) and Kyle Sundby (152); Ponderosa’s Jesse Routsong
(130) and Aaron DeMay (140); and D’backs Aaron Dekalb (135) and Dillon Craik (HWT). Finishing fourth were Oak Ridge’
s Greg Barrier (125); Ponderosa’s Allen Emmons (145); and Union Mine’s Cody Mitchell (130) and Mike Gachowski (152).
Taking fifth were D’back Mitchell Woods (145), and Bruins Gaaret Marinelli (152) and Kenny Steers (171).
The top seven wrestlers in each weight class from the Masters qualify for the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield
March 5-7.