The Olympian High School wrestling team continues to impress after recording a runner-up finish in last weekend’s massive 46-team Holtville Rotary Tournament.

The Eagles finished with 173 points to finish behind team champion Rancho Bernardo (328 points) and in front of third place Imperial (141 points).

West Hills finished fourth in the two-day tournament with 140 points, followed by Granite Hills in fifth place with 114.5 points.

Nine Metro Conference schools attended the event. Bonita Vista finished 10th with 95.5 points while Eastlake finished 14th with 84.5 points. Mater Dei Catholic placed 15th with 76 points while Mar Vista finished 22nd with 41 points.

Other local teams included San Ysidro (23rd, 40 points), Montgomery (28th, 31 points), Castle Park (37th, 17 points) and Southwest (44th, eight points).

Olympian finished the Jan. 25-26 duel in the desert with seven place-winners: Luis Castro (first at 287 pounds), Tyshawn Anderson (second at 162), Shaihi Baker (third at 222), John Johnson (fourth at 184), Ralph Magsino (fifth at 122), Cade Harbin (sixth at 134) and Mico Gonzalez (sixth at 140).

Overall, three South County mat men captured individual weight class championships.

Mater Dei Catholic’s Nicolas Demers won the 115-pound title while Mar Vista’s Roy Figueroa was first at 128-pounds.

Additionally, Mater Dei Catholic’s Anthony Ching finished second at 134 pounds. Eastlake’s Michael Morgan finished runner-up in the 197-pound division while Michael Miller finished second at 222 pounds to help highlight performances by South County wrestlers.

Castro won by a 7-2 decision over Holtville’s Michael Toten while Demers won by a 4-3 decision over Rancho Bernardo’s Gavin Concepcion. Figueroa won his weight class title with a 3-0 decision over Escondido’s Julian Rodriguez.

Also placing for Bonita Vista’ were included Daniel Reyes (third at 154) and Jordan Bendorf (fifth at 134).

Eastlake’s other two place-winners included Tony Plascencia (third at 108) and Jacob Mejia (fourth at 122).

Also earning place-finishes were San Ysidro’s Israel Ramirez (third at 122), Mater Dei Catholic’s Christian Silva (sixth at 172) and Montgomery’s Jose Sanchez (sixth at 197).

Mat attack
The annual Metro Conference wrestling championship tournament is scheduled Saturday, Feb. 2, at San Ysidro High School. Varsity action is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.

Olympian is the two-time defending team champion.

 

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Mar Vista’s Ed Delos Reyes to call it a coaching career after 51 years on the mat

It’s been a whirlwind career for Mar Vista High School wrestling coach Ed Delos Reyes and it’s about to end after a marathon 51-year run.

Delos Reyes is retiring as a head wrestling coach at the end of the 2018-19 season. It’s been a career chock full of memories.

“It’s been a roller coaster ride, it’s been fun,” Delos Reyes admitted.

Coach Ed, as he is affectionately known, began coaching in 1969. Along the way, stops have included Mar Vista, Montgomery, Chula Vista and back to Mar Vista.

He’s left his mark on the mat with five league championships — one at Chula Vista and four at Mar Vista, including back-to-back South Bay League dual titles in 2017 and 2018.

Wrestling remains in the family. Delos Reyes’ son Sergio, a former high school wrestler, is the girls coach at Mar Vista.

The elder Delos Reyes remains proud to have coached two wrestlers to the state championship meet — Seville Hayes (Mar Vista) and Earnest Johnson (Chula Vista).

Another state hopeful, Kendrick Brunson, fell just short of qualifying.

Hayes, who competed at 285 pounds for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo during the 2017-18 season, went on to become a California community college state champion with Palomar College in 2015.

Johnson fashioned a 101-19 record while competing at 125 pounds but turned down a college wrestling scholarship to Cal State Fullerton to devote his post-high school career to pro boxing.

He competed at the 1996 state wrestling championship tournament in Stockton alongside current Hilltop coach Thomas Juarez, then competing at Montgomery.

That brings us to the present.

Mar Vista travelled to Castle Park for a South Bay League dual meet on Jan. 24. Delos Reyes was calling moves on the mat for the Mariners, who gave a strong effort in the match-up while building an early 21-6 lead before faltering in the final three weight classes to absorb a 46-33 loss.

The win raised the Trojans’ South Bay League dual meet record to 4-1 (remaining one match behind league leader Montgomery). Mar Vista dropped to 3-2 in league duals.

It’s been a season of renewal at Castle Park.

“It’s been a great season,” CPHS head coach Robert Schertzer explained. “We have a lot of young kids, eager, who want to be pushed, always willing to learn. They all work hard. They’re young but coming along. The camaraderie is the big thing. They are together like a family. There are positive things coming up ahead.

Mar Vista took a 3-0 lead on the scoreboard by virtue of Elijah Eugenio’s 9-5 win by decision at 108 pounds. However, Xavier Alvarado (16-5) followed with a pin at 115 pounds to put Castle Park in the lead at 6-3.

Julian Winnie recorded a pin in 30 seconds at 122 pounds to place the visitors in front 9-6 and Mary Cincotto followed with a pin in 54 seconds in the next 128-pound weight class to push the Mariners in front 15-6.

Roy Figueroa recorded Mar Vita’s third consecutive first-period pin to hand Mar Vista a imposing 21-6 lead.

But turnabout proved fair play as Castle Park rallied with three consecutive wins – including two by pin and one by major decision – to edge in front 22-21 on the scoreboard.

Rodrigo Parra put the Trojans back in the winning column after recording an 11-2 win by major decision at 140 pounds.

Kai-Dylan McFarland (147) and John Sweet (154) both scored pins to allow the hosts to tack on 12 more points in the victory column.

Mar Vista made a late rally, however.

Nathaniel Bingham (172) pinned his opponent in 1:23 to narrow the Castle Park lead to 28-27.

Victor Murtaugh (184) followed with a pin in 5:23 to put the Mariners ahead 33-28 on the scoreboard.

But the Trojans won the final three matches to win by a comfortable 15-point margin.

Antonio Gomez (197) won by a 3:58 fall to propel the hosts back in front 34-33.

Jonathan Soto (222) pinned in 1:32 to increase the score to 40-33 and numerically secure the win for the Trojans.

Castle Park’s Evan Hill won the final heavyweight match by forfeit to make the final score 46-33.

Mat attack
Mar Vista and Castle Park will square off once again at Saturday’s Metro Conference championship tournament at San Ysidro High School. The varsity-only tournament is scheduled to start at 9 a.m.

Both the Mariners and Trojans will also compete at the upcoming San Diego Section Division III championship tournament Feb. 9 at Montgomery High School

Winnie, Figueroa and Bingham are Mar Vista’s main hopefuls to gain a spot on the award stand.

“They can place in the top three, they have the potential to be in the finals,” Ed Delos Reyes said.

Both Mar Vista and Castle Park also have hopefuls at this weekend’s San Diego Section girls wrestling championships at Brawley High School.

Cincotto (126) and Anya Rodriguez (121) are state hopefuls for Mar Vista.

Cincotto is 19-4. She’s placed first at the regular season Brawley and Eastlake tournaments and second at the Olympian, Mount Miguel and Steele Canyon tournaments.

Rodriguez is 17-3. She’s taken two gold medals and two silver medals in regular season tournament competition.

Castle Park’s state hopefuls include senior Ariana Negrete (145) and junior Ayianna Fernandez (152). Both are returning wrestlers.

Negrete (10-4) has earned several medals this season.

Fernandez (12-4) placed fourth at last year’s girls CIF meet and is definitely working to get to the state tournament,” according to team coaches.

Negrete recorded second-place showings at the Mount Miguel and Eastlake tournaments but, according to coaches, is “finishing the season strong.”

Competition at this weekend’s CIF tournament at Brawley High School is Feb. 1-2. Championship rounds are expected to start about noon on Saturday.

 

Photo Gallery by Phillip Brents
Mar Vista-Castle Park dual meet, Jan. 24 at CPHS