BAKERSFIELD – So far on Day 2 of the CIF State Wrestling
Championships, Gilroy’s Blake and Dominic Kastl suffered losses in
their semifinals matches. Jesse Delgado and Dominic, the only two
Mustangs remaining in the tournament, will wrestle in the
consolation finals of their respective divisions. Blake finishes in
sixth.
BAKERSFIELD – So far on Day 2 of the CIF State Wrestling Championships, Gilroy’s Blake and Dominic Kastl suffered losses in their semifinals matches. Jesse Delgado and Dominic will wrestle in the consolation final. Blake finishes in sixth. As a team the Mustangs are in fifth.
Banging his fist on the mat, grasping his knee and visibly in pain, Blake Kastl stepped back into the center of the mat trailing 4-2 in the third period with 1:27 left.
Kastl had surgery on the other knee and missed the first half of the season because of it. Since his return however, he had been on a tear, compiling a Mid-Cal title, a TCAL title and his first CCS championship. But this was the other knee, no seeminly destined for teh same fate as the other. The sophomore, ranked fourth in the state at 135 pounds, was one match away from a berth in the CIF State Wrestling Championship finals Saturday at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.
No. 3-ranked David Ferry of Central Catholic (Modesto), though, had a similar goal in mind and held off the shaken Kastl for a 4-3 decision win in the semifinals.
Kastl had to injury default his consolation semifinals match, which would have been against his friend Nick Cano of St. Francis, due to aggrivating his left knee. As a result, Kastl finishes in sixth place.
Cano went on to take third.
In a showcase semifinals between Gilroy’s Dominic Kastl and Bakersfield’s Bryce Hammond, two wresters that have shared the No. 1-state ranking this season – Kastl holding that distinction heading into the state meet, according to The California Wrestler – it was Hammond that hung on for a 4-3 decision and a spot in the 160-pound finals Saturday night.
Kastl fell behind 3-0 heading into the third period and had trouble negotiating Hammond’s defensive wrestling. However, Kastl earned a take down late in the third, allowed an escape then received a point on a warning to Hammond to pull within one point. Time was the nemesis at that junction and Kastl was unable to secure the points he needed.
Kastl, bounced back in the consolation semifinals against Jacob Pendleton of Lemoore. Trailing 1-0 early in the second period, Kastl was dinged up, taking a short injury timeout. After composing himself, Kastl caught the guy on his back on the restart to get the fall victory at 2:48 of the second period and clinch a spot in the consolation finals.
Jesse Delgado looked strong in his initial match of Day 2, rebounding well from his defeat last night in the quarterfinals. Delgado, methodical and meticulous as usual, picked apart his opponent, Richard Rios of Santa Fe, to the tune of a 15-5 major decision win. Delgado then faced Connor Larson of Clovis East in the first medal round of the consolation bracket. The senior picked up the fall at 5:42. Delgado won 7-4 in overtime to move on to the consolation final for third place.
Rodney Balajadia lost by major decision, 12-2, to Daniel Romero of Carlsbad. Balajadia ends his tournament with a quality 4-2 performance but just shy of a medal.
Vicente Aboytes led early on in his match with Trent Noon of Oakdale but couldn’t keep pace. Aboytes, needing point in a hurry as the third period was winding down, got caught on his back and Noon finished the matter with a win by fall at 5:32. Aboytes finishes with a 4-2 record, but he too came up one win shy of a medal.
Stay tuned for one final update, and check out Tuesday’s print edition for a final story.
