As hosts of the 26th annual Mustangs Classic, the Gilroy High girls varsity basketball team did well to advance to the finals with victories against Santa Catalina and Watsonville.
However, against Santa Cruz in the championship game, the Mustangs ended up on the wrong end of a 58-35 contest Saturday in Gilroy.
Ashlee Williams, who averaged 17 points and seven rebounds during the three-game tournament, was named to the All-Tournament team. Kaylana Mah also earned a spot on the All-Tournament team having to shift to the point guard position after senior Michelle Sosa, the team’s leading scorer, went down with a right knee injury Thursday night.
The Mustangs host Pajaro Valley in non-league action Tuesday. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.
– The junior varsity team, lead by All-Tournament selections Emma Leach and Charlenne Medina, also made it to the championship game. The Mustangs lost to San Benito 42-28.
BOYS BASKETBALL
– Dillon Babb was named to the All-Tournament squad at the Alvarez Eagle Classic as the Christopher High boys varsity basketball team posted a 1-2 record over the weekend in Salinas.
After the Cougars breezed past Gonzales 81-41 in Thursday’s opening, a pair of losses rounded out the three-day stay – a 68-29 decision to Buchanan and a 76-62 setback against North Salinas in the consolation game Saturday.
– A 61-57 triumph over Watsonville was bookended by a 43-26 loss to Milpitas and a 65-29 defeat against Dixon in the Gilroy High boys varsity basketball team’s three games at the annual Aptos Seascape Invitational Thursday through Saturday.
The Mustangs (1-2) travel to San Jose to face Oak Grove on Tuesday with game time slated for 7 p.m. The two teams played one another last season with the Mustangs grabbing a 70-48 win.Â
WRESTLING
– A busy first three days of the 2011-12 regular season for head coach Alecxis Lara and the Christopher High wrestling team began with a thrilling come-from-behind 39-36 victory over San Benito on Thursday night and wrapped up with a fourth-place team finish at the Half Moon Bay Tournament.
The Cougars, who are ranked No. 10 in the Central Coast Section preseason polls by ccsrank.com, had five wrestlers place on the podium, including 105-pounder Jimmie Lopez, who is ranked No. 1 in preseason polls, secured first place. Raul Meza (120 pounds) took 2nd John Riffle (220) also placed second, while Ricardo Bribiescas (132) and Jesus Nunez (138) finished fifth and sixth respectively.
During Thursday’s non-league, dual-meet triumph over the Balers, the Cougars trailed 36-12 with five matches to go, but received pins in three of those final five, including a pin by Riffle, who moved up to heavyweight, to eke out the win. Lopez (pin), Meza (pin), Johnny Cortez (8-1 decision at 170 pounds), Herjinder Bahndal (pin at 182) and Tomas Zamora (pin at 195 pounds), earned points for the Cougars. Josh Aguilera (220) was credited with a win via forfeit.
– The nine-time defending Central Coast Section champion Gilroy High wrestling team will start its season at the Chukchansi Invitational Friday and Saturday, kicking off a packed December that also includes a trip to Nevada for the esteemed Reno Tournament of Champions.
The Mustangs garner the section’s preseason No. 1 team ranking and return a bevy of wrestlers from their 2010-11 title team, which placed sixth at the CIF state championships.
Among the list of top-seeded grapplers on ccsrank.com, the Mustangs have four athletes – Paul Fox (120), Aaron Gonzalez (126), Victor Olmos (132) and Nicholas Villarreal (138) – with preseason No. 1 rankings, and two more (Leif Dominguez (113) and Willie Fox (145) ranked No. 2.
SOCCER
– A late-game goal from Josue Salgado preserved a 1-1 tie for the Christopher High boys varsity soccer team against Gunn High School in the first round of the annual Homestead Cup on Saturday.
Salgado’s unassisted goal came with about three minutes to play in the second half. Gunn took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half.
Filling in a goalie, Angel Trejo made many key saves to keep the Cougars (1-1-1) in the game.
– The Gilroy High girls varsity soccer team (1-2) suffered a 3-0 loss to visiting St. Francis on Saturday. The Mustangs resume non-league play Wednesday against Monta Vista.
