Doc Buchanan was no pushover last weekend, but today and
tomorrow’s Five Counties Wrestling Tournament will be the season’s
best indicator as to how high Gilroy’s wrestling team will finish
at state this spring.
Taking eight wrestlers – Willie Fox, Jesse Delgado, Martin
Gonzalez, Rodney Balajadia, Adam Rosso, Vincent Aboytes, Benjamin
Torricer and Luis Barragan – to the meet, the Mustangs will be
measuring themselves against many of the best in California.
HUNTINGTON BEACH – Doc Buchanan was no pushover last weekend, but today and tomorrow’s Five Counties Wrestling Tournament will be the season’s best indicator as to how high Gilroy’s wrestling team will finish at state this spring.
Taking eight wrestlers – Willie Fox, Jesse Delgado, Martin Gonzalez, Rodney Balajadia, Adam Rosso, Vincent Aboytes, Benjamin Torricer and Luis Barragan – to the meet, the Mustangs will be measuring themselves against many of the best in California.
“This is a way harder tournament (than Doc Buchanan),” Delgado said. “If you can place at this tournament, you can place at state.”
Delgado, a junior, should know after taking third at state the past two seasons. According to assistant coach Mike Koester, he is the only GHS wrestler to ever win his weight class at Five Counties, which Delgado did as a freshman.
For those who have had success but not on the same scale as Delgado or Gonzalez, last year’s state champ at 119 pounds, this tournament could provide a huge boost in confidence.
“I’m pretty sure I can make it to the finals,” said Barragan, a Central Coast Section champ last season. Already performing above expectations to start the season, Gilroy’s heavyweight feels each week is something to build on.
Taking fourth as a team last week at Doc Buchanan in Clovis, Balajadia, who has been wrestling at 130 pounds but is a more natural fit at 119 or 125, thinks the weekend will be a chance for Gilroy to show off its individuals and the sum of its parts.
“I think our team should place high,” he said. “I’m hoping to break the medal rounds, place top eight. It’s going to be a tough tournament, though.”
One the more anticipated matches of the weekend will be a rematch of last weekend’s 125-pound final between Gonzalez and Liberty of Brentwood’s David Klingsheim.
Gonzalez lost 6-4 in overtime but was limited due to a lack of training time due to injury.
Getting a top team score this weekend will simply rely on everyone doing their part.
“Even going into Doc B, we weren’t expecting to do that well,” Delgado said.
“Even at state (last year) we weren’t expecting to do that good and we almost won. As long as everybody does their job, we’ll do good as a team.”
