Gilroy High School

Gilroy High wrestling coach Greg Varela tells a story dating back six or seven years. In it, Varela, who is in his third year at the helm and 10th overall with the program, poignantly describes a handful of young wrestlers training together in a garage as he guides the way with the help of a couple other coaches.

Last week the number was 10, as in 10 straight section championships. On Saturday morning in Bakersfield, the magic number was 3. In a span of 20 minutes  three Gilroy High semifinalists became a trio of finalists and are one win away from a CIF State Wrestling championship.

Three wrestlers are two wins away from one ultimate prize. After a long, long Day 1, which began with weigh-ins at 7 a.m. and concluded with the final match of the evening after 9 p.m., Gilroy High will have three wrestlers start Day 2 in the semifinals of the California Interscholastic Federation Wrestling Championships at Raboback Arena in Bakersfield.

With about four hours left in a marathon 12-hour Day 1 at the CIF State Wrestling Championships on Friday in Bakersfield, Gilroy High’s Paul Fox (126), Nikko Villarreal and Willie Fox (145) prevailed in their Championship Round 3 matches, are all 2-0 and into the quarterfinals.

Through two championship rounds at the annual CIF State Wrestling Championships, six of the seven local wrestlers in the field won their opening matches Friday morning at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.

The Gilroy High baseball team beat non-league opponent Milpitas 8-2 in its season debut Thursday. Senior Jordan Dexter went 3-for-3 with two RBIs, Jaylan Gallardo had two RBIs and Bubu Garcia one for GHS.

Bakersfield, here they come. Gilroy will be well represented with seven locals entered into the grueling, two-day, battle of wills that is the CIF State Wrestling Championship tournament today and Saturday at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.

Capsules of the 2012 Gilroy and Christopher varsity baseball teams with a look back and glance forward.

More often than not, two defenders, sometimes three, surrounded Ashlee Williams any time she had the ball. Yet, the senior forward managed to average 20 points and 10 rebounds a night for the Gilroy High girls basketball team. And for that, Williams was named the Tri-County Athletic League’s co-Most Valuable Player along with Alisal’s Eva Latu.

Gilroy High wrestling coach Greg Varela said the Mustangs wrestled with an undeniable “x-factor” Friday and Saturday at Independence High. And as the curtain closed on another Central Coast Section Championship meet, that “X” stood for a decade's worth of section supremacy.