A tournament tougher than anything this area has to offer is
just what the doctor ordered.
Gilroy’s top wrestler is healthy, its junior stud at 119 pounds
is confident, and eight other Mustangs are feeling more than ready
to prove themselves in one of the state’s biggest meets.
Competing at the Doc Buchanan Invite today and tomorrow at
Clovis High School, Gilroy is looking to gauge itself against many
of the state’s best. The results won’t make or break anyone’s
season – the Central Coast Section and state meet are the end-all,
be-all – but top placement or titles will go a long way in
solidifying the confidence of a team that is rarely in short
supply.
CLOVIS – A tournament tougher than anything this area has to offer is just what the doctor ordered.
Gilroy’s top wrestler is healthy, its junior stud at 119 pounds is confident, and eight other Mustangs are feeling more than ready to prove themselves in one of the state’s biggest meets.
Competing at the Doc Buchanan Invite today and tomorrow at Clovis High School, Gilroy is looking to gauge itself against many of the state’s best. The results won’t make or break anyone’s season – the Central Coast Section and state meet are the end-all, be-all – but top placement or titles will go a long way in solidifying the confidence of a team that is rarely in short supply.
“They’re better than I thought (they would be up to this point),” Gilroy coach Armando Gonzalez said of his squad Tuesday night, as the Mustangs dominated visiting Alisal 56-18 in the season-opening Tri-County Athletic League dual.
Aaron Gonzalez (112), Jesse Delgado (125 pounds), Martin Gonzalez (130), Rodney Balajadia (135), Vincent Aboytes (152) and Luis Barragan (285) all won their matches by fall, with Gonzalez besting his opponent in a mere 14 seconds. Willie Fox (103) took his match by technical fall 16-1, and Jasmine Yanez (103) had by far the most exciting three rounds of the evening, coming out on top 8-4 after she and Alisal’s Johnny Alanzo took turns trading reversals.
Adam Rosso (140) and Felix Gonzalez (160) won their matches 4-1 and 11-6, respectively, earning praise form their coach for their performances.
Martin Gonzalez, last year’s state champion at 119 pounds, has only been wrestling for a week due to a preseason injury, making this weekend’s event more of a litmus test than anything. He does, however, expect to face Brandon Rocha of Lemoore, the same wrestler he beat in the state finals last season.
“It’s a pretty good rival. I’ve been wrestling him my whole life,” Martin Gonzalez said. “We know I’m not at my best yet, but I will be at state. I’m not afraid to lose a match here or there (on the way).”
If he does win, he added, the victory would be “huge” in terms of confidence later in the season.
Another championship contender for a title at Doc Buchanan is Delgado, who, along with Gonzalez, won a cowboy hat, the customary trophy for the tournament, after winning the 112-pound division last season.
Recognizing that he is a favorite at 125, Delgado admits there is much more pressure to win when competing at bigger tournaments. Still, he wouldn’t want it any other way.
“It’s always (about taking) first,” he said. “I feel the pressure, but I wouldn’t like second.”
Last year, the Mustangs had six wrestlers place in the top eight. As a team, Gilroy finished in sixth place.
Like many of the other GHS wrestlers attending this weekend’s tournament, Vincent Aboytes, the top-ranked wrestler at 152 pounds in CCS, will be competing to see what he needs to work on before sectionals.
“This weekend I see myself placing in the four,” he said. “It’s going to test me to see how I’ll do at CCS.”
This weekend marks a tough three-week stretch in which the Mustangs will be competing at Doc Buchanan, the Five Counties meet the following week and then Mid Cals on Jan. 23-24.
