Minus Their Top Wrestlers ‘Stangs Still Tough to Handle
There’s really no other way to explain the Gilroy wrestling team’s weekend at the Doc Buchanan Invitational at Clovis High.
“They performed like crazy,” said Gilroy head coach Armando Gonzalez.
Even without top wrestlers Nico Naranjo (flu), Austin Gubrud (injured) and the coach’s son Armando Gonzalez (also injured), the Mustangs came away with the third-place trophy at the 60-team meet.
Compare that to how Gilroy fared last year at the tournament coach Gonzalez calls the “second-toughest in the state.” In 2005, the Mustangs took seventh with a full squad, posting 101 points. This year, the short-handed ‘Stangs scored 156 points to take third, the highest placement Gilroy has ever had as a team at the prestigious event. Before this weekend, the ‘Stangs had never placed higher than sixth.
“It was a really good sign for us,” the coach said. “It shows our other guys stepped up.”
Buchanan (226 points) took the team crown while Ponderosa (176 points) took second.
Two Mustangs, sophomore Hunter Collins (171 pounds) and senior Adin Dueñas (135 pounds) took first place in their divisions while junior Andres Barragan (2nd, 189 pounds) and Tim Ibañez (3rd, 119 pounds) also placed. Freshman Martin Gonzalez (103 pounds) was one match from placing.
Collins flat-out dominated the competition. The semifinal opponent pulled out of the match just so he wouldn’t have go up against the sophomore.
Dueñas also received his share of respect and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. Meanwhile, Ibañez defeated the second-ranked wrestler in the Central Coast Section in the weight bracket that coach Gonzalez felt was the toughest division in the tournament.
Also contributing to the Mustangs’ point total were Rudy Maldonado (4-2 record at 125 pounds), Chris Krough (3-2 at 130), Ethan Ogle (4-2 at 140), Daniel Gamez (2-2 at 215) and Luis Chavez (2-2 in heavyweight division).
Gilroy also left with an added bonus – the Commitment to Excellence Award for Sportsmanship – and won’t have to pay an entry fee to next year’s tournament.
The Mustangs travel to North Salinas Wednesday for a 7pm meet. This weekend, Barragan, Collins and Dueñas will wrestle at the Five Counties meet. Gonzalez said the rest of the team will use the weekend to heal its wounds for the Overfelt Classic Jan 21. At that tournament, the coach expects the team to be at greater strength than it has all season.
“We looked good,” coach Gonzalez said. “We’re just starting to come into our own.”
