Gilroy
– After rolling over the competition in last weekend’s TCAL
Championships, the boys’ varsity wrestling squad is preparing to do
the same at the CCS Finals when they travel to Overfelt High School
in San Jose.
Gilroy – After rolling over the competition in last weekend’s TCAL Championships, the boys’ varsity wrestling squad is preparing to do the same at the CCS Finals when they travel to Overfelt High School in San Jose.
In 14 weight divisions being contested, 14 Mustangs will suit up Friday and Saturday to take on the best in the region for the chance to move on to the state championships.
Gilroy has dominated the TCALs for the past three years. More surprising than not placing a wrestler below third at Saturday’s TCALs in Hollister is that the Mustangs did it with such a young team. Gilroy fields 10 freshmen and sophomores, three juniors and just one senior.
Yet as young as they are, the team has four No. 1 seeds in the CCS tournament – the most of any participating school. Nico Naranja (105), Adin Dueñas (132), Armando Gonzalez (137) and Hunter Collins (162) are all top seeds. They’re joined by Joseph Serrano (127), a No. 3 seed. The Tri-County Athletic League, as tough as any around in wrestling, sends a fifth No. 1 seed, Hollister’s Ryan Dunn (217).
“After what we lost last year we have a very young team,” said assistant coach Mike Koester Wednesday. “We’re going to be very scary to the rest of the league. We are going to be a whole lot tougher next year.”
Koester said the team had expected all five of its top seeds would earn the distinction they did, but added that it was hoped two or three Mustang grapplers would be acknowledged.
He said the team expects to send five wrestlers to Bakersfield for the State Championships, though they would like to see seven go.
“We’re pretty good with seven,” Koester said. “If we have seven medalists, we usually do well. It’s like a lucky number.”
Looking beyond CCS, the assistant coach said Gonzalez, the son of head coach Armando Gonzalez, was Gilroy’s best bet to go all the way at the state tourney. Two opponents who consistently beat him, the Nos. 4 and 5 wrestlers in the state, will not appear in Bakersfield – one due to a knee injury and the other because of grades.
“Nothing is easy at State, but Gonzalez will have an easier time,” Koester said.
