The Mustangs ended up compiling 243 points, 73.5 more points
than second-place Saint Francis.
SAN JOSE – If the phrase nine-peat didn’t exist before, it’s an Urban Dictionary phrase now – at least in Gilroy.
Like a broken record stuck replaying the same sound over and over, seven straight finals matches began with the public address announcer using the same phrase.
“From Gilroy” … his voice boomed through the gym packed with an energetic crowed at Independence High School in San Jose, the site of the 2010 -11 Central Coast Section wrestling championships on Saturday night.
However, this tone was music to Gilroy’s devoted fans’ ears. And louder still were the boisterous cheers raining down from the bleachers as each of the seven Mustangs (three juniors, one sophomore and three freshmen), took the mat one win shy of a CCS championship.
Four claimed the evening’s ultimate prize while three placed runner-up, capping another dominant run to the team title – the program’s ninth straight.
“This is a special group and we don’t take anything for granted GHS head coach Greg Varela said. “These kids train 12 months a year for two weeks of the season, CCS and state.”
Losing eight seniors a year ago, this was to be the year of the Gilroy collapse – at least that’s what others had hoped. Inside the wrestling room at GHS, though, Varela knew what he had; a youthful yet experienced batch of wrestlers determined to carry out what has become commonplace – winning.
“This was our rebuilding year but our freshman refused to comply with that,” Varela said. “They have been in this program five, six years coming to CCS and watching their wrestling big brothers win. This was their turn to make their mark and they showed what they were made of this week.”
There was no sign of a letdown whatsoever. Instead, GHS had basically secured the championship prior to Saturday night’s finals only to put an exclamation point on its dominating two-day tournament with four individual champions. The Mustangs ended up compiling 243 points, 73.5 more points than second-place Saint Francis.
“These kids are more than teammates, they are family,” Varela said. “It feels good to come in here and keep the streak that Armando (Gonzalez) created. I’m just taking a lot of the things I learned under Armando and put my own spin on it. He laid the foundation for me and the older kids laid the foundation for the younger kids and we are just trying to keep it going.”
Freshman Paul Fox defeated Daniel Polanco of Saint Francis 10-3 in the 112-pound final to get title-train moving.
The tournament’s No. 1-seeded 112-pounder remained in control of his match throughout, picking up eight of the 10 points via takedown.
Freshman Victor Olmos managed an improbable come-from-behind 5-4 triumph in the 119-pound match. Olmos trailed by two late in the third period. His opponent, Andre Delagnes of Menlo-Atherton, was called for fleeing the mat – one point awarded to Olmos – to make it 4-3 with 30 seconds left. Out of nowhere, Olmos cut down Delagnes with 10 ticks left and hung on for his life.
“I shot my double and took him down,” Olmos said as he racked his brain trying to describe the frantic final moments of the match.
“Those last 10 seconds felt like for ever. When the buzzer rang, I didn’t know what to do, I was excited. I didn’t expect to get into the finals of CCS until junior year. To win as a freshman, I’m pretty happy.”
Nikko Villarreal made it a freshman sweep in the 125-pound go-round, picking up takedown points at will against El Camino’s Brian Ha en route to a 20-7 win.
“I like the feeling,” Villarreal said with a smile.
Junior Blake Kastl walked with a daunting stride to the center of the mat for his 135-pound final with a chip on his shoulder. He looked angry and was.
Moments before his bout, he watched junior Willie Fox finish runner-up for the third straight year. And as Fox fell by second-period pin, the crowd unleashed a deafening roar when Riordan’s Zac Contreras had his arm raised in victory. Kastl took offense.
“I was mad. I thought Willie was going to do good but then the whole place just goes crazy for two minutes straight,” Kastl said. “It just makes me mad that everyone wants Gilroy to lose. Willie is the hardest working kid and he deserves to win.”
Kastl used his aggression and earned his second straight CCS crown, pinning Kamyar Sharifi out of Santa Clara in the second period.
Aaron Gonzalez (140) and Leif Dominguez (103) joined Fox (130) as second-place finishers.
“I’m not really that hard on myself,” Gonzalez said, noting that he feels blessed to be wrestling again after missing his entire sophomore season. “I still have a few tricks up my sleeve that I’m saving for state.”
Dominguez encountered his old workout partner Isaiah Locsin of Live Oak in the 103-pound final. Locsin, the state’s No. 3-ranked 103-pounder prevailed 8-2.
All seven Mustangs qualify for the CIF state meet in Bakersfield, which begin Friday.
“At this point they are dialed in. They wish it was tomorrow,” Varela said.
View more photos of the Gilroy CCS Wrestling Finals at our
