SportStars Now Issue 65, March 7, 2018

SSNOW ISSUE 65 MARCH 7, 2018

GOLDEN CIF STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018

DAYS

Gilroy Leads Way As 33 NorCal Wrestlers Reach The Podium At The CIF State Wrestling Championships Story by Ike Dodson • Photos by Derek Bradfield Nguyen

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CIF STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018

Gilroy’s Antonio Andrade

T

wo hundred and twenty-four of Northern California’s best wrestlers descended on Rabobank Arena March 2-3 and 33 of them escaped the CIF Championships with a shiny new neckpiece.

Gilroy, considered the best team in NorCal all year, achieved landmark success by claiming seven medals, two of them gold, and finished runner-up to Buchanan-Clovis in team scoring. The Mustangs rolled up 180 team points while Buchanan-Clovis tallied 219. Poway was third with 171.5.

Gilroy’s Nic Aguilar (120) and Antonio Andrade (195) and De La Salle-Concord’s Peyton Omania accounted for three NorCal golds, while seven others reached the finals.

The action played out before 19,010 fans, who roared when their favorite wrestlers landed a big move, and rained boos — occasionally “twos” — when they disagreed with embattled officials.

One of those controversies cost Vacaville’s Lawrence Saenz a state title.

Facing Jaden Abas of Rancho Bernardo-San Diego — the son of three-time NCAA finalist Gerry Abas and nephew of Olympic silver medalist Stephen Abas — Saenz trailed 4-3 in

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the 138-pound finals at Rabobank. When Abas landed a deep shot on Saenz’s leg in the waning moments, the Vacaville senior wrenched his body over the top of Abas and put one of Abas’ legs in his clutches. The wrestlers scrambled and, for a moment, Saenz had Abas wedged with his back to the mat, in apparent control. As the match ended, Abas rolled out of danger and officials never awarded Saenz his takedown.

“The official felt we didn’t control his hips,” Vacaville coach Clint Birch said. “That’s always the official lingo that makes them feel good, that you don’t control the hips.

“But the fact of the matter is Abas is a very good wrestler and he comes from a family … and there was going to be a little bit of a sweet artifact. It’s hard for those guys to pull the trigger.”

Vacaville also had a runner-up at 285 pounds, when Jake Levengood fell by pin to four-time state champion Seth Nevills of Clovis. Nevills, bound for a wrestling career at Penn State, is only the third wrestler in CIF history to nab four state titles.

“You can’t let the anxiety get to you,” Nevills said after he preserved his perfect career against California foes. “You have to wait for your time to go out there and get it done.”

Vacaville ended in 10th place with 84 team points. Saenz

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CIF STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018

Gilroy’s Nic Aguilar

HEAVY MEDAL Points and medal count for the Top 10 teams at the CIF State Wrestling Championships.

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Team

Pts Medals

1. Buchanan-Clovis

219

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2. Gilroy

180

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3. Poway

171.5

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4. Selma

168

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5. Clovis

121.5

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6. Clovis North-Fresno

119

4

7. Oakdale

111

4

8. St. John Bosco-Bellflower 106

4

9. Frontier-Bakersfield

91

3

10. Vacaville

84

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holds the career record for wins at Vacaville, and he picked up five of his 49 wins this season by rolling to the state finals.

“I think it was awesome,” Saenz said. “We had two state placers, brought nine guys to the state meet and showed what you can do your senior year.”

Gilroy was spectacular across the brackets.

Andrade stole the show at 195 when he charged and took down gold-medal favorite Colby Harlan of Oakdale under the spotlight. His six-match blitz to gold included four firstround pins, one a mind-boggling 13-second pin of Jonathan Gonzalez of Liberty-Bakersfield.

Aguilar also snatched gold from Oakdale when he dominated a 6-1 final over Henry Porter, who was a surprise state finalist after upsetting state No. 2 Eddie Flores of NorthviewCovina, the Southern Section champion. Aguilar flexed his stuff in the finals, nabbing an early takedown and whipping a nifty second-round reversal in round No. 2 before Porter was saved of potential back points by the round’s whistle. It was Aguilar’s first state title in three trips. He was second in 2016 and 2017.

Gilroy also collected medals from Jayden Gomez (fifth at 106), Chase Saldate (fourth at 126), Alex Felix (runner-up at 132), Joseph Barnes (eighth at 160) and Nick Villarreal (sixth at 285).

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Del OroLoomis’ Eli Blake

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CIF STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018

Vacaville’s Cole Chapman, left

Clovis’ Seth Nevills 10

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“We are a family, and everyone came together and wrestled really well,” Saldate said. “It was an amazing experience.”

Oakdale ended seventh with 111 points. The Mustangs had three runner-ups (Harlan, Porter and Gabe Martinez at 170).

Jake Ryan was fifth at 145.

Del Oro-Loomis was a surprise top-three team for nearly half of the first day, and settled into 11th place after a bronze medal

by Noah Blake (160) and seventh-place finishes by both Eli Blake (132) and JT Stinson (152). The Golden Eagles should return all six state qualifiers to a 2018-19 roster loaded with hype.

“It was very rewarding,” Eli Blake said after stepping down from the medal podium. “I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs to get where I am, and it’s exciting.”

Pitman-Turlock’s Isaiah Perez was runner-up at 220 pounds after allowing early back points and slipping 5-2 to Joey Daniel of Santa Ana. The Pride had 48 points in 16th place. Rival Turlock wasn’t far behind with 36.5 points in 20th place. William Giron (eighth at 106), Breck Jeffus (eighth at 182) and Mike Jeffus (fifth at 285) all grabbed medals for Turlock. ✪ Subscribe to our Digital Edition at SportStarsMag.com

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CIF STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS 2018

Oakdale’s Jake Ryan, right

FINAL NORCAL TOP 20 1. Gilroy (CCS)

11. Liberty-Brentwood (NCS)

2. Oakdale (SJS)

12. Bellarmine Prep-San Jose (CCS)

3. Vacaville (SJS)

13. James Logan-Union City (NCS)

4. Del Oro-Loomis (SJS)

14. Everett Alvarez-Salinas(CCS)

5. De La Salle-Concord (NCS)

15. Sutter (NS)

6. Pitman-Turlock (SJS)

16. Windsor (NCS)

7. Turlock (SJS)

17. Silver Creek-San Jose (CCS)

8. Elk Grove (SJS)

18. Fremont-Sunnyvale (CCS)

9. Oak Ridge-El Dorado Hills (SJS)

19. Del Campo-Fair Oaks (SJS)

10. Folsom (SJS)

20. Freedom-Oakley (NCS)

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Lorenzo De La Riva (Pitman-Turlock), left, and Nahele Tonge (Elk Grove)

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a FEAST of FOOTBALL

Concord To Host Variety Of Gridiron Events Through May

N

o, football never ends. When the games end, there’s always a clinic, combine, tournament or event quickly scheduled for the eager players ready to prepare and better themselves for the next fall.

The staff at Visit Concord has figured this out.

That’s why offseason football events offered by Quick 6 Football and Junior Prep Sports California will be showcased in Concord from March through May. JPS began offering its Player Development Lineman Camp on Feb. 17 with Saturday gatherings throughs March at Clayton Valley Charter High. Youth Camps for 4th-8th graders runs 8-9:30 a.m. and High School Camps run from 9-11 a.m. The camps, which allow for walk-up registrations, are progressive and focus on the fundamentals of the game specific to the various offensive and defensive line positions. Instructors are typically area high school coaches. The registration fee is $25 and includes a t-shirt and instruction for that particular day.

The camps lead up to Concord and Clayton Valley Charter High hosting the West Coast Invitational-Battle Of The Unsung Heroes, a three-day linemen challenge combine from May 18-20.

Information about both of these events can be found at http://jrprepsportsca.com/.

Meanwhile, Quick 6 Football will be holding the second of two 7-on-7 events in Concord with “Dimes Vs. Defense” on March 25 at Mt. Diablo High.

Dimes Vs. Defense is the third of four qualifiers for the Quick 6 Golden Great 7-on-7 Championship on April 22 at City College of San Francisco. There are four qualifying spots up for grabs at each of the four events. Concord also hosted the first one, “Air To The Throne,” on Feb. 17.

That event sold out by attracting the maximum 20 teams. Dimes Vs. Defense is expected to do

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the same.

Both events are sponsored by Visit Concord, SportStars Magazine, Gamebreaker Headgear, Football University, Adam Dailey Clothing and Drip Drop hydration drink.

These events will feature the top high school football players (ages 14-18) from throughout California.

A quick guide to 7-on-7 football: ›› Each possession starts 40 yards from the end zone, and first downs can be attained by reaching the 25-yard line and the 10-yard line. However, the offense only gets three downs to convert, instead of the typical four. A quarterback has just 3.7 seconds to pass from the time he gets the ball or it’s considered a sack. ›› An offensive player is down when a defensive player completes a one-hand touch on the receiving player’s torso. Head touches or touches from the legs on down are not considered a tackle. There is also no blocking allowed. ›› Touchdowns are six points, and offenses can try a one-point conversion from the 3-yard line or a two-point conversion from the 10-yard line. ›› Defenses can score as well. Interceptions are three points and forcing a turnover on downs earns two points.

Each team is guaranteed at least three games in the events. Two pool play games and at least one game in single-elimination bracket play. Pool play games last 20 minutes and bracket play games are 22 minutes, each with running clocks.

Learn more about 7-on-7 football and the various Quick 6 events by visiting Quick6.org. ✪

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De La Salle Senior Captures First CIF Gold In Program’s History Story by Ike Dodson Photos by Derek BradfIeld Nguyen

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BAKERSFIELD ark Halvorson’s heart sank when Tony Mendoza’s outstretched hand snaked toward the left foot of his De La Salle-Concord wrestling star, Peyton Omania, in the waning moments of their CIF State Wrestling Championship finale at Rabobank Arena.

But as the Selma wrestler’s eager digits reached Omania’s foot, it suddenly disappeared.

A quick-thinking stretch that De La Salle coach Halvorson calls a “limp leg” dropped Omania’s foot out of reach, and the Spartan senior wisely circled away to ride out a 3-2 lead and bag the only CIF title in De La Salle’s history.

For the first time in 32 medals — all accumulated after 1997 — De La Salle’s wrestling team returned home to the Contra Costa County football mecca with state gold in tow.

“That was a little too close for comfort for me,” Halvorson said of the last-second reach for Omania’s foot. “Mendoza is good, and you have to keep him out of position and not give him a chance.

“It was a nice shot, but fortunately he didn’t finish.”

It took similar heroics — executed to a finish — to send De La Salle’s North Coast Section champion under the spotlight on center stage at Rabobank. He trailed San Diego Section champ

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Bernie Truax of Rancho Buena Vista 1-0 in the third round, and dove for a single-leg takedown after a restart with four seconds to go. When Truax sprawled, Omania suddenly shrugged under an arm and slipped around to Truax’s legs (a peek out) for takedown points as time expired.

“I was really impressed with his mentality this week,” Halvorson said. “It’s just so hard to win this thing. The tournament is so tough it’s hard to even explain, but he worked hard, he put in the time and he earned it.”

Omania balled his fists and echoed a yell off Rabobank’s walls when he guaranteed a trek to the finals. It was the same celebration he let loose when he snatched gold under the spotlight.

“I had to let it out,” Omania explained. “I couldn’t hold it in.

“You sacrifice so much, you work so hard and it just feels real good when you win.”

Omania joins former teammate Darryl Aiello as a three-time state place-winner. He was fifth in 2016 and sixth in 2017. Omania fluctuated between 1 and 3 on the SportStars NorCal rankings all season, and won crucial victories over rivals Jake Ryan of Oakdale and Lawrence Saenz of Vacaville at the Temecula Valley Battle for the Belt to earn his No. 1 seed at state.

Five straight wins — a 26-second pin, a 16-0 technical fall and three narrow decisions pushed

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him all the way up the medal podium.

He had some help at home too. He thanked his coaches, teammates, the De La Salle faculty and everyone who gave their support.

“Last year I didn’t get the results I wanted, so I worked a lot harder and it showed,” Omania said.

“It’s super exciting. It feels good to bring this one back to the Spartan Nation.”

“Everybody was pulling for him,” Halvorson added. “A lot of guys have been close, but nobody had won in the finals until he got it done.

“I have been getting nonstop texts, emails and calls from people I have not heard from in years.”

The son of Rachel and Jason Omania will continue his wrestling career at Michigan State. He’ll join his close friend Jaden Enriquez of Mission Oak-Tulare on a roster that also includes Javier Gasca (Kingsburg) and Christian Rebottaro (Scotts Valley).

De La Salle brought eight wrestlers to state.

They combined for 15 wins. Ankhaa Enkhmandakh (160) and Riley Hilt (120) made day No. 2 (the top 16), while Kyle Parco (126) reached the top 12.

Even without a medal, they went home with the spirit of gold.

“Hopefully this cracks the ice,” Halvorson said.

“The kids have seen it, and they know they can do it, so we could start seeing more kids at the top of the podium.” ✪ Follow us on Twitter & Instagram, like us on Facebook!

How do you put a full season of triumphs and heartbreaks — the result of countless hours of grass drills, weight cuts and sniffing smelly knee-pads — into words?

With a list of postseason awards you completely make up, of course.

Below is a look at the top performers from last week’s CIF championships, and six recipients of end-of-the-year awards highlightingt some of NorCal’s biggest moments on the mat.

— By Ike Dodson

MOST VALUABLE WRESTLER Antonio Andrade, Sr., Gilroy (CCS) The Mustangs don’t finish runner-up without Andrade’s first-place points or the four pins he accumulated during a 6-0 run through the 195-pound bracket at state. Andrade beat one of the pound-for-pound best wrestlers in the state (Oakdale’s Colby Harlan) and capped a remarkable team performance by perhaps the best team to ever hail from Gilroy.

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THE PIONEER Peyton Omania, Sr., De La SalleConcord (NCS) Omania’s state championship, the first in school history, reminds sports fans that De La Salle is not just a football school. He was one of the most emotional wrestlers of the tournament and deserved the elation he displayed on California’s biggest stage — literally the only CIF sport that props up its champions for competition under a spotlight.

MR. PERSEVERANCE Jimmy Heryford, Jr., Sutter (NS) A three-time state qualifier without a CIF win, Heryford entered the tournament as unheralded and unseeded but nabbed a No. 19 state ranking because he won the Northern Section for the third consecutive season.

He proved he can learn from experience by shellacking the No. 12 seed in his opener, 10-3, and won two more big matches in consolation, pinning No. 11 Christian Cabuag of Monte Vista Christian-Watsonville and collecting an 11-3 major decision over Central-Fresno’s Adrian Chavez.

BIGGEST NONMEDAL MOMENT Donny Fontillas, Sr., Ripon (SJS) Competing for Div. V Ripon of the SJS, Fontillas earned his first trip to state by taking fourth at Masters. When the Ripon contingent arrived in Bakersfield, they were stunned to find Ripon’s newly designed mat — utilized at state as part of an agreement with the vendor — on the arena floor. Even more shocking was Fontillas’ designation to wrestle on that same mat in his opening match. Fontillas lost the match to gold medalist Jesse Vasquez of Santiago-Corona, but the Ripon faithful won’t forget the moment.

MR. UPSET

BREAKOUT WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Russell Rucklos, Sr., Foothill-Palo Cedro (NS) The biggest upset of the tournament was bagged by Rucklos, who beat No. 1 seed and gold medal favorite Christian Rodriguez of Selma 5-4 in the round of 16. Rucklos, the No. 16 seed, also beat No. 9 Nathan Haas of St. John Bosco-Bellflower to reach the semifinals and ultimately finished sixth after 2-1, 5-3 and 7-6 losses against the No. 5, 1 and 4 seeds. On Twitter, Rucklos’ sister said his upset was “the only cool thing” about him. Roasted by his sister, but a medalist — he will take it.

Levi Markey, Jr., Del Campo-Fair Oaks (SJS) Listed as a 5-11, 205-pound linebacker for Del Campo football back in the fall, Markey erupted onto the state wrestling scene at 285 by beating two state-ranked opponents at the SJS Masters (silver medalist), and then won three straight matches to reach the state quarterfinals.

He finished 5-2 at state (seventh), after entering the postseason completely off the state radar.

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all-cif Tournament Team 106 POUNDS

120 POUNDS

Jayden Gomez, Fr., Gilroy (CCS) One of nine freshman in this weight class, Gomez proved he was NorCal’s best by beating SJS champ Jake Stone of Oakmont-Roseville, Blake Fredrickson of Windsor (twice) and nabbing a fifth-place medal.

Nic Aguilar, Sr., Gilroy (CCS) In addition to leading his team to a runner-up finish, Aguilar also cruised through his 120-pound bracket with six straight lopsided victories to claim gold.

113 POUNDS

126 POUNDS

Eric Sanchez, Sr., Silver Creek-San Jose (CCS) Four NorCal wrestlers reached the top-12 round at state, but only Sanchez, who beat Sutter’s Jimmy Heryford 8-3 to move on, went on to medal.

Chase Saldate, So., Gilroy (CCS) Saldate rallied to reach the state semifinals by beating Buchanan-Clovis’ Ethan Leake and pinned Elk Grove’s Lokhai Tonge on his route to fourth.

132 POUNDS Alex Felix, Sr., Gilroy (CCS), pictured above The fifth-straight Central Coast member of the All-NorCal team, Felix quietly won the matches he was supposed to, before ending runner-up to Jesse Vasquez of Santiago-Corona.

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all-cif Tournament Team

138 POUNDS

170 POUNDS

Lawrence Saenz, Sr., Vacaville (SJS) Saenz may have lost the most controversial final at state, but his runner-up performance included three pins and a 17-5 route in his third match.

Gabe Martinez, Jr., Oakdale (SJS), pictured above Martinez went down eight points in the opening moments of his final match, but he enjoyed a terrific run to the finals and will relish his silver medal.

145 POUNDS Peyton Omania, Sr., De La Salle (NCS) The first state champion in De La Salle history won emotional-charged matches in the semifinals and finals. He beat Selma’s Tony Mendoza 3-2 to make Spartan history.

152 POUNDS JT Stinson, So., Del Oro-Loomis (SJS) Stinson was never in real danger of elimination and bagged his first state medal in two trips. His team finished 11th and will return all six qualifiers next season.

160 POUNDS Noah Blake, Jr., Del Oro (SJS) Blake never recovered from being caught and pinned in the semifinals, and stoically went through the motions to finish third, but was visibly devastated on the medal podium. He’s still a state medalist and Masters champion.

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182 POUNDS Matthew Martinez, Sr., Everett Alvarez-Salinas (CCS) Martinez twice beat the third-seed on his path to a fifth-place medal and won two matches by pin.

195 POUNDS Antonio Andrade, Sr., Gilroy (CCS) This was Colby Harlan’s spot until a few seconds remaining in the 195-pound final, when Andrade landed an explosive takedown and captured state gold.

220 POUNDS Isaiah Perez, Sr., Pitman-Turlock (SJS) Perez was the best of several Turlock-area standouts at state. He pinned his first three opponents and slipped 5-2 in the state finals for a runner-up finish.

285 POUNDS Jake Levengood, Sr., Vacaville (SJS) Levengood, the state runner-up, won a tight 1-0 decision to reach the finals and enjoyed a stellar season. ✪

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The High Schools Boys VB Stars And The Clubs They’ve Powered To Nationals NATIONAL BAKER’S DOZEN Thirteen Northern California Volleyball Association teams qualified for the USAV Boys Junior Nationals in the 15U18U divisions. The tournaments take place in Phoenix this summer.

18 OPEN DIVISION Bay to Bay VC 18-1 Mountain View VC 18 Red Northern California VC 18-1 Aspics 18 USA DIVISION Mountain View VC 18 Black Pacific Rim Volleyball Academy 18 Orange 17 OPEN DIVISION Bay to Bay VC 17-1 Mountain View VC 17 Red

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17 USA DIVISION Apache VC 17-1 Mountain View VC 17 Black 16 USA DIVISION Mountain View VC 16 Black Slainte VC 16-1 Platinum 15 OPEN DIVISION Bay to Bay VC 15-1 Mountain View VC 15 Red

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As the high school boys volleyball season nears, here’s a look at some of the top high school players in the area whose club teams are qualified for the USA Volleyball Boys Junior National Championships, which take place July 1-9 in Phoenix.

BRETT ALLEN (pictured above) School: Bellarmine-San Jose Club: Bay to Bay VBC 18-1 Height/Position/Grade: 6-2, OH, Sr. Allen was a force for a Bells team which went 31-11 and finished as NorCal Division I runners-up in 2017. He posted 312 kills and 37 aces for Bellarmine.

COLTON BROOKS School: Amador Valley-Pleasanton Club: Bay to Bay VBC 17-1 Height/Position/Grade: 6-4, OH, Jr. The Dons were quite a story in 2017, improving 16-14 to 36-1. Brooks helped Amador win its first 36 games, claiming EBAL and NCS Div. I titles along the way.

DOUG DAHM School: Monte Vista-Danville Club: Pacific Rim VB Academy 18 Orange Height/Position/Grade: 6-4, OPP, Jr. Dahm was a standout for the Mustangs team as he logged 156 kills and 129 digs over 67 sets played.

WILL DOMINGUEZ School: Mountain View Club: Bay to Bay VBC 17-1 Height/Position/Grade: 7-1, MH, Jr. At 7-1, if Dominguez got a set for the

Spartans it was all but assured to find the deck. He had 106 kills in 186 attempts and also added 26 solo blocks.

DAWSON FUGATE School: Del Oro-Loomis Club: Northern California VC 18-1 Asics Height/Position/Grade: 6-5, OH, Sr. The Long Beach State-bound hitter was the SportStars All-City Team Volleyball Player of the Year in 2017 after posting 393 kills, 41 blocks, 266 digs and 82 assists for the Golden Eagles.

JEROD NELSEN School: St. Francis-Mountain View Club: Mountain View VC 18 Red Height/Position/Grade: 6-5, OH, Sr. Nelsen posted 381 kills, 36 aces and 37 blocks to help lead St. Francis to a 34-3 record and CCS Div. I championship in 2017; He also competed for Team USA in the FIVB U19 World Championships.

DANIEL LIEN School: Lynbrook-San Jose Club: Bay to Bay VBC 18-1 Height/Position/Grade: 5-7, DS, Sr. The talented back row player was a cocaptain for a Vikings team which went 19-6 in 2017. He posted 178 digs and

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more than 300 serve receives.

BRIAN ROSS School: Bellarmine-San Jose Club: Bay to Bay VBC 18-1 Height/Position/Grade: 6-2, S, Sr. Ross was the primary setter for the Bells in 2017, posting 763 assists at an average of 7.7 per set. He also added 151 digs on the season.

ZACHARY SMITH School: Serra-San Mateo Club: Mountain View VC 18 Red Height/Position/Grade: 6-1, S/OH, Sr. Smith is a versatile weapon for a Padres team which went 20-13 a season ago.

He’s already a two-time All-West Catholic Athletic League honoree, earning First-Team honors as a sophomore in 2016.

ANTHONY WONG School: Bellarmine-San Jose Club: Mountain View VC 17 Red Height/Position/Grade: 6-2, OH, Jr. Reached 102 kills while seeing action in 70 sets during his sophomore year with the Bells. He should see even bigger numbers as a junior.

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March7, 2018

SportStars™

27

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Vacaville senior Lawrence Saenz (orange singlet) congratulates Jaden Abas of Rancho Bernardo-San Diego after losing to Abas 4-3 in the 138 pound gold-medal match.

Photo by Derek Bradfield Nguyen