LAKEPORT — Even without one of their best wrestlers on the mat, the Upper Lake Cougars dominated the field Saturday at the Clear Lake Invitational in Lakeport, winning their fourth tournament title this season in impressive fashion.
The Cougars finished with 268.5 team points to runner-up Fort Bragg”s 170.5.
“I was real pleased,” Upper Lake coach Tom Cox said of another dominating performance by the Cougars, who were without 145-pounder Robbie Avery — he”s resting up for this weekend”s Foothill Tournament.
“It”s the second or third toughest tournament in California,” Cox said.
Avery is also scheduled to participate in another big event, the Mission San Jose Tournament, on Feb. 6-7.
Of the 19 Upper Lake wrestlers who did take part on Saturday, all of them came away with a medal, which means finishing sixth or higher in the 14 weight divisions.
“Nineteen kids go and 19 won a medal, so I”m real proud of these kids,” Cox said.
The Cougars brought home six first-place medals, winning at 103 pounds (James Lolonis), 130 pounds (Russell Dickinson), 140 pounds (Brandon Sneathen), 152 pounds (Amos Burns), 160 pounds (Benjamin Britton) and 215 pounds (Randy Dickinson).
“(Russell) Dickinson was unseeded at 130 pounds, so he really stepped it up,” Cox said.
It was the first tournament win for Burns, Britton, Sneathen and Russell Dickinson, according to Cox.
Kelseyville High School won two weight divisions as Troy Davis captured the 171-pound title and Thomas Esberg won at 125 pounds. The Knights ended up fifth in the team standings.
Jordan Mills of Clear Lake won at 119 pounds as the Cardinals finished sixth overall.
For Lower Lake, Justin Harrison came in second at 215 pounds and teammate Dylan Terra was third. The Trojans picked up another third at 130 pounds courtesy of Joseph Dingess.
“I felt we should have done better,” Lower Lake coach Ed Fuchs said. “I thought we had some opportunities in matches that got away from us.”
Lower Lake also added fourth-place medals at 112 pounds (Johnny Radford) and 160 pounds (David Jordan).
Lower Lake finished eighth in the team standings.
