LOWER LAKE — The problem isn”t so much quality as it is quantity for the Lower Lake Trojans, who held their own in 10 contested weight divisions against the Fort Bragg Timberwolves on Wednesday in Coastal Mountain Conference wrestling action at Lower Lake.
While Lower Lake and Fort Bragg split those 10 matches down the middle, each winning five, the Timberwolves, helped by Trojan forfeits in three other weight classes, went on to win 51-36.
“We”re giving up too many forfeits,” Lower Lake coach Ed Fuchs said.
While it”s too late to fix the problem this season, Fuchs said when he returns to Lower Lake for the 2011-12 campaign, which will be his fifth season at the school, he plans to beat the proverbial bushes to find wrestlers for all 14 weight classes.
“I”ve told them they need to get out there and recruit so we have a full team,” Fuchs said of a conversation he”s had with his wrestlers. “We”re close. The kids we have work hard, they battle. We just need more of them.”
Lower Lake and Fort Bragg both scored quick wins over the third team at Wednesday”s meet, the Point Arena Pirates, who brought only three wrestlers. Fort Bragg won 81-6 and Lower Lake 54-3.
Against the Timberwolves, the Trojans got off to a good start as Dominick Dingess (132 pounds) and Brandon Painchaud (137 pounds) both scored pins. Dingess trailed 6-4 entering the third period before he turned his Fort Bragg opponent.
Lower Lake had a decent chance to win at 142 pounds as well but Erick Moreno was forced into an injury default after a head-to-head collision with Fort Bragg opponent Wesley Keyser.
“Both shot in and hit each other eye to eye,” Fuchs said. “It was totally accidental,” Fuchs said.
While both wrestlers sustained gashes, the cut over Moreno”s right eye wouldn”t stay closed and the match had to be halted.
“I think he”s looking at about eight (stitches),” Fuchs said. “That would be my guess.”
Despite two forfeit losses as well as losses by pin at 173 and 191 pounds, the Trojans battled back to go up 30-27 on the scoreboard on the strength of Michael Payne”s first-round pin at 217 pounds and Cody Torres” second-round pin in the heavyweight division.
A forfeit loss at 105 pounds and two more losses by pin at 114 and 121 pounds put the Timberwolves back in front to stay.
In the only three contested matches between Lower Lake and Point Arena, Painchaud pinned his opponent at 142 pounds and teammate Ricardo Cuevas won by pin at 121 pounds. Moreno lost an action-packed 13-10 decision at 147 pounds.
“It was an awesome match, could have gone either way,” Fuchs said.
Between Lower Lake”s matches with Point Arena and Fort Bragg, Fuchs honored Torres, the team”s standout heavyweight only senior, with a plaque. It was the final home match in Torres” distinguished four-year career.
Lower Lake wrestlers return to action Saturday at the Mountain Clash tournament in Vallejo.
