FREMONT — Upper Lake High School wrestlers came away with two seventh-place finishes on Saturday at the ultra-competitive Mission San Jose Invitational in Fremont.
Three of eight Cougars made it to the second day of the tournament, including quarterfinalists Joey Valdez at 222 pounds and Bruce Tucker at 154 pounds. Tony Lopez was in the 108-pound consolation bracket when action opened Saturday.
Valdez lost in the quarterfinals to the second-ranked wrestler in the state, dropping an 8-4 decision, but went on to place seventh.
“He wrestled real well,” Upper Lake coach Tom Cox said of the junior, a second-year wrestler who also plays for the school”s varsity boys” basketball team.
Lopez lost his first match on Friday before winning his next two. He strung together three straight wins to open Saturday”s action before losing his final match of the tournament.
Tucker lost in the quarterfinals to the No. 1-ranked wrestler in Nevada. He also lost his next match, but Cox said the senior wrestled well in both given the extraordinary competition at the tournament.
“I was happy with all three guys,” Cox said. “This tournament will get us going in the right direction.”
Upper Lake, 6-0 in the Coastal Mountain Conference standings, can close out a perfect regular season on Wednesday in its final dual against Middletown and Fort Bragg at Middletown.
