SACRAMENTO >> Lower Lake High School heavyweight William Isaacs needed a win in either of two matches on Saturday to secure a top-eight finish at the annual Tim Brown Memorial Invitational at Sacramento. It didn”t happen.
Facing two seeded wrestlers, Isaacs fell 4-1 to Saul Meneses of Del Oro High School of Loomis in the quarterfinals before bowing out of the tournament with a 3-1 loss to Jared Kirk of Calaveras High School in the consolation bracket.
“Finishing top 12 at Tim Brown in your first time going there is pretty good, but his goal is to medal at state, so not finishing in the top eight is kind of disappointing,” Lower Lake coach Ed Fuchs said of the unseeded Isaacs, who reached the CIF State Championships a year ago.
“He faced two seeded wrestlers, so what an opportunity (missed),” Fuchs said. “It was tough, we knew it wasn”t going to be easy.”
While Isaacs is ranked in the North Coast Section, Fuchs said there is absolutely no guarantee Isaacs will reach the state tournament again this year unless he improves between now and the sectional finals.
“We”ve got work to do,” Fuchs said. “Not finishing in the top eight (at Tim Brown) is a real eye opener for him. I hope it motivates him.”
Falling behind early in each of his matches didn”t help Isaacs” cause on Saturday. Against Meneses, the No. 4 seed, Isaacs dug himself a 4-0 hole. Against Kirk, a wrestler he had previously met and lost to at the Gordon Hay Tournament earlier this month in San Andreas, Isaacs trailed 3-0 early on a takedown and escape point.
“Will took three or four shots at him (Kirk), but they were all at the edge of the mat and didn”t count,” Fuchs said.
Isaacs” only point came when Kirk was penalized for stalling.
Jacob Minshew of Casa Roble High School beat Dominic Balmer of Woodcreek High School by default in the heavyweight finals. Nick Iverson of Ukiah High School came in third, his only loss a 3-2 decision in double-overtime to Balmer in the quarterfinals. Iverson, who will be one of Isaacs” top opponents at the sectional tournament, also beat Kirk 3-1 in the consolation bracket.
“I”d have to say that Iversen is the guy to beat in our section right now,” Fuchs said.
