LOWER LAKE >> Until further notice, the Fort Bragg Timberwolves rule the Coastal Mountain Conference wrestling roost.
Fort Bragg made that point perfectly clear on Wednesday night with a 42-25 victory over the Lower Lake Trojans at Lower Lake. In what was supposed to be a first-place showdown between two undefeated teams, the Timberwolves (7-0) flexed their considerable conference muscle by winning four of the first five matches to open up an 18-3 lead. After Lower Lake heavyweight William Isaacs won by pin to close the gap to 18-9, Fort Bragg ran away with the match by reeling off five wins in a row, three by pin, for a commanding 42-9 lead.
Lower Lake was able to make the final score a bit more respectable by winning the final three matches, but the Timberwolves left little doubt who the better team was on this night, not to mention taking a huge step toward a second straight conference title.
“They got off to a good start and we lost two weight classes I thought we had a chance to win,” Lower Lake coach Ed Fuchs said. “They came to wrestle.”
Lower Lake’s only wins were Isaacs’ pin, Dominic Cole’s 5-4 decision at 162 pounds that gave the Trojans their one and only lead of the night at 3-0, Jeremiah Long’s second-round pin at 147 pounds in the second-to-last match of the night, and Brendan Maninger’s 17-6 major decision in the final match. Lower Lake also picked up a forfeit at 140 pounds, the only uncontested weight division.
While disappointed with the nature of the loss, Fuchs said the Trojans’ season won’t be defined by one dual.
“I’m proud of the way most of them wrestled,” Fuchs said. “No one quit.”
The Trojans close out the regular season with a dual meet next Wednesday against Willits, Technology and Point Arena. If they beat all three teams and take a 8-1 record into the CMC Championships on Feb. 21 at Upper Lake, they can still earn a piece of the title by winning that tournament.
In fact, the team’s major goal entering the season was reaching the North Coast Section Duals (Feb. 14) for the first time in school history, something they’ll likely accomplish if they sweep their three opponents next Wednesday in Lower Lake.
“If we’re 8-1, we should be able to get in,” Fuchs said.
The NCS Championships (Feb. 27-28) follow two weeks later and the Trojans are hoping to make as big a splash this season as they did last year when they set school records for most points scored (63) and most medals won (three) while also qualifying one of their own — Isaacs — for the CIF State Championships.
Also on Wednesday night at Lower Lake, Lower Lake beat Kelseyville 51-12 while Fort Bragg defeated Kelseyville 63-16.
In the Lower Lake-Kelseyville dual, the Trojans won four of the six contested weight classes. Lower Lake winners were Rachele Wagner by first-round pin at 108 pounds, Lucas Plesia by second-round pin at 115 pounds, Gabe Freeman by third-round pin at 140 pounds, and Ryan Gillespie by 7-6 decision at 147 pounds. Kelseyville winners were Tiko Landa by third-round pin at 134 pounds and Hayden Turner by third-round pin at 184 pounds.
M’town 27, Point Arena 12
M’town 15, Technology 0
Upper Lake 54, M’town 16
At Middletown, the Middletown Mustangs beat Point Arena and Technology and lost to Upper Lake in CMC dual action. Upper Lake defeated all three of its opponents.
In the Middletwon-Point Arena dual, the only contested weight classes were 138 and 160 pounds. Middletown’s Evan Dodd, a freshman and first-year wrestler, won by first-round pin. At 160 pounds, Middletown’s Peter Sullivan won a 4-3 decision.
There were three contested weight classes in the Middletown-Tech dual and Middletown won all three. Dodd scored an 18-11 decision at 138 pounds, Scott Kelly won by first-round pin at 145 pounds, and Cameron Ketchum won by first-round pin at 195 pounds.
In the Middletown-Upper Lake dual, Upper Lake won five of the seven contested weight classes — Alex Sanchez by pin over Quentin Crayne at 120 pounds, Ricardo Sanchez by pin over Jake Samson at 126 pounds, Zack Sneathen by second-round pin over Dodd at 132 pounds, Abel Serrano by pin over Ketchum at 195 pounds, and Angel Stith by pin over Angela Egger at 106 pounds.
Middletown picked up wins at 145 pounds where Kelly pinned Matt Willard, and at 152 pounds where Sullivan won a 15-2 decision over Dante Bassignani.
In exhibition matches, Upper Lake’s Christina Wilson and Middletown’s Kailei Foltmer both scored victories.
Middletown coach Brian Hunt said Dodd’s 2-1 record on the night stood out.
“I was quite impressed with Evan today,” Hunt said. “He was wrestling up a weight class from 132s and he really came through. He did a great job, especially being a freshman.”
Middletown’s wrestlers also were in action last weekend at three different tournaments. Wyatt Jones won a fifth-place medal at the Puma Classic for varsity boys in Santa Rosa, Foltmer and Isabella Quintana-Ocken brought home third-place medals from a girls’ tournament in Loomis, and Ketchum won the 195-pound weight class at a junior varsity tournament in Willits.
