LAKEPORT >> While a third straight team title eluded Lower Lake on Saturday during the Coastal Mountain Conference Championships at Clear Lake High School in Lakeport, it turned out to be a great day on the mats for not only the Trojans, but for Lake County.
Of the 14 weight divisions, Lake County wrestlers came away with nine titles, five second-place medals and nine third-place medals. All 18 of those top-three finishers advance to the North Coast Section Championships on Friday and Saturday at James Logan High School in Union City.
If that’s not enough, Lake County wrestlers also swept the tournament MVP awards as voted on by the competing coaches. Junior Fernandez of Upper Lake, the 126-pound champion, was named the MVP lightweight, Kelseyville 138-pound champion Alex Garcia of Kelseyville was named the MVP middleweight, and Lower Lake 285-pound champion Michael Jamison was named the MVP heavyweight.
Lake County’s success extended to the team trophies as well. While Willits was able to hold off Lower Lake 177-165 and prevent the Trojans from winning a third straight CMC crown, the Trojans cut a 36-point deficit to just 12 during the championship round. Kelseyville came away with the third-place trophy with 90 points.
“I can’t take anything away from our guys,” Lower Lake coach Ed Fuchs said of the Trojans, who landed seven wrestlers in the championship round and won four of those matches. “We wrestled Willits six times (between the third-place and championship matches) and went 5-1. I definitely am proud of these guys. They did everything they could.”
Joining MVPs Fernandez, Garcia and Jamison as weight division champions from Lake County were Lower Lake’s Blake Fredrickson at 106 pounds; Lower Lake’s Hugo Salazar at 120 pounds; Middletown’s Quentin Crayne at 145 pounds; Upper Lake’s Dante Bassignani at 152 pounds; Lower Lake’s Peerliss Brooke at 195 pounds; and Middletown’s Cameron Ketchum at 220 pounds.
Fredrickson, Garcia, Bassignani, Brooke, Ketchum and Jamison all won their championship matches by pin. Salazar won a 10-5 decision, Fernandez scored a 16-0 technical fall, and Crayne won by 20-10 major decision.
Reaching the finals in their respective weight classes and settling for second were Lower Lake’s Tristan Day, who dropped an 8-7 decision to Point Arena’s Griffin Barry at 113 pounds; Lower Lake’s Kyle Lynn, who was pinned by Willits’ Tyler Vesey in the second round at 132 pounds; Lower Lake’s Adam DeLeon, who lost by second-round pin to Kelseyville’s Garcia at 138 pounds; Kelseyville’s Javante Gregoire, who lost by first-round pin to Fort Bragg’s Mike Cavender at 182 pounds; and Kelseyville’s Aaron Teal, who lost by first-round pin to Lower Lake’s Brooke at 195 pounds.
In weight division finals where Lake County wrestlers were not represented, Fort Bragg’s Jesse Cavender won at 160 pounds while Willits’ Triston Martin prevailed at 170 pounds.
Among those wrestlers bringing home third-place medals were Middletown’s Joziaz Pyzer (106) and Anthony Kelly (132); Kelseyville’s Michael Beverlin (120), Liam Terrell (220) and Tyler Stottsberry (285); Clear Lake’s Ozod Ermatov (138); and Lower Lake’s Brandon Law (126), Jordan Lott (145) and Carlos Avelar (152).
Just missing out on medals and section berths were fourth-place finishers Frankie Sturr of Clear Lake (126), Nika Metreveli (132) and Steven Sprague (170) of Kelseyville, and Jared Pyzer (160) and James Hernandez (182) of Middletown.
Ten of the 12 wrestlers Lower Lake entered in the tournament received medals of some sort and are advancing to next weekend’s sectional tournament. Better yet, according to Fuchs, all 10 return next season when the Trojans begin their quest for the 2018 CMC title.
“I think in three years we’re going to be right back in the same place,” Fuchs said of winning back-to-back-to-back conference crowns.
“We had some kids step up for us,” Fuchs said. “Kyle Lynn wrestled amazing.”
Willits is also sending 10 wrestlers to the sectional tournament but only six are returning next season.
Ultimately the difference between first and second place in the team standings, according to Fuchs, were the four Willits wrestlers who finished fourth in their weight classes.
“They earned enough points to put them over the top,” Fuchs said. “Willits did a great job.”
Looking ahead to the sectional tournament, Fuchs said two of his wrestlers, Fredrickson, the fourth seed at 106 pounds, and Jamison, the sixth seed at 285 pounds, have an excellent opportunity to reach the CIF State Championships on March 3-4 in Bakersfield. To do that, they’ll have to finish third or higher at the sectionals.
“Peerliss just missed a seed at 195 pounds,” Fuchs said. “I think he’s got a shot to bring home a medal too.”
Two other county wrestlers earning seeds for the section tournament were Upper Lake’s Fernandez, the No. 2 seed at 126 pounds, and Kelseyville’s Garcia, the No. 6 seed at 138 pounds.
“It was an all-around beautiful day for us,” Fuchs said. “I felt a little bad about it at first (because of the second-place team finish), but I don’t feel that way now. We did our jobs. We did all we could do to beat Willits.”
