NOVATO — Upper Lake High School wrestler Junior Fernandez began his senior season in impressive fashion on Saturday, winning the 138-pound championship and the outstanding lightweight award at the Green & Gold Tournament in Novato.
Fernandez, the No. 1 seed at 138 pounds, went 4-0. He won his first two matches by 18-2 and 17-2 tech falls before beating Ukiah’s Ashton Stanley 4-0 in the semifinals. Fernandez earned two of his points on stalling calls against Stanley.
In the finals against Mere Chavez of Chico, Fernandez won 9-0.
Of the four points Fernandez allowed during the tournament, all were escape points. The outstanding lightweight award he earned was his third straight at the Green & Gold.
Also competing for Upper Lake were Bradley Sneathen, who went 1-2 at 182 pounds; Noah de Los Santos, who went 1-2 at 106 pounds; and Alex Serrano, who went 0-2 at 145 pounds.
Upper Lake’s boys return to action Saturday in the Bill Martell Invitational at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek. Upper Lake’s girls are entered in the Women’s West Coast TOC on Friday and Saturday in Rocklin.
In other wrestling action Saturday:
Kelseyville Knights
Kelseyville High School sent a handful of wrestlers to the Green & Gold in Novato and came away with two medals, including a first-place finish at 170 pounds where Alex Garcia, who was wrestling up a division, went 4-0 with tech fall wins in his first two matches, a pin in the semifinals, and a 4-1 decision in the championship round.
Nursing a hand injury from football season, Garcia just missed making weight at 160 pounds, his normal division.
Javante Gregoire also wrestled up a division, competing in the heavyweight class and taking second. Like his teammate Garcia, Gregoire just missed making weight at 220 pounds. He went 3-1 and beat the No. 2 seed along the way before losing to a Windsor opponent in double-overtime in the championship match.
Also wrestling for Kelseyville were Gabriel Amriz, who went 2-2 at 113 pounds, and Tyler Stotsberry, who went 2-2 in the heavyweight division.
Kelseyville’s boys compete in the Marty Manges Tournament next Saturday in Orangevale.
Middletown Mustangs
Middletown High School’s boys went to the McKinleyville Tournament where Filemon Sanchez came in second at 126 pounds. Middletown’s girls participated in the Yuba City Tournament where Jayde Miles finished second at 120 pounds.
Middletown’s girls travel to a tournament in Castro Valley on Saturday. The boys return to action in two weeks at Fort Bragg.
