VIRGINIA BEACH — Upper Lake High School senior Junior Fernandez has advanced to the quarterfinals at the 2019 NHSCA High School National at the Virginia Beach Convention Center in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Fernandez, the fifth-place medalist at the CIF State Championships last month in Bakersfield where he became the first Upper Lake High boy to win a state medal, won all three of his matches in convincing fashion on Friday. A member of Team Californai and the No. 3 seed at 132 pounds, Fernandez will open Saturday in the quarterfinals against Marckis Branford of Team Pennsylvania.
“He wrestled amazing today,” said Jose Fernandez, Junior’s dad and the head coach at Upper Lake High School. While he couldn’t be there with his son, he watched all three matches via the internet.
The younger Fernandez wouldn’t be disappointed to come away with a medal from the tournament, but that’s not his goal.
“He wants first,” his dad said. “You’re not guaranteed a medal until you reach the semifinals.”
Fernandez opened the tournament with a 13-6 win over Samual Glassco of Team Ohio. He didn’t allow a point over the course of his next two matches, beating Justin Kempf of Team Wisconsin 8-0 and Zacc Romero Team New York 9-0.
Branford, Fernandez’s quarterfinal-round opponent on Saturday, won 18-3, 15-10 and 6-1 in his three Friday matches.
Fernandez is a two-time North Coast Section runner-up and three-time state qualifier at Upper Lake. After graduating from Upper Lake later this spring, he’ll continue his wrestling career at Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo.
