Sundevils pummel Bulldog wrestlers
The Ramona Bulldog wrestling team opened its Valley League on the road at Mt. Carmel. The defending CIF champion Sundevils were not gracious hosts as they beat the Bulldogs 52-21.
The Dawgs started the match with a pin. Devin Rhodes pinned Alex Unger in 3:10 in the 171-pound class and the Dawgs had their only lead of the match.
Colton Houlihan (189) lost by fall to Zach Drew, and the match was tied. However, Ramona was penalized a point for a sportsmanship infraction and Mt. Carmel had a 6-5 lead that it would not relinquish.
Marshal Thrasher lost by fall to Ted Kassem in the 215 bout. Jacob Kaliskis lost by fall in the heavyweight bout to Brandon Mendoza. Mt. led 18-5.
Zach Lane was pinned by Miguel Durantes in the 103 bout. Ramona had to forfeit the 112 bout. Kevin Cole lost by fall to Andrew Tran at 119 pounds and the match was for all purposes over.
Conner Koch wrestled a great bout before losing a 6-4 decision at 125 pounds to Alex Weber. The bout snapped Mt. Carmel’s string of five straight pins and a forfeit.
Brock Corbett lost to defending CIF champion Danny grant in the 130 bout and the Mount led 45-5.
Spaso Ilich then snapped the Mount’s eight-bout winning streak when he beat Yang Chang 14-5 by major decision. Ricky Martinez lost a major decision to PJ Matias in the 140 pound division. Marco Herrera wrestled well but lost a 7-5 decision to Mitsu Smyth at 145 pounds and Mt. Carmel led 52-9.
Jarod Widner recorded Ramona’s second fall of the match when he pinned Alex Ta in 5:31 to make it a 52-15 match.
Brodie Chenowth finished the match on a good note for the Dawgs when he pinned Benson Quach in 3:40 to end the match.
The Mount was the pre-season favorite to win the Valley League and they did nothing to dispel that notion in their opening match. They will be in the Palomar League next season with Ramona and Poway, so this is their last chance at a league title for at least two years.
The junior varsity lost to the Mount 40-21. Shane Barnes won by fall at 125 pounds. Anthony Ehresman won by fall in the 160 pound bout. Heavyweight Preston Johnson won by fall.
Justin Sojourner won by fall in a 152 pound exhibition bout. Isaiah Ilich (112) and Mike Leahy (215) won by decisions in exhibition bouts.
Ramona will return to Valley League action on Jan. 7 at San Marcos after school district’s winter break.