Future bright for young wrestlers, says Koch
The Ramona Bulldog wrestling team finished Valley League action with a 71-6 victory over Oceanside High School. The score might have been worse, but the Dawgs had to rest several wrestlers due to nagging injuries.
“Nothing serious, but the rest will help when it comes time to the CIF and Masters meets,” said Coach Steve Koch.
The Dawgs finished third in the Valley League behind Mt. Carmel, the number five team in the CIF, and Westview, the number nine team in the CIF. Mt. Carmel finished league as undefeated champions.
The match with Oceanside started out in the 103-pound class, which is now actually 105 because wrestlers are allowed to gain two pounds over the course of the season. Lorenzo Lizotte started the avalanche with a pin. Connor Koch then followed suit in the 112-pound bout with a pin.
Greg Peterson and Evan McGowan both won by forfeit in the 119- and 125-pound bouts and Ramona led 24-0.
Spaso Ilich wrestled up two weight classes and pinned his foe in the 130-pound bout and Ramona led 30-0
Max Hughes lost by fall in the 135-pound bout and Oceanside would not score for the rest of the match.
Jared Widner won 15-0 in the 140 bout to earn five team points by way of technical fall. Brodie Chenowth then won a 10-4 decision at 145. Connor Martin turned in a 20-10 major decision and Ramona led after the 152 weight class 42-6.
Nathan Law won by forfeit in the 160 bout. Freshman Colton Houlihan then won his first varsity bout at 171 by way of fall.
Brian Orr scored a 15-0 technical fall at 189. Brett Germain pinned his foe in the 215 bout and Marshal Thrasher finished off the match by pinning an opponent who was 65 pounds heavier than him in the 277 bout.
“We lost two tough matches to Mt. Carmel and Westview,” said Koch. “We were competitive in both matches and were in position to win both matches late in the match. We are one of the youngest teams in the league, so our future is bright,” stated Koch.
There will be no Valley League meet this season.
“We have decided to discontinue the league meet,” said Koch. “The upside is that it will be one less meet at the end of the season and the wrestlers will be more fresh for CIF and Masters. The down side is that there will be some politicking going on at the league meet.
“Some wrestlers have only wrestled at the weight that they will be competing in the CIF and Masters once in league. So voting will take place. Spaso Ilich, Brodie Chenowth, Brian Orr and Jared Widner are all undefeated in league and should be league champions. But who knows what will happen when voting takes place.”
Koch likes the team’s chances in the CIF Division III meet.
“I think that 12 out of our 14 wrestlers have a chance of going on to the Masters,” he said.
Koch, Ilich, Widner, Chenowth, Orr and Germain should enter the CIF meet seeded, said Koch.
Ramona will not compete with Mt. Carmel and Westview in Division II CIF, but will compete in Division III against Steele Canyon, Monte Vista and Valhalla in the CIF.
Every division is placed together in the Masters and State meets.