NOVICE TOURNEY STARTS SEASON
Cougars, Mustangs, Trojans pile up the medals as wrestling returns with a flourish after lost year
LAKEPORT >> The annual Coastal Mountain Conference Novice Tournament for new wrestlers or those with limited varsity experience took place Saturday in Lakeport where all of Lake County’s teams were represented.
With wrestling shut down by COVID-19 in mid-March of 2020 and the entire 2020-21 CMC season lost to the pandemic, there were plenty of new faces on the mat Saturday, including sophomores making their high school debuts. There also were a handful of new coaches, including Upper Lake’s Brandon Sneathen, who certainly liked what he saw from the dozen wrestlers he brought to the meet.
Sneathen and Eddie Peregrina are serving as the co-head coaches for the Cougars in 202122.
“I was ecstatic,” Sneathen said of the four first-place and five second-place medals brought home by Upper Lake’s rookie wrestlers. “They exceeded expectations.”
Upper Lake’s squad is still adding wrestlers, according to Sneathen, who said he had 13 boys and six girls out for the sport right now
“The vibe in the room is 10 times what it was two years ago,” Sneathen said of the excitement that exists for the return of wrestling after losing the 2020-21 season. “There’s a bright future ahead for Upper Lake wrestling.” How bright?
Sneathen said that the Cougars just might have what it takes to contend for the conference championship this season in a race that could be wide open.
“We’re trying to win league this year,” he said.
Among the rising stars in Upper Lake wrestling, joining such veterans as seniors Bradley Sneathen and Elijah Alvarez, are Blake Talmage, Will Henry, Bella Fernandez and Maddy Young, all of whom went undefeated at the Novice Tournament.
Henry, Fernandez and Young all went 3-0 with three pins on Saturday while Henry was 2-0 with two pins.
Bringing home secondplace medals were Dylan Slater, Robbie Harper, Nick Foster and Lupe Alvarez. Paige Smith added a thirdplace medal.
Upper Lake’s entire squad returns to action Saturday. The boys compete in the Green & Gold Tournament at San Marin High School in Novato while the girls head to a tournament in San Jose.
“I’m excited for this weekend’s tournaments,” Sneathen said.
Middletown
Longtime Middletown High School head coach Brian Hunt is serving as the Mustangs’ assistant coach this season — by choice — as James Hutton takes over the program.
The Mustangs open a new season with a large squad — nearly 40 — and the early returns are positive as they brought home 13 medals from the Novice Tournament.
“I was thrilled with the performances,” Hunt said. “It’s the first time many have wrestled at the high school level. There was a little rust, but that’s to be excepted since some of them haven’t wrestled for almost two years. They wrestled to or exceeded all expectations.”
Bringing home firstplace medals were Dominick Clark (120 pounds) in the boys backet and Kamilah Chairez (116) and Krystal Ocken (160) in the girls bracket. Clark went 3-0 with one pin and one technical fall.
“I was quite happy with Kamilah,” Hunt said.
Second-place medals went to Kayden Menzio (106), Joseph Cortez (126) and Jackson Bomberry (220) among the boys and Cat Barriga (101) and Mariah Ketchum (143) among the girls.
Adding third-place medals were Eli Moreno (182), Steven Peterson (220), Issy Barriga (101), Hannah Gotz (137) and Taylor Thompson (137).
Middletown’s boys and girls hit the road this weekend to compete in a tournament at Modoc High School.
Lower Lake
The Lower Lake Trojans, perennial CMC title contenders and defending conference champions, had 12 of 16 wrestlers medal Saturday, including first-place finishes by Zakai Vilmenay at 126 pounds, Thomas Barnes in another 126-pound bracket, and Dominick Perez at 138 pounds.
Second-place medals went to Dalton Partridge (120), Jayden Roth (126), Anthony McRae (132), Donaven Garcia (138) and Michael Williams (152).
Thirds went to Jacob Rogers, Pierce Edwards, Blake Hill and Ariana Covarrubias.
Lower Lake 15-year head coaching veteran Ed Fuchs, who officially steps down from his job later this month when his family moves to Wisconsin, sees a wide-open Coastal Mountain Conference race brewing in early 2022.
“There might not be a team to beat this year like there has been in past years,” Fuchs said. “Clear Lake and Middletown had big teams there (at the Novice). It could be one of those any-given-dual-day Wednesdays. Those duals are going to be big this year going into the (conference) championships.”
Lower Lake’s entire boys team will be in action Saturday during the Battle of the Buttes in Yuba City.