Sonny Kling

Canyon Springs senior

This time, there was no unfinished business for Sonny Kling.

After twice reaching the final match in the CIF State Wrestling Tournament only to come up short, Canyon Springs’ Kling finally reached the top of the podium at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield. Kling’s championship in the 190-pound division completed an undefeated season in which he was rarely challenged.

For the second straight season, Kling has been chosen the IE Varsity Boys Wrestler of the Year.

“Finally able to get the monkey off the back,” Canyon Springs coach Jason Lowe said. “Nothing was going to be considered a success other than winning it all.”

That pressure of trying to make good on the final chance showed only once, in the opening minute of the final against No. 3 seed Brokton Borelli of Los Banos.

“He was really nervous,” Lowe said. “He was kind of stumbling over himself.

We were wondering what’s going on. Fortunately, there was some blood time (a stoppage to clean up blood) and he was able to settle down.”

Kling went on to post an 11-2 major decision, the largest winning margin in any weight class in the boys finals. The next highest margin was four points.

In his five matches at the state tournament, Kling recorded two pinfalls and two major decisions. His most competitive match was a 7-3 semifinal victory over No. 4 seed Thomas Sandoval of Vacaville.

Kling was one of five Canyon Springs wrestlers to reach the state tournament. A fundraising effort allowed the team to rent a suite at the arena and get rooms at the hotel next door.

“We had a room, so we didn’t have to go chasing down all our wrestlers in the seats,” Lowe said. “We had kind of a home base, where they could relax, have some food and drinks together. I think it helped.”

Kling had a smooth competitive ride on the way to Bakersfield, although for the second straight season, his competition was limited. As a junior, his matches were limited by the transfer rules after coming to Canyon Springs from Palm Desert. This time, it was injuries that caused Lowe to manage Kling’s mat time.

“He probably had more matches in the post-season than he did in the regular season,” Lowe said.

Kling posted a 32-0 record, including five victories and a championship at the prestigious Doc Buchanan Invitational at Clovis. Kling rolled to victories in the Ivy League, CIF Southern Division and Masters state qualifying tournament. It was his third straight Masters title.

“I think it was better to try to manage his workload,” Lowe said. “He’s been wrestling since he was 6 or 7. He’s had a lot of big matches, always wrestled up in a higher age group when he was younger. He’s very seasoned, so I wasn’t too worried.

“I think it worked out OK.”

WATCHARA PHOMICINDA — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER