Vikings, Wildcats win big in local tournament
HOLTVILLE – The 59th Annual Holtville Rotary Invitational boys wrestling tournament saw three local wrestlers win the championship match in their respective weight classes.
Holtville High School Viking Seth Iten competed in the 163-pound division championship match and won by decision over Granite Hills High School’s Zachary Waterhouse, scoring 29 team points for the Vikings.
Brawley Union High saw two wrestlers win their championship matches: Robert Platt in the 198-pound weight division and David Martinez competing in the 223-pound division. Platt won the championship match against Granite Hills’ Keagen Kroeger by major decision, adding 33 points to the Wildcats’ team total.
“I lost to him earlier this year by one point so I have been putting the work in and going into it I was confident,” Holtville’s Seth Iten said of his bout with Waterhouse.
“I just worked hard in practice, and, overall, we had a great tournament,” Iten said. “We performed well and it is exactly what we want heading into CIF Masters and then state.”
“Great weekend, it has a great atmosphere,” said Brawley Wildcat Robert Platt. “Yesterday was a little easier but this tournament gives us a little bit of a look at some of the guys, since some of the guys I saw here I’ll see at masters, so it’s good to go up against them (now).”
“You work on different things depending on what type of wrestler you are,” Platt said. “[Preparation includes] lots of blood sweat and tears.”
Brawley teammate David Martinez, who added 34 team points, also took on a Granite Hills wrestler in the championship match. Martinez faced, and defeated Joseph Smith by fall over in the finals.
“Yesterday I executed and today I had a tough match against Central Union High, but was able to pull through and make it to the finals,” Wildcat David Martinez said.
“I feel some of them underestimated me,” Martinez said, “but my coaches have taught me everything I know and I had to just go out there make them proud and show them that the work I am putting in the wrestling room is paying off little by little.”
More in-depth wrestling tournament coverage to come later this week.