Friday, Feb. 19, 2010
Los Baños wins its first CCC wrestling title
Next year's athletes to compete in WAC.
By Shawn Jansen / SJANSEN@MERCEDSUN-STAR.COM
TURLOCK -- Los Baños is leaving the Central California Conference with a bang.
First it was football, now it's wrestling.
Edduardo Madriz (130 pounds), Greg Hartman (145) and Manuel Lefevre (160) all won individual titles to lead Los Baños to the CCC championship on Feb. 11 at Turlock High.
The tournament title combined with rough days by Golden Valley and Buhach Colony gave Los Baños the outright CCC championship.
It's first and last CCC title with Los Baños leaving the conference to join the Western Athletic Conference next year.
"There were a lot of firsts for us this year," Los Baños coach Josh Adams said. "It was the first time we beat Turlock. First CCC title.
"There were a lot of things the kids did well.
"Our gameplan today was to beat Golden Valley. After the seeding meeting last night, we were evenly matched. We knew if we could beat them we'd have a chance of at least a co-championship."
Madriz edged out Merced's Jovanny Gonzalez 6-4 for the 130-pound championship.
Hartman cruised to a 17-1 win in his final match against Turlock Erick Parsons in the 145-pound division.
It was Lefevre coming back with three points in the third round to defeat Pitman's Aaron Manley in the 160-pound title match that might have been the biggest win of the tournament.
Los Banos edged Pitman 206.5-202 in the final team standings.
Lefevre scored an escape early in the third round and took down Manley late to pick up the win.
"In the second half of the year (Lefevre) has kind of come out flat in the first round and given up takedowns," Adams said. "He battles back, but it's not the way you want to start in these post-season tournaments."
Both Buhach Colony and GV came in with title hopes after tying for the best record in dual meets at 5-1.
It was a tough day for his team, but Golden Valley junior Ben Weber pinned Turlock's Jose Zuniga to win the 112-pound championship.
"Early on it was pretty upsetting because we didn't perform to our capabilities," Weber said. "I tried to do my best and get back some points and maybe make some magic happen."
Buhach Colony finished fifth in the team standings, but did manage to take home two individual titles.
Sophomore Aaron Osmer picked up an 11-1 major decision over GV's Daniel Gonzalez in the 152-pound final.
Osmer had used his second-place finish in the CCC tournament last year as motivation.
"I felt kind of embarrassed getting pinned last year," Osmer said. "I've been working hard in the wrestling room, my diet has been better, I lifted weights all summer."
Buhach Colony senior Jeremy Coane was the other local champion.
"It feels really good," Coane said. "It was my last chance. All my hard work and all the time I put in paid off."
The top four in each weight class advance to the Sac-Joaquin Division I South tournament at Stockton Lincoln.
