Oakdale dominant as nine Mustangs claim VOL championships

OAKDALE -- Dustin Harris has been scrambling in catch-up mode all season.

Consider him caught up.

Harris, one of only three seniors in the Oakdale High lineup, displayed why he's one of the Sac-Joaquin Section's best 160-pounders, injured knee and all, Saturday at the Valley Oak League Championships.

"It (his knee) is supposed to heal in eight months," Harris said. "But I don't have that kind of time."

He's recovering on the run, and he thinks he's on schedule after his pin in only 1 minute, 9 seconds, over Lathrop's Omar Guzman in the 160 final. The section's No. 3-ranked wrestler at 172 — he has dropped for the postseason — drew cheers from the home crowd for his quick work.

Harris' season plunged into a crisis during only his second tournament. He built a 6-0 lead over Oak Ridge's Keaton Subjeck, No. 1 in the section at 160, until Subjeck countered and caught Harris' foot stuck on the mat. Harris suffered a torn medial collateral ligament, a worse fate than his sudden injury-default loss, his only defeat thus far in 16 matches.

"I don't even want to count it as a loss," said Harris, who is poised to make up for lost time.

"Dustin is looking good and getting comfortable with his knee," Oakdale coach Brian Stevens said. "His timing is coming around."

Harris and the Mustangs don't lose easily. Thirteen of 14 qualified for the VOL finals and nine won, including junior Juan Garza, top-ranked in the section at 113. Garza's 4-1 win over Weston Ranch's Luis Ochoa, more lopsided than the final score, illustrated Garza's grinding style.

"Aggressive, technique, and stay solid," Garza self-described. "I do like to pin guys, but I'd rather go three periods. It helps me work more moves."

Making the rounds at the VOLs was Cal State Bakersfield freshman A.C. Brown, one of nine Mustangs who qualified for the 2011 State Meet. That powerful team became the first Oakdale squad since 1964 to win the Section Masters, and it would be asking a lot for a repeat champion.

That said, Oakdale's season — set back by losses of several potential stars via injury or attrition — still forged ahead. The Mustangs were 15-0 in duals with wins over Gilroy, Elk Grove and Rodriguez.

"It's completely different than last year," Stevens said. "We don't have superstars, just guys want to do something."

Besides Harris and Garza, Oakdale also featured champions Nico Colunga (106), Max Stevens (120), Tyler Noon (138), Tyler Malone (145), Mico Arpoika (170), Kyle Cupit (195) and Zack Fallentine (220).

To break through Oakdale's dominance required more than a little talent and energy. Weston Ranch, clearly the VOL's second-best, responded with four victors. Arguably the most impressive non-Mustang champion, however, was 24-0 Kimball sophomore Trent Nicholson (126).

Nicholson, the grandson of longtime former Tracy football coach Don Nicholson, shook off a 2-0 deficit and suddenly cradled Oakdale's Jake Jacobson onto his back for a pin in only 54 seconds. Both were ranked in the section, Nicholson fourth and Jacobson seventh.

"I was trying to snap him down, but I went to his leg instead and cradled him." Nicholson said. "It pumped me up when Oakdale kept winning and winning."

Priority One this day was to qualify in the top four for next week's Section Division 1 South at Stockton's Stagg High. If you were one of the few to beat someone attired in an Oakdale singlet, you probably made the grade.

"It's not the most talented team," Harris said, "but it's the hardest-working team I've ever been on."

Bee staff writer Ron Agostini can be reached at ragostini@modbee.com or (209) 578-2302.