Enochs High School to host inaugural girls divisional wrestling meet

It is appropriate that Enochs High School is the host for the Sac-Joaquin Section’s inaugural girls divisional meet.

Enochs has carried the torch, along with other teams in the Stanislaus District, in the development of girls wrestling over the past decade. The Eagles are the reigning state team champions, so no one is arguing about the venue for the divisional Friday and Saturday.

“It is history,” Enochs coach Duane Brooks said. “We’re also making an effort to start a girls league. It’s similar to what other areas are doing.”

For now, an additional layer of postseason competition is enough. There was no consistent qualifier into the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters meet until this weekend, when 186 girls from 11 leagues will vie for the top eight spots in each weight class.

The best eight from Enochs, combined with eight from the northern divisional at Natomas High, will form the bracket for the Masters on Feb. 19-20 at McNair. The CIF State Girls Championship is scheduled for Feb. 26-27 at Visalia.

The brackets at Enochs reflect the ever-changing nature of girls wrestling. Some of the brackets will contain only the minimum of eight competitors. Others will be overflowing with as many as 20.

“Each weight class will be its own tournament more than ever before,” Brooks said.

Action will begin both days at 11 a.m. Saturday’s program begins with a consolation round followed by the semifinals. The title matches are scheduled for 3 p.m.

Wrestlers of the Week – Modesto Christian junior Antonio Gurrola and Ripon senior Tristan Smith are honored for their respective victories at The Pound, where wrestlers from 35 schools met last weekend at San Rafael High. Gurrola (152 pounds) went 3-0, including a technical fall in the final over Sean Tiner of Mt. Eden. Smith (287), ranked third in the section and 11th in the state (he went 2-2 at state in 2015), also was unbeaten in three matches. He defeated Elijah Juvera of Modesto Christian in the final.

Beyer’s long wait over – Beyer had not won a league title since 1987, so Tuesday night’s Modesto Metro Conference dual against Gregori carried extra weight. The winner would be crowned the champion. Sure enough, it came down to the 14th and final match. Gregori led 36-30, so nothing less than a pin was required by Beyer. Christian Her (160) came through with the fall with only six seconds left, unleashing a celebration in the Beyer gym. The Patriots and the Jaguars tied 36-36, but Beyer prevailed via its eight wins to Gregori’s six. “It was a great dual meet and a good night of wrestling,” Beyer coach Doug Severe said. “We’ve had chances over the years, but kids would get hurt or get sick and it never worked out for us. The stars finally aligned and the kids seized it.”

Notes – Oakdale will pursue a record-tying eighth consecutive title during the Section Team Duals on Saturday at Lincoln High. The Mustangs can join Ponderosa with eight in a row. ... Oakdale senior Trevor Williams, a three-time state qualifier, was named the week’s top wrestler by thecaliforniawrestler.com. ... Williams (132) went 2-0, featuring an overtime win over Bakersfield’s third-ranked J.J. Figueroa, during Oakdale’s exciting three-way meet last weekend against the Drillers and Clovis West. ... Ranked in the state’s top 10: Pitman’s Adam Velasquez (sixth at 126); Central Catholic’s Daniel Abbate (ninth at 138) and Williams (10th at 132). ... Congratulations to veteran Golden Valley coach Chopper Mello for his 300th win, a 46-24 victory over Del Campo at the Placer Duals. Mello, a graduate of Beyer and a former star at Modesto Junior College, is 302-71 after 19 years at Golden Valley. The Cougars have won three Central California Conference titles and two section banners with Mello in charge.

This story was originally published February 4, 2016 at 8:45 PM with the headline "Enochs High School to host inaugural girls divisional wrestling meet."