Junior Davila started wrestling at a young age
— he’s about to teach his little brother everything he knows —
and he ended his senior year at SBHS, he was a TCAL champion and a
CCS champion at 119 pounds. He is this year’s Free Lance/Pinnacle’s
Most Outstanding Boys Winter Athlete.
HOLLISTER
Junior Davila’s prep career wrapped up at the CIF State Wrestling Championships earlier this month, and he has since taken time off from the sport that has been practically non-stop since November, practically non-stop since his freshman year.
But with every intention of competing in college, Davila’s break will be brief. He plans on picking up the sport once again next month, and plans on teaching his little brother the ins and outs of the mat, maybe even the secret to being a four-time state qualifier.
“I have a brother, 8-years-old. I want him to be better than me,” said Davila, who recently recorded a 39-5 mark during his senior season, won the Central Coast Section championship at 119 pounds, and is the Free Lance/Pinnacle’s Most Outstanding Boys Winter Athlete.
“He wants to get into it,” Davila said of his brother, Andrew. “At state, he told me and my mom that he wants to be No. 1 of everything. But he’s still just a little kid.”
True, but if Davila’s wrestling ability is an inherent trait in the household, San Benito head coach Brian DeCarli could have another dominant lightweight in just a few short years.
“I think what sets Junior apart is his God-given ability,” said the second-year head coach. “He’s just naturally athletic without even doing anything about it.
“He’s one of those kids, in the sense that, the first time he stepped onto the mat he was really competitive.”
Davila first stepped onto the mat as a 6-year-old, and by the time he reached Maze Middle School he was dominating — the grappler posting back-to-back undefeated seasons during the seventh and eighth grade.
Each year seemed to build toward Davila’s senior season at San Benito High, though. The 119-pounder had double-digit losses by the end of his freshman (13 losses), sophomore (11) and junior (14) campaigns. And while he did advance to state all three of those years, he never earned the top spot in his weight class at the CCS Championships, finishing in either second or third place instead.
But whether wrestling with a sense of urgency or simply with a ton of experience, Davila cashed in this season for the Haybalers. He defeated his Gilroy rival Rodney Balajadia three times, including by injury default in the CCS Championship at 119 pounds and by a 7-5 decision for the TCAL championship. Davila was also first at the Coast Classic Tournament in Scotts Valley, third at the Sierra Nevada Classic in Reno, second at the Apple Cider Invitational in Watsonville, and second at the Mid-Cal Classic in Gilroy.
“Wrestling is his sport,” DeCarli said, “and his mat-savvy, mat-awareness, really separated him.”
Of his five losses on the season, two came in state competition, while the other three were against wrestlers who were ranked in the top eight in California.
“He committed himself last summer, went to wrestling camps and was in the wrestling room,” DeCarli said. “He definitely worked hard. That was by far the biggest change — that time invested — and the expectation to compete at a certain level because of the time he committed.”
And he’s a pleasure to coach, DeCarli added. Davila even earned sportsmanship honors at both the CCS and state championships, where he went 2-2.
The Hollister grappler said he was disappointed with his performance in Bakersfield, though. Davila was slightly overweight the night before competition, and had to run around the hotel as a result.
He said he was “gassed” toward the end of his very first match, perhaps a direct result of the previous night’s jog.
“My weight kind of killed me,” said Davila, who was upset he didn’t get to wrestle against some of the competitors who had previously defeated him during the regular season.
“But maybe I’ll see them in college.”
With interest in attending Fresno City College or Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, Davila can use his state performance as a learning experience, for either the future or his little brother.
“He wants to be like me,” Davila said of his brother. “He wants to be like me, but better.”
