Kenny Fehlman Duals show off promising Baler talent
The San Benito Haybalers were at a disadvantage even before the
20th annual Kenny Fehlman Duals started.
Octavio Lucatero, one of the team’s better wrestlers, was
relegated to the role of cheerleader when he was inadvertently
kneed in the left eye during practice.
Kenny Fehlman Duals show off promising Baler talent
The San Benito Haybalers were at a disadvantage even before the 20th annual Kenny Fehlman Duals started.
Octavio Lucatero, one of the team’s better wrestlers, was relegated to the role of cheerleader when he was inadvertently kneed in the left eye during practice.
The Haybalers’ 152-pound dynamo, Alejo Velasquez, was not cleared to return from the broken right hand he suffered during football season, and there were no locks as starters in four of the 12 weight classes.
The injuries and slew of new faces on the varsity roster did not, however, stop the Haybalers from tying the Wilcox Chargers for fourth in the 20th annual Kenny Fehlman Duals.
Sophomore Jamie Driskill at 119-pounds and Alex Diaz, who wrestles in the 140 and 145 pound weight classes, each compiled 7-1 records in the two-day tournament.
Dos Pueblos of Santa Barbara went 8-0 in the duals for the title by edging out Fremont of Sunnyvale, which finished at 7-1.
The field of teams also included Atascadero, East Bakersfield, Centennial, Central and Farmersville.
San Benito is in search of its fourth Central Coast Section title in six years but is still playing catch-up with the Gilroy Mustangs, currently the No.1 ranked team in CCS.
The season-opening Kenny Fehlman Duals is always a good barometer for Coach Matt Olejnik’s Haybalers. It gives the coach a chance to evaluate the talent in a competitive environment and in front of a home crowd.
Several Haybalers looked impressive, even in defeat.
Wrestling out of the 189-pound weight class, Jose Garcia showed flashes of brute strength, sound fundamentals and technique. In his matches against Wilcox and Atascadero, Garcia jumped out to early leads and was at his best when he crowded his opponent early.
In his match versus Atascadero’s Ben Andros, Garcia built a healthy lead before being pinned at 1:15 of the second round.
Garcia had Andros on his back in a vice-like headlock with one shoulder already pinned to the mat. Somehow, Andros summoned enough energy to keep his right shoulder off the mat for the final 30 seconds of the round. Once the buzzer sounded the Atascadero crowd applauded wildly knowing Andros escaped sure defeat.
In the second round Andros stunned Garcia by pulling him to the floor and quickly pinning him. Garcia was clearly shaken. After the customary handshake Garcia ripped off his headgear and clutched his head with both hands.
The Haybalers’ 215-pound Shawn Donnelly built an 11-2 lead against Atascadero’s Josh Crawford but also ended up being pinned late in the second round of his match.
Jonathan Bourbon, 103-pound, was disqualified for biting in his second match of the day.
“I didn’t bite him,” said Bourbon, a freshman. “I have asthma and I could not breath through my nose. I had my mouth open and the guy racked me across my mouth.”
Driskill, however, did not disappoint.
He looked in season-ending form. He pounced on opponents at the tweet of the whistle, quickly dispersed the lesser talents and wrestled well against the better ones.
Driskill recorded three pins on his way to the seven wins.
Friday the Haybalers travel to Bakersfield to participate in another two-day meet, the Coyote Classic. Next Friday the Haybalers make its annual pilgrimage to Reno for the Reno Tournament of Champions.
The RTOC is considered one of the most competitive tournaments in the United States.
