Four San Benito wrestlers will compete at the state
championships in Bakersfield
Believe it or not, but not one of the four San Benito grapplers who qualified for this weekend’s CIF State Wrestling Championships have taken a peak at their respective bracket.
Not even a glance as to who they’ll be wrestling; not a gander to see who is seeded where.
No, curiosity has not consumed Junior Davila, Josh Ramirez, Fernando Lucatero or Buddy Barraza. All they know is that it’s the state championships, and if you’re one of the lucky few to qualify, you’re one of the best in the state already.
Looking at the brackets won’t change that.
“You’re not gonna get a fish,” said Barraza, who’ll make his debut at the state tourney in the 215-pound division. “I’m not that nervous. I’m not scared … These guys should be around the level of me. I know what I need to do to wrestle my best.”
“It’s the best 35 or whatever guys in the state,” said Lucatero, who’s the fourth Lucatero to head to state, joining brothers Eddie, Octavio and Saul. He’ll wrestle in the 152-pound weight class.
“That’s pretty intimidating,” he added. “But I’m gonna wrestle my match and try and take it.”
For 145-pounder Josh Ramirez, the fact that it’s state doesn’t change a thing; he never looks at the brackets anyway, no matter what event it is.
Ramirez, like his three other state-bound teammates, finished in second place at last weekend’s Central Coast Section Wrestling Championships in San Jose. He’ll make his first trip to state on Friday.
“All I know is that it’s an elite 36 guys,” Ramirez said. “I’m glad to be there, but I’m planning to place. I’m not satisfied with just making it there.”
Placing means a top-eight finish in your respective weight class, and with 40 wrestlers in each division, that’s no easy task.
The 112-pound Davila, a sophomore, is the only returning state qualifier for San Benito. Last year, he went 1-2 after winning his pigtail match by a 17-10 decision against Tony Mendez of San Fernando.
“I’m not as intimidated, but I can’t look of ahead of them,” Davila said. “I just have to give it my all.”
Aside from perhaps last year’s state champions or other familiar wrestlers from the Central Coast Section, few names ring a bell at the state championships, making them a bit of a crapshoot and a journey into the unknown.
And Davila feels the tournament is nerve-racking enough, so why push it by digging up the resume of your opponents.
“It doesn’t matter,” Davila said. “Sometimes it gets kids intimidated. I just wait until they call 112’s up.”
Coach Matt Olejnik said the mindset for his wrestlers is on an individual basis now.
“If they don’t believe they can win, then they won’t,” Olejnik said. “If they believe they’re one of the state’s elite, then they’ll compete.”
The state championships will kick off Friday morning at 8 a.m. at the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield, and will continue through Saturday.
At 112, Davila will face Cesar Sanchez of Porterville in his first match at state; at 145, Ramirez will see Nolon Doss of Liberty-Madera; at 152, Lucatero will be up against Julius Wright of Sheldon; and at 215, Barraza will grapple with Jessie Grimes of Washington.
No matter who they face, though, San Benito’s foursome will have to wrestle with what got them there, and no less.
They don’t really know who they’ll be wrestling, but then again, they don’t need to know.
“They’re extremely happy to be going, but I don’t think they’re satisfied that they’re just going,” Olejnik said. “They understand that there is a lot of work left to do.”
