San Benito trumped Palma and 29 other teams at the Apple Cider
Classic in Watsonville on Saturday
WATSONVILLE
In their final tune-up tournament prior to opening the Tri-County Athletic League on Wednesday, the San Benito High wrestling team delivered with four individual champions and edged league rival Palma for first place at the first annual Apple Cider Classic in Watsonville last weekend.
Junior Davila at 119 pounds, Steven Borba at 140, Josh Ramirez at 152 and Enrique Lucatero at 160 all earned individual championships at their respective weights, and paced the Haybalers to 246.5 points. Palma finished runner-up with 217 points.
As an added bonus, Davila and Lucatero were respectively named the outstanding lower weight and upper weight wrestlers of the tournament.
“It was by far and away the most medals (we’ve won) at a tournament, so it was good,” San Benito varsity coach Brian DeCarli said.
Of the 13 wrestlers San Benito brought to Watsonville, 11 of them earned medals, with seven matmen qualifying for the finals.
Meanwhile, Palma, finishing just 29.5 points behind the ‘Balers, brought nine wrestlers but had six earn individual titles.
“They had a good showing,” said DeCarli, a Palma alum himself. “But it was good to see.”
Among the 30 teams present at the Classic, Alisal finished in third with 130.5 points, St. Patrick-St. Vincent of Vallejo was fourth with 118.5 points, and Soledad was fifth with 112.5 points.
San Benito had three wrestlers finish runner-up, including Kenny Salcedo at 103 pounds, Nikko Espinoza at 112 and Morris Stevens at 125.
Martin Garcia earned a fourth-place finish at heavyweight, Eduardo Tovar was fifth at 171, and both Zach Rodriguez at 130 and Josh Fontaine at 145 finished in seventh place.
San Benito will open the TCAL on Wednesday at Salinas. The junior varsity meet will get under way at 6 p.m., and the varsity meet will follow thereafter.
