GILROY — The rivalry between Gilroy’s Paul Fox and Christopher’s Alex Garcia just keeps getting better.
The duo met on the mat once again, this time at the Monterey Bay League Finals for the 154-pound championship Saturday at Gilroy High.
Fox led off with a takedown, but Garcia was able to get the escape to keep things close at the end of the first period at 2-1. The Gilroy senior was able to take down the Cougar twice more, but he refused to be pinned. Fox had to settle for a 9-2 decision, keeping his record unblemished this season.
“I think they were just more prepared,” Fox said. “I didn’t really change my game plan, I just went out there like I usually do. I think they’ve been studying me and they were just more prepared this time and gave a tougher match.”
Gilroy had wrestlers in 12 of the 14 finals matches, helping it easily cruise to the MBL team title with 331.5 points. San Benito finished second with 191.5 and Palma rounded out the top three with 185. Christopher came in fourth with 161 points.
Fox was one of eight Mustang MBL champions. Defending state champion and also undefeated Nikko Villarreal (145), Victor Olmos (132), Lupe Jimenez (138) and Mark Penyascek (184) all won their finals matches by pins. Matt Penyascek (170) won by injury forfeit and Mark Garcia beat San Benito’s JJ Melo 8-0 in the 220-pound match. Fox said the Mustangs are looking for the same success next weekend at the Central Coast Section tournament in San Jose.
“I’m most likely just going to stick to my game plan, but I might change a few things. It was a little tougher to finish on him (Garcia),” the senior said. “(We’re looking forward to) winning the 12th CCS title in a row and (I’m looking) for an individual title.”
Christopher took home three individual titles as defending CCS champion Jimmie Lopez (106), freshman Felipe Duenas (113) and Raul Meza all won their matches.
Duenas wasted no time pinning San Benito’s Eric Loredo just 39 seconds into the match. Duenas won the duo’s first meeting at the Balers-Cougars dual meet earlier in the season, 2-1, and was determined not to get him get that close again.
“I’m excited; I’m excited to go to CCS. Man, I’m just astonished right now,” the freshman said. “He’s a strong man and I was just in the zone. I was ready to go fight and not give up.”
Duenas already has his sights set on CCS and said he’ll be working hard to achieve his goal of being crowned a CCS champion.
Lopez won his match 13-0, while Meza won by injury forfeit over Gilroy’s Jesse Vasquez. The Cougars will send nine to the CCS tournament.
San Benito sent three wrestlers to the finals — Loredo (113), Melo (220) and Tristan Medina (Heavyweight) — all of which came in second. Despite not taking a title, the Balers did seal up 13 spots for CCS.
“We’re really happy,” Baler coach Brian DeCarli said. “JJ just sometimes some mat situations get the better of him, but he’s learning. The best thing is we get to wrestle another week and hopefully we can right the ship next week.
“Tristan is a little sophomore kid and he’s just doing a great job for us,” DeCarli continued. “He made the finals and again, he’s a young guy and with some more experience he’ll pay big dividends. Those matches now really pay off later on.”
