San Benito easily disposes Palma, prepares for Mid-Cals
San Benito had little trouble with Palma in Wednesday’s Tri-County Athletic League dual wrestling meet, beating the host Chieftains 53-10.
The Haybalers won all but three matches and recorded six pins.
“It’s the toughest league match we’ve had so far,” said coach Matt Olejnik, whose team has previously rolled over Alisal and Alvarez and came into this dual on the heels of three straight tournament wins. “But we’ve got Gilroy (in two weeks) and Salinas after that and they’re both tough. We’ll have our hands full.”
San Benito wrestled without the services of 112-pound freshman Junior Davila, who has taken first at the past two tournaments and has been among the ‘Balers top wrestlers this season.
Davila injured his collarbone in Saturday’s tournament in Eureka, so he was held out against Palma.
Olejnik said Davila will be checked out at practice today to determine if he’s fit to wrestle this weekend in the Mid Cals tournament at Gilroy.
The wrestler who seems best set for this weekend is Fernando Lucatero. The 160-pounder, who has won individual titles in the ‘Balers past two tournaments and went 6-0 as San Benito won the Silicon Valley Challenge Cup dual meet tournament, finished strong Wednesday to beat Palma’s Max Panziera.
Panziera held a 3-0 lead over Lucatero entering the third period, but Lucatero overpowered him and scored 15 straight points to earn a technical fall victory.
“He was a very strong kid, he caught Fernando off balance a couple times,” Olejnik said of Panziera. “But Fernando was in superior condition. He turned him over multiple times.”
While Enrique Lucatero and Josh Ramirez – two of San Benito’s better wrestlers – both suffered losses by decision, they came at the hands of a pair of brothers who are both ranked in the Central Coast Section.
Zach Jimenez, who beat Enrique Lucatero 11-4 at 145 pounds, is ranked sixth in the section and took sixth last year at CCS. Fourth-ranked Isaiah Jimenez, who took first in the TCAL meet last year, edged sixth-ranked Ramirez 5-3.
After competing Friday and Saturday in the tournament at Gilroy, San Benito returns to league play Wednesday at home against North Salinas.
103 – Christensen (SB) p. Erickson; 112 – Ramirez (P) d. Stevens 11-10; 119 – Lerma (SB) d. Short 7-4; 125 – Coelho (SB) d. Young 10-6; 130 – Sagero (SB) p. Sacacci; 135 – Borba (SB) d. Auger 8-5; 140 – Barocio (SB) p. Short; 145 – Z. Jimenez (P) d. E. Lucatero 11-4; 152 – I. Jimenez (P) d. J. Ramirez 5-3; 160 – F. Lucatero (SB) tf. Panziera; 171 – S. Ramirez (SB) d. Santos 5-3; 189 – Tovar (SB) p. Dill; 215 – Cowell (SB) p. Beard; Hwt. – Barraza (SB) p. Swensen.
