San Benito, Alisal split 14 matches, but visiting Trojans escape
with narrow 36-35 victory
Any time a match results in a one-point differential, it’s easy
to reflect back on where more points could have been earned, and
where other points could have been prevented.
San Benito’s difficult 36-35 dual-meet loss to visiting Alisal
on Tuesday night, where the Trojans leapfrogged the Balers in the
final bout to swipe the one-point victory, was definitely one of
those matches.
San Benito, Alisal split 14 matches, but visiting Trojans escape with narrow 36-35 victory
Any time a match results in a one-point differential, it’s easy to reflect back on where more points could have been earned, and where other points could have been prevented.
San Benito’s difficult 36-35 dual-meet loss to visiting Alisal on Tuesday night, where the Trojans leapfrogged the Balers in the final bout to swipe the one-point victory, was definitely one of those matches.
With each team winning seven of the 14 weight classes, the importance of a pin instead of technical fall, or a major decision instead of a decision, tends to be magnified in the end.
“There were some matches where we performed well but we could have done a little more, or there were some matches where the kids went in a little too amped up and couldn’t maintain that pace,” San Benito head coach Brian DeCarli said afterward.
Alisal’s resurgence in wrestling has translated into two straight dual-meet victories over the Balers, who a year ago fell by a 39-25 margin to the Salinas school, while Tuesday’s narrow decision evens the two teams in the Tri-County Athletic League standings — each with one loss.
However, the Balers have yet to square off against league power Gilroy, which routed Alisal 56-18 earlier this season.
“They had some good guys through the lineup that we had to compete with,” DeCarli said of the No. 4 Trojans, who are positioned one spot ahead of the No. 5 Balers in the latest Central Coast Section rankings, according to ccsrank.com.
“So we knew going in it was gonna be a couple points,” DeCarli added, “and it ended up being that way.”
Trailing 30-29 with three matches remaining, the Balers grabbed the lead when Zack Rodriguez outlasted Alisal’s Arturo Morado by a 5-1 decision at 142 pounds, and teammate Mikey Soto defeated Trojan Oscar Mendez by a 4-1 decision at 147 pounds, supplying San Benito with a 35-30 edge entering the final weight class.
But while only a pin in the final match would have provided Alisal with a team victory, the 154-pound bout pitted San Benito’s Greg Landry against Trojan Jovan Villalobos, the fifth-ranked wrestler in the CCS, according to The California Wrestler.
“It’s a lot of pressure on your mind. But you’ve got to go out there and wrestle your match,” Landry said afterward. “But I got bested in the second round.”
Landry did manage to score an early takedown on Villalobos, catching the Trojan’s back legs from behind in the opening round to take a 2-0 lead. But Villalobos lived up to his ranking as the first round progressed, scoring an escape with 38 seconds remaining, then a takedown with five ticks left.
Choosing the top position in the second round, Villalobos finally managed to turn Landry on his back in the waning seconds before scoring the pin with just 13 seconds remaining.
“I was actually happy with how I wrestled him. I took him down with a bad shot. I think if I meet him later in the season, I can give him a better match,” Landry said.
“But you’ve got to just go out there and keep your head up, keep your head straight.”
DeCarli met up with Landry after the bout to discuss the junior wrestler’s performance.
“He didn’t lose the match. He just so happened to lose the last match, so his match was magnified,” DeCarli said. “We lost as a team collectively in several different places.”
San Benito picked up wins at 121 pounds when Kenny Salcedo defeated Chris Moreno by a 17-2 technical fall, while Robb Rodriguez followed with a win by fall (1:17) against Ricky Muniz at 127 pounds.
But the Trojans scored victories at 105, 114, 132 and 137 pounds, either by fall or technical fall.
“Everyone went out there and wrestled competitively,” DeCarli said.
“But it’s really not one match. I think some of our kids wrestled really well, and I think some of our kids got bested by them. It’s give-and-take on both sides.”
San Benito’s Aaron Silva was a late addition to the lineup after varsity starter Javier Bustillos was sidelined with an injury — he actually has his appendix removed on Tuesday morning. His match against Alisal’s Xavier Mabalot proved to be one of the best of the night.
“When I woke up this morning, I figured I’d be wrestling JV at 215,” Silva said. “At first, I was a little nervous (wrestling at varsity). But as soon as the match began, my nerves went away and I just started wrestling.”
The two heavyweights went back-and-forth in a fast-paced first round that saw Silva score two late near-falls to take a 9-7 lead. Choosing the down position to open the second, Silva then scored a reverse and a fall just 27 seconds into the period, raising his arms into the air afterward in both exhaustion and astonishment.
The win was San Benito’s third in a row, but the Balers only managed to score points in four of the remaining nine matches, as Alisal vaulted forward in the final bout to score the one-point victory.
The loss puts a dip into San Benito’s schedule, which started with a tournament victory at the Bert Mar Invitational last weekend at Christopher, and will end on Friday and Saturday with Mid-Cals at Gilroy.
“This tournament we’re gonna have everyone down to their weights,” DeCarli said, later adding, “This will be their first chance of competing at their actual lowest weight, and we’ll see how we do.”
Mid-Cals begin at 9 a.m. on both days, with the finals scheduled for 5 p.m. Saturday.
