Bulldogs earn hometown bragging rights with victory over
Acorns
Morgan Hill – The Sobrato Bulldogs wrestling team earned hometown bragging rights with a narrow defeat over the Live Oak Acorns in a Tri-County Athletic League dual meet on Wednesday night at home. The win means a lot to Sobrato as it is the first-ever varsity dual meet victory for the Bulldogs.
“It went excellent. We wrestled tough, but we still have a lot of improving to do,” said Sobrato coach Phil Luna. “We have to work on a couple of little
fundamental things, but the win is good motivation for the kids.”
Taylor Ortez had a big win for the Bulldogs at the 171-pound weight class beating an opponent. Victor Gillespe, 145-pound, beat an opponent that he has lost to for the past two years.
“I take my hat off to Sobrato to going from having no program to having a pretty good program,” said Live Oak coach Robert Fernandez. “My hats off to coach Phil Luna, they (Sobrato) came out ready to wrestle and did what they had to do.”
Live Oak was forced to forfeit matches at the 119-pound and 130-pound weight classes due to being decimated by illness. Sobrato forfeit a match at the 189-pound weight class.
The Acorns recorded five wins in the dual meet as Tony Morales, Jason Hendersen, Buck Tanner, Brett Jones and Justin Evans each won their matches. Morales (103-pound), Jones (152-pound) and Evans (215-pound) defeated their opponents by pin.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do. We have a lot of new wrestlers, but we’re doing good,” said Fernandez. “I gave them the weekend off so the wrestlers we lost to illness will have a chance to recoup.”
The Bulldog coaches are continually impressed by the resilience of their young team and the wrestlers willingness to be taught and learn.
“We’re coming along,” said Luna. “We lost a tough dual meet to Valley Christian and we were taken down by Hollister, who is a power in the league. This win over Live Oak is big.”
Sobrato returns to the mat on Tuesday and Wednesday when they participate in The Bash, a varsity tournament at Lemoore High School.
The Live Oak Acorns team returns to dual meet action against powerhouse San Benito at home on January 11. Moriah Fernandez, the Acorns only girl wrestler, hits the mat next weekend at a girls tournament in Maneteca.
