Live Oak wrestling coach Robert Fernandez was breaking down
Wednesday’s 35-28 victory at Oak Grove when he received a hearty
pat on the back from his top assistant, Armando Gonzalez. “We’re
back in this thing, baby! And we can win it,” Gonzalez said.
Fernandez couldn’t have put it better himself.
Live Oak wrestling coach Robert Fernandez was breaking down Wednesday’s 35-28 victory at Oak Grove when he received a hearty pat on the back from his top assistant, Armando Gonzalez.
“We’re back in this thing, baby! And we can win it,” Gonzalez said.
Fernandez couldn’t have put it better himself.
The Mount Hamilton Division title race boiled down to three teams Wednesday, as Live Oak topped the previously unbeaten Eagles, while Overfelt cruised past Westmont 52-23 in Campbell. The Acorns, Oak Grove and Overfelt are even at 4-1 with two dual meets remaining. If the tie holds, the Mount Hamilton Division crown will go to the top finisher out of those teams in the Feb. 18 Blossom Valley Athletic League Finals at Branham High School.
“Obviously this was a big night for us,” Fernandez said. “We got some great wins and some great losses, if you want to call it. We didn’t give up a lot of points. That was the important thing.”
The Acorns, ranked 14th in the Central Coast Section, led 20-0 after five matches, protected their lead with key wins in the middle weights and won it with back-to-back first-round pins by Ramon Lucatero and Derek Peralta at 162 and 172 pounds, respectively.
“It feels really good knowing that we can beat a team with as much potential as Oak Grove,” Lucatero said. “It was important to get pins. I usually go (154 pounds), but you got to do what you got to do. We needed this win.”
With a small lineup, the Acorns had to forfeit at 147, 184 and 197 pounds. They broke even, however, as the No. 18-ranked Eagles had no wrestlers at 108, 184 and 197 pounds.
A week ago those empty spots cost Live Oak 24 points in a 52-25 defeat at Overfelt. That loss, though, was not indicative of how BVALs might unfold. The Acorns proved they can keep pace with the Royals last weekend at the Overfelt Classic, where Live Oak finished 2 1/2 points behind the tournament hosts.
“It’s going to come down to falls,” Gonzalez said of BVALs. “We need our studs to give us six points every match.”
The Acorns gladly took five from Jonathan Robles-Rials in the opening 115-pound bout Wednesday. The freshman won by technical fall, 16-1, over Christian Fajardo.
Live Oak’s Isaiah Locsin, ranked second in the state at 113 pounds, followed with a 17-second win over Leon Touch at 122, working a front headlock into a cradle.
Austin Langford used several near-fall combinations to beat Andy Mercado at 128.
At 134 pounds, Nick Locsin drew a tough match against Oak Grove senior Paul Rodriguez (No. 4 in the section at 126). Locsin fell 13-0 but worked hard to stay off his back and limit the Eagles to four points.
Live Oak’s Tyler Pederson (140) answered with a 9-2 win over Jordan Pierce.
Oak Grove trimmed the Acorns’ lead to 23-16 when Johnathan Cassell pinned Josh Acosta with a head-and-arm hold at 154 pounds, but Lucatero and Peralta took care of business against Joshua Jenkins and Juan Rodriguez to clinch it.
“That loss (to Overfelt) made us all want to work harder,” Langford said. “It paid off with our performance tonight.”
Notes: Oak Grove won the final two matches by fall, as Nick Bernardo pinned Morgan Smith at 222 pounds, and Dion Rollerson beat Hunter Schroff at 287. … The Live Oak boys will wrestle in the Mission San Jose Tournament this weekend. … The Acorns host Westmont at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Fearnside out to win CCS title this weekend
Although she was set to win by forfeit at 108 pounds Wednesday, Live Oak’s Amy Fearnside warmed up like she had a bigger match in store.
The senior returns to Oak Grove High School this weekend for the Central Coast Section Girls Championships, which begin at 4 p.m. Friday and conclude with the finals at 6 p.m. Saturday. The top finishers advance to the second annual CIF Girls State Invitational Championships, held Feb. 24-25 at Lemoore High School.
After placing second at sectionals the last two years, Fearnside expects her third trip to come with a particular charm: the 108-pound title.
“I just want to do my best, go all out,” she said. “I was humbled last time and have learned to take humility and keep working hard.”
Live Oak also is sending Isabella Fernandez (114 pounds), Christina Perea (122) and Amber Aochi (126).
With four tournament titles and a 25-3 record this winter, Fearnside is one of the favorites in her weight class not only for the section but for the state. She knows little about her competition partly because she commonly wrestles boys. Fearnside has beaten two in league dual meets this winter.
“Wrestling against boys helps me a lot because it’s a good challenge,” she said. “It’s made me a lot stronger.”
Fearnside takes the same approach to every opponent.
“I never look at names, never look at singlets,” she said. “They’re just another person. I treat all of them like they’re number one.”
