Live Oak’s Fernandez out to make state; Sobrato sending five to
section finals
Live Oak
SAN JOSE — The so-called “funky” wrestling style of Live Oak’s Steven Fernandez is no joke.
The junior was putting in on display at Wednesday’s practice, kicking a leg back in one direction and bringing it forward — creating momentum for an attack that is next to unstoppable.
“Basically, funk-style wrestling is wrestling with no specific moves,” Acorns coach Robert Fernandez, Steven’s father, said. “Steven’s style is his biggest strength. The basic style of wrestling is doing particular moves to perfection. With someone funky, they’re all over the place.”
Steven, who has been wrestling for 11 years, can put his opponents in awkward positions as well as he can escape from them. That’s part of the reason why he has lost only four matches this year — and why he is making his third consecutive appearance in the CIF-Central Coast Section finals today at Independence High School.
“He’s been doing this for so long. He’s used to doing his best,” Live Oak assistant coach Robert Redman, who is also coach of San Jose State’s club wrestling team, said. “He’s very tactical.”
Steven is comfortable wrestling in the big section tournament, but certainly not complacent. He hopes to advance to Saturday’s competition, where he can qualify for state with a top-four finish.
“I just want to win,” said Steven, who drew the No. 5 seed at 142 pounds. “I’m not really concerned with who I’ll face. You have to wrestle everyone eventually.”
The 142-pound bracket is among the toughest. Steven is familiar with most of his competitors, including Evan Crockett, the No. 2 seed from Silver Creek, who beat Steven in the title match of last week’s Blossom Valley Athletic League Finals.
“Losing to Crockett was hard, especially the first couple of moments after it happened,” Steven said. “I expected to wrestle better, but I’ve moved on. I’ve done a lot more preparing this time for CCS.”
Steven is making the trip to sectionals today with senior teammate Tony Morales, who made the 121-pound bracket with his fourth-place finish at BVALs.
Morales also has four losses this season and could be a surprising dark horse this weekend. He has wrestled against the fourth and fifth seeds in his bracket.
“I’d like to see him advance to the second day and place,” Fernandez said. “Realistically, he’ll finish 3-2, but that’s still a good year for him. Once you get to CCS, everybody is good.”
Morales has a chip on his shoulder after missing sectionals the past two seasons. He qualified as a freshman, then missed most of his sophomore season with injury. Last year, he was one win short of qualifying.
“I can’t wait to get back,” Morales said. “That injury sophomore year threw me back a step. Not making it last year sucked. It’s exciting going back as a senior. I want to leave it all out there and, hopefully, place.”
That’s certainly not out of the question, according to his coach.
“Anybody can beat anybody on any given day,” Fernandez said.
Sobrato
Heading into today’s opening rounds of competition in the CIF-Central Coast Section wrestling finals, Sobrato coach Phil Luna said Ryan Brewer has an outside chance of qualifying for state — pending he shows up.
Brewer, a junior, is coming off a team-best finish at league finals and could be a major threat this weekend in the 154-pound division.
“If he wrestles like he did last Saturday, he has a legitimate shot, but it depends which Ryan Brewer we see,” Luna said Thursday. “Will it be the one that kicks your (butt), or the one that isn’t thinking right?”
It wasn’t the latter last weekend. Brewer pinned the No. 1 seed in the Blossom Valley Athletic League on the way to placing second. Brewer has looked stronger as the season has progressed.
“He has to take his shots on the mat,” Luna said. “Ryan has to be aggressive.”
Brewer is one of three Bulldogs who are making their section-finals debut today at Independence High School; the others being Kyle Shelton (105 pounds) and Jacob Maack (173). They are joined by veterans Joseph Redmond (121) and Rafael Anaya (191).
Redmond – who, as a senior, is making his third trip — is wrestling up a weight level from where he wanted to be, but still has a decent chance of breaking into the top four and advancing to state.
“If Joseph gets the right draw, he can do it,” Luna said.
Anaya turned heads last year when he qualified for sectionals as a freshman. Luna said he might have more surprises in store.
“He’s one of the toughest, meanest guys to wrestle,” Luna said. “He wrestles with pure strength.”
Luna expects “a couple of guys” to still be in contention Saturday.
