Few things have made Tyler Pederson more proud of himself than
captaining the Live Oak wrestling team this winter.
In four years he has witnessed the Acorns go from middle of the
road in the Blossom Valley Athletic League C division to being one
of the most highly touted outfits in school history. The Acorns
boast five state hopefuls on the boys side, two on the girls side
and a pair of state-championship contenders in senior Amy Fearnside
and sophomore phenom Isaiah Locsin, with whom Pederson shares the
captaincy.
MORGAN HILL
Few things have made Tyler Pederson more proud of himself than captaining the Live Oak wrestling team this winter.
In four years he has witnessed the Acorns go from middle of the road in the Blossom Valley Athletic League C division to being one of the most highly touted outfits in school history. The Acorns boast five state hopefuls on the boys side, two on the girls side and a pair of state-championship contenders in senior Amy Fearnside and sophomore phenom Isaiah Locsin, with whom Pederson shares the captaincy.
After winning back-to-back first-place finishes in the West Valley and Santa Teresa divisions, Live Oak is poised to do the same in the Mount Hamilton Division and take first at BVAL Finals as the league’s highest ranked team in the Central Coast Section at No. 13.
And sectionals? The Acorns could achieve their best finish yet, having six wrestlers ranked in their respective weights. That includes their elated senior captain.
“I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, going from the bottom league to the very top,” Pederson said after pinning Andrew Hill’s JC Burns in the first round at 152 pounds Wednesday, helping Live Oak win 39-24 on opening night in the Mount Hamilton Division. “I feel like we’ve been training harder than ever. We’ve had to be more prepared now. We’re trying to improve in every way.”
The Acorns haven’t let up since taking first in the West Valley Division title in 2010 for their first team championship in 29 years. The following offseason Live Oak underwent sweeping changes, as Robert Fernandez welcomed longtime Gilroy coach Armando Gonzalez, the maestro of seven CCS titles won with the Mustangs, to his coaching staff, and the Acorns began using the Yoke Training System invented by Locsin’s father, Dan, a LOHS graduate. The Acorns won a Santa Teresa Division crown in 2011, with Locsin becoming Live Oak’s first CCS champion in nine years at 103 pounds. Locsin placed a program-best second at state.
“As a coach you have to feel somewhat satisfied that your program is able to move up, and that coaches and athletic directors recognize it,” Fernandez said. “It’s pretty satisfying, you know? But our approach hasn’t changed. It’s all about wrestling development and athletic development. Wrestlers can never train hard enough or work hard enough. Until we have 14 state champions we’re never satisfied.”
Locsin is driven more than ever to become Live Oak’s first on the boys side after coming within three points of doing so as a freshman. He has used that 6-4 loss to North Torrance’s Johnathan Mai in the state final as motivation to finish his journey this year at 113 pounds (he moved up because he grew an inch).
“It made that eye of the tiger in me want it more,” said Locsin (14-0), who has won three titles this season, most notably at the Reno (Nev.) Tournament of Champions – “the toughest tournament in the U.S.” – in December. “I just take it one match at a time, take every guy my hardest.”
Locsin could face some of his top competitors this weekend at the Doc Buchanan Invitational in Clovis. He is ranked No. 1 in the CCS, No. 2 in the state and 12th in the nation by InterMat behind two California wrestlers, though Fernandez had something to say about that.
“He’s the best wrestler in the country at 113 pounds,” the eighth-year coach said. “We don’t look at the rankings. We just know.”
Fearnside, who pinned Josh Dautin in the second round at 113 pounds Wednesday, should sweep the girls 108-pound CCS and state titles, Fernandez said. Last year Fearnside finished runner-up to then-Gilroy senior Jasmine Yanez at sectionals and placed fifth at state.
Sophomore Isabella Fernandez, Robert’s daughter, could also place at state at 114 pounds. Her older sister, Moriah, won an individual state crown with Live Oak in 2007-08.
“(Isabella) has big shoes to fill,” Robert said.
As if they weren’t stacked enough in the lower weights, the Acorns are grooming another wunderkind in Jonathan Robles (No. 4 in the CCS). The freshman 106-pounder has two losses this season – both at Reno.
Robles looks to Locsin for inspiration.
“He’s a really good teammate. I wish I could do as good as him,” Robles said. “I want to have the same strength and technique. Isaiah has great control.”
The praise is mutual.
“Jonathan looks good; his technique is awesome,” Locsin said before offering perhaps the highest acclaim Robles has received. “He’s ready.”
The rest of Live Oak’s heavy hitters include juniors Nick Locsin (No. 16 in the CCS at 132 pounds), Isaiah’s cousin, Tyler Geer (No. 12, 170) and Derek Peralta (No. 12, 182). Pederson is ranked 11th in the section at 145 pounds, and sophomore Austin Langford is an honorable mention at 120.
Against the Mount Hamilton Division’s traditional powers like Overfelt and Santa Teresa, the Acorns will be hampered by forfeits at 170 and 195 pounds. They have more than enough talent though to make up for that.
“We’ll put our studs against their studs,” coach Fernandez said. “It’s wrestling. Only the strong survive.”
