Wrestling: Burback, Zhang, Lefore help Bulldogs secure top-25 finish at Mid-Cals

In the best finish in school history at Mid-Cals, three Sobrato High wrestlers helped the Bulldogs secure a 24th-place finish in the 75-team tournament at Gilroy High on Saturday.
Despite a knee injury, Thomas Burback helped the Bulldogs claim their best finish, placing sixth in the 154-pound bracket. Zach Zhang (147) and Brandon Lefore (162) each placed seventh for Sobrato.
Burback advanced to the fifth-place match after falling to Bryan Bautista of Harbor in the consolation bracket. Against Matt Aquino of Castro Valley, Burback hurt his knee as Aquino flipped Burback. The hurt knee slowed Burback into an eventual pin by Aquino.
Zhang took seventh place after his opponent forfeited. But because of a scheduling mishap, Zhang wrestled an opponent in the wrong weight class for nearly one period before it was stopped. Lefore took seventh with a 14-0 major decision.
But for the team, the strong finish will hopefully propel them into the late season, Lefore said.
“I think moving into the next (few) tournaments it will give us a boost,” he said. “I know a lot of the guys were a little down on themselves but after their showings at Mid-Cals, I think they will be up there again and kick some more butt at more tournaments.”
Lefore continued: “Overall, we are looking at a good season. We are going to take BVALs by storm and have a good season, hopefully.”
And the team’s confidence is rising, Burback said.
“We all came out there and we all wrestled better than we have in the past,” he said. “We came out swinging. We did well. I think it boosts our confidence a lot. It gets us ready for the next couple. It gives us that goal of what to live up to.”
For Burback, it was his best results of the year, he said.
“I just want to keep that momentum moving forward,” Burback said. “It makes me a lot more confident going into CCS and league. Just keep it going.”
But the team still has things to work out, coach Jordan Yamat said.  
“They wrested all right,” he said. “They have to clean a couple of things up. We have a coupe of kids banged up. Everyone wants to place in CCS, most people want to make it to state. We have plenty of time – a whole month of wrestling left. So far, so good.”