STOCKTON — Ripon’s Donny Fontillas came into the second day of the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Wrestling Championships at the Stockton Arena needing one win to place and two to advance to the CIF State Championships. The 132-pound senior got three in a row and finished fourth to advance to State beginning Friday at the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.
“We are just really happy for him,” Indians coach Glen White said. “This is his fourth year in a row at Masters and he has never made it to State before. We really wanted him to make it. He has worked extremely hard over the last year. He has done a ton of cross-fit and weight training to get stronger.
“After his first match Friday he pulled it together and really improved with his mental toughness over the last two days and that helped him. Now that he is going to State I know he is going to give it everything he has. Some kids are just happy to get there and he is not going to be like that, I guarantee it. He is going to work super hard and give it everything he has. We have a lot of confidence in him.”
Fontillas faced elimination in his first match and pinned Benicia’s Gerren Morgan in the second round. Fontillas edged Oakdale’s Seth Borba 5-4 in the consolation quarterfinal, securing a berth at State and defeated Patterson’s Noah Mirelez 6-4 in the consolation semifinal before losing to Oak Ridge’s Jared Horstman 7-3 and taking fourth.
“I have made it to Masters all four years,” Fontillas said. “My goal has been to make it to State and my dream came true. It’s been a dream since I was a little kid but I thought could have won that third-place match.
“The kid (Horstman) was good – he was seeded higher than me – but I made my goal of making it to State and I hope I can wrestle him again next week. I am going to State to win some matches – I am not going to be one of those guppies that are just happy to go.”
Sierra senior Miguel Cervantes (170) wrestled a brilliant elimination match against Oakmont’s Brennan Bruegger, pinning Bruegger by countering his arm bar multiple times. However, Cervantes was pinned by Placer’s Joseph Valdez in the fourth round, knocking him out of State competition. Cervantes then lost to Tokay’s Carter Bozovich 12-2 in the seventh-place match, finishing eighth.
“Making it to the second day was pretty exciting,” Cervantes said. “This was my first time to go to Masters.
“I wrestled my heart out.”
East Union senior Jaysen Reindel (285) did not get the win he needed to stay alive, getting pinned by Vista del Lago’s Justin Ramos to end the tournament.
“It feels very weird and very surreal to have it end and have it all be over,” Reindel said. “Looking back there are a lot of people to thank and a lot of people who have supported me through the seasons – my dad and my family – they have always been here.
“My team has always stood up for me and kept me going, but it’s over.”
Girls State Championships
VISALIA – Sierra’s Alexa Garcia (160) lost an overtime match the second day of competition Saturday that knocked her out of the medal running, giving her a Top-12 finish at the Visalia Convention Center.
“As a sophomore and only wrestling for two years she had an amazing season,” Timberwolves coach Alex Nuanez said. “Finishing at state is what every wrestler wants.”
Ripon’s Alayna Swilley was forced to withdraw on Friday when her opponent landed awkwardly on Swilley’s shoulder, temporarily dislocating it.
