When the weather changes and the wrestling rooms become packed, high school grapplers are honing their skills in hopes of stretching their seasons into the always climactic Sac-Joaquin Section second-season. For a few area wrestlers, finishing the season with a trip to State is their sole purpose on the mat this year.
Sierra High will be under the guidance of first-year head coach Alex Nuanez. Nuanez is far from new to the mat, and one of his top wrestlers he knows better than anyone. The Sierra coach will rely on his son, Alex, to help his transition, while helping his son follow up his first-ever Sierra High CIF State berth from a season ago.
“What we did this year was really focus more on weight lifting,” Sierra head coach Nuanez said of his son. “He has put on a lot more muscle and burned a lot of that fat off.
“He has a lot more muscle weight and that will help through all of the tournaments this year.”
Sierra’s first-year coach will also be able to depend on the talents of returning Masters-berth-earning Aidan Foster to help with the team. Foster had a disappointing 2-2 finish during the first-day of the Masters Tournament in the 152-pound weight class, laying the foundation for a senior year of redemption.
“Aidan should do real good this year at 152s,” coach Nuanez said. “It should be real strong at 152, he’ll wrestle 160’s for the next few tournaments, and after that go back to 152s.
“Aidan should be seeded at Masters this year for sure.”
Another area hopeful for a lengthy postseason is East Union Lancer Devon Woodall. Woodall was the Valley Oak League’s No. 1 heavyweight a season ago, but had a sluggish 2-2 day in the Masters debut, hampering his chances of moving on.
Lancer head coach A.J. Reindel thought Woodall had a chance at continuing on, but stressed that the Master’s Tournament is not about the best wrestler, but who wrestles best on that day. Woodall is nursing an injury, delaying his season debut, but is undoubtedly one of the area heavyweights with potential to earn a state berth.
Lathrop High will count on junior Andrew Aquino to help lead an up-and-coming Spartan program. Aquino nearly registered the first VOL title in school history with his 119-pound runner-up finish last year.
“He is one of the awesome wrestlers in our program,” said Lathrop head coach Dimos Birakos. “He has only lost once this season and he really is doing well. Andrew is one of our five captains and he leads by example.
“He really isn’t a vocal leader, but he gets it done.”
The Ripon Indians will turn to Travis Smith to help guide them throughout the season. Smith was highly ranked through the entire 2009-10 season, and is trying to push his wrestling career to new plateaus. Smith finished second in the 189-pound Trans Valley League title last season, but could only muster a single win on the first day of masters to end his season.
Smith is off to a quality start, recording a 37-second pin in a recent Indians victory over Lathrop High.
Sierra High will be under the guidance of first-year head coach Alex Nuanez. Nuanez is far from new to the mat, and one of his top wrestlers he knows better than anyone. The Sierra coach will rely on his son, Alex, to help his transition, while helping his son follow up his first-ever Sierra High CIF State berth from a season ago.
“What we did this year was really focus more on weight lifting,” Sierra head coach Nuanez said of his son. “He has put on a lot more muscle and burned a lot of that fat off.
“He has a lot more muscle weight and that will help through all of the tournaments this year.”
Sierra’s first-year coach will also be able to depend on the talents of returning Masters-berth-earning Aidan Foster to help with the team. Foster had a disappointing 2-2 finish during the first-day of the Masters Tournament in the 152-pound weight class, laying the foundation for a senior year of redemption.
“Aidan should do real good this year at 152s,” coach Nuanez said. “It should be real strong at 152, he’ll wrestle 160’s for the next few tournaments, and after that go back to 152s.
“Aidan should be seeded at Masters this year for sure.”
Another area hopeful for a lengthy postseason is East Union Lancer Devon Woodall. Woodall was the Valley Oak League’s No. 1 heavyweight a season ago, but had a sluggish 2-2 day in the Masters debut, hampering his chances of moving on.
Lancer head coach A.J. Reindel thought Woodall had a chance at continuing on, but stressed that the Master’s Tournament is not about the best wrestler, but who wrestles best on that day. Woodall is nursing an injury, delaying his season debut, but is undoubtedly one of the area heavyweights with potential to earn a state berth.
Lathrop High will count on junior Andrew Aquino to help lead an up-and-coming Spartan program. Aquino nearly registered the first VOL title in school history with his 119-pound runner-up finish last year.
“He is one of the awesome wrestlers in our program,” said Lathrop head coach Dimos Birakos. “He has only lost once this season and he really is doing well. Andrew is one of our five captains and he leads by example.
“He really isn’t a vocal leader, but he gets it done.”
The Ripon Indians will turn to Travis Smith to help guide them throughout the season. Smith was highly ranked through the entire 2009-10 season, and is trying to push his wrestling career to new plateaus. Smith finished second in the 189-pound Trans Valley League title last season, but could only muster a single win on the first day of masters to end his season.
Smith is off to a quality start, recording a 37-second pin in a recent Indians victory over Lathrop High.
