Sierra tallied pins in the last three bouts of the night Wednesday but due to a come-from-behind pin by East Union’s Trinidad Diaz just prior to those three bouts the Lancers held on for a 42-39 win over the Timberwolves after thumping Manteca 61-16 to sweep the Valley Oak League double dual at Sierra High.
Diaz (160 pounds) was nearly pinned by Marcos Sablan in the first round but the Lancer managed to get off his back and escape the round. Diaz rebounded in the second round for the pin and a 42-21 lead that East Union would need nearly every one of those points for the win.
“He caught me on a roll in the first round,” Diaz said of Sablan. “And it kind of put me down in a hole. I thought I was going to get pinned but I fought my way off of my back.
“It ended up being a key match. I didn’t think it would come down to that, but I am happy we got the win.”
First-year senior wrestler Nick Cervantez (120) gave East Union (5-0 VOL, 7-0 overall) its first lead at 18-12 with a 30-second pin.
“Since this is my first year wrestling I really didn’t expect it,” Cervantez said. “And that match gave us our first lead.”
Joe Luna (138; major decision, pin), Diaz (two pins) and Jaysen Reindel (285, two pins) each had two wins for the Lancers.
“Sierra came out and fought hard,” East Union coach A.J. Reindel said. “There were some matches that could have gone either way. We could have won by more or they could have beaten us.”
“They don’t have a lot of kids but the kids they have are pretty darned good.”
Miguel Cervantes (170, two pins), Abhijeet Dhillon (182, pin) and Myson Hosmer (195; pin, decision) were the three Timberwolves wrestlers to win out against East Union and nearly close the gap.
“I just listened to my coaches,” Cervantes said. “I did what they told me and it all came down to practice.
“I just worked hard and tried my best.”
Johnny Hosmer (132, two pins) and Kenneth Wade (145; pin, decision) also had two wins for Sierra (3-2 VOL).
The Timberwolves defeated Manteca 57-19.
“Without giving up those forfeits I think we would have won this last one against East Union,” Timberwolves coach Alex Nuanez said. “It’s always fun wrestling against A.J. and especially with Jaysen (Reindel).
“I have been watching him wrestle since he was 5 years old so it was a big honor to be here tonight.”
Jacob Sanchez (182) won via pin and decision to for the Buffaloes (3-3 VOL).
“Hats off to Sierra and East Union,” Manteca coach Vince Garcia said. “They took it to us.
“We are down five guys due to injury and illness, but even with those five guys here they would have taken it to us anyway. Hats off to both of them.”
Martin Luther King Duals
SACRAMENTO — Lathrop finished fourth Monday in the round-robin dual meet at Inderkum High School.
Mysson Harrell went 5-0 for the Spartans and earned all-tournament honors. Lathrop defeated South San Francisco 36-12 and Stagg of Stockton 32-28 and lost 34-15 to Inderkum, 38-14 to Edison of Stockton and 30-25 to West Valley of Cottonwood.
In a VOL double dual Wednesday night the Spartans beat Kimball of Tracy 60-7 and Weston Ranch, 53-9.
