STOCKTON – Trevor Smith came up empty on his quest for the 2013 Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Tournament Championship, but the Ripon High senior is far from done.
Smith’s runner-up finish in the 195-pound bracket claims one of the seven advancing spots to the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield Friday. The decorated Indian battled the No. 1 ranked 195-pounder in the state, Vacaville’s Jeramy Sweany. Sweany got up early 2-0, the pair put together a tightly-contested, scoreless second round before Sweany distanced himself for good with the 6-3 victory.
“He’s definitely one of the best guys in the state, but I think we can wrestle with that kid,” Ripon head coach Glen White said. “Hopefully we can get another shot at him and I’m assuming if that were to happen it would be in the state finals.
“We’re going to have to beat a lot of really good kids along the way, but he’s definitely ready.”
Smith continued an impressive run through the past two Masters Championships, finishing undefeated with the 182-pound title a season ago and just missing out on back-to-back titles with his loss to Sweany. He went further than any area wrestler and he did that for the second consecutive season as well.
“I know I can beat him it’s just that he got some points that I should not have given up,” Smith said while icing after the championship match. “I’m definitely not going to have that happen again. I’m just going to keep on pushing.
“I have a few things to fix, but I’ll be back next week though.”
Like the majority of the grapplers on the mat this late in the season, Smith is nowhere near 100-percent health wise. He’ll look to take some time to heal up and get his body ready for one of the most challenging grinds in high school athletics. The banging a body takes from league tournaments, to divisional to the Masters is a rigorous lead up to the state championships.
“He’s been a good wrestler since he was a youth,” White said of Smith. “But he’s really developed himself into a top-flight high school wrestler.
“As far as Ripon High history goes, we’ll see this weekend.”
Lathrop High’s Alex Garcia could not fend off the almost inhumane draw he endured in his Masters tourney. Being dumped to the consolation round by the No. 1 106-pounder in the state, only to have yet another top-15 wrestler waiting on him. Elk Grove’s Tristain Scott ended Garcia’s run, but the Lathrop sophomore surely has not seen his best Masters finish.
Smith will likely head south for state Thursday after classes. A light workout, light meal and rest will be waiting on him. And his second quest for a state title.
“There has definitely been a lot of pressure,” Smith said of his season. “Just coming back you have to look behind you to know who’s coming, but I’m one of those guys that likes to look forward. I don’t want to care about who is coming after me, I want to push towards the other people. He’s the No. 1 wrestler in the state right now, and I need those guys to keep me pushing and working to get better.
“I’m not half mad I lost, I’m kind of happy because if I would have beat him I would have that mark.”
The tournament is scheduled to get underway with the championship rounds at 9 a.m. Friday at the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield.
