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Spartans exact revenge with one-sided win against Ceres
Ceres-Lathrop wrestling
Lathrop’s Zachary Soares (right) wraps up Ceres’ Elijah Villamarin at 126 pounds before notching a 17-11 decision. - photo by DAVE CAMPBELL

By the time Lathrop heavyweight Avner Faaaliga took the mat for the final bout Tuesday night against visiting Ceres in a Western Athletic Conference wrestling match, the outcome was no longer in doubt.

That mattered not to Faaaliga, who brought the house down in Greg Leland Gym with a 57-second pin to put the exclamation point in a 67-12 Spartans win, a win that meant a bit more than most.

“Like coach said, we needed to set the tone,” Faaaliga said. “Because last year we lost to Ceres by one point, so we were trying to make a statement with this match.”

That one-point loss was also on the mind of Lathrop coach Mitchell Selna.

“We lost by one to them last year,” Selna said. “When the guys that were on the team last year were talking to the new kids about the one-point loss last year, everyone got hyped up.

“Even if they weren’t on the team last year, it was personal for them.”

Ceres-Lathrop wrestling
Lathrop’s Jacob Billeci watches the referee count down on the way to a second-round pin over Ceres’ Muaz Elhassan at 106 pounds. - photo by DAVE CAMPBELL

 Of the 11 Spartans wins, eight came via pin, two by technical fall and only one by decision with the most exciting match of the night coming with Lathrop’s Malachi Gonzales (144 pounds).

Gonzales found himself in a 6-2 hole early on and battled back the rest of the way before pinning Daniel Tubera in 5 minutes, 52 seconds.

“I started off bad and I could have started off better,” Gonzales said. “I saw he was getting a little tired and I knew I had to out-muscle him and outlast him.

 “I knew I had people depending on me to win that match.”

The other pins for the Spartans were Jacob Billeci (106, 2:50), Theo Baier (113, 2:52), Roman Espinoza (120, 1:00), Emilio Arroyo (165, 1:38), Samari Sumpter (175, 5:00) and Rueben Lopez (215, 1:54). Noah Corona (138, 20-5, 5:59) and Damian Ceja-Ramirez (157, 16-1, 1:59) won via technical fall and Zachary Soares (126) won a 17-11 decision.

 The Lathrop girls varsity was beset by forfeits and pins and won just two matches in a 60-15 loss.

Avril Goana (100) and won the first girls match of the night for the Spartans with a 9-5 decision over Lily Corona and Adamaris Robles (155) pinned Genesis Raya in the first round.

“Early in the match, I felt when we were tied up that she was going to try and throw me,” Robles said. “So she was pulling me in and I could feel her trying to push me over.

“So, I decided to listen to my coach and he told me to watch for the throw and he said the leg was there so I just picked up the leg and I went for the cheap single.”