Madera teams get mat time at BIG duals
Tyler Takeda/The madera Tribune Liberty’s David Portnoff puts his Mission Oak opponent into a pinning position with Madera Athletic Hall of Famer Corky Napier calling the potential pin at the BIG Duals Championship at Ranchos Middle School, hosted by Liberty.
While many teams are still working to get their line-ups set, the Madera, Madera South and Liberty wrestling teams were getting valuable mat time heading into the winter break.
Each team earned valuable mat time for its players with five matches Saturday at Ranchos Middle School at the BIG Duals Championship, hosted by the Liberty Hawks.
For Madera, it was measuring where they were after finishing the tournament with a 3-2 record and a consolation title in the silver bracket.
For the Stallions, it was earning mat time for its young team despite a 1-4 record heading into their first County/Metro Athletic Conference dual meet of the season Tuesday against the Sanger Apaches.
For the Hawks, it was seeing where they stood against some tough competition. After losing to wrestling powers Buchanan-Clovis and Mission Oak-Tulare, Liberty closed its tournament with three straight dual match victories. Madera Coyotes
The Madera Coyotes earned second place in its pool in the BIG Duals with a 2-1 record.
In the silver bracket consolation match, the Coyotes had to overcome a 5-2 deficit in forfeits in a narrow 42-39 win over Dos Palos.
Marcus Valdez, Hulise Santiago and John Cook each won by a second period pinfall while the Coyotes opened a 30-0 lead. Dos Palos won the next three by forfeits to cut the lead to 30-18.
Madera received a forfeit at 132 pounds, but Dos Palos won by major decision and pin to set up Oscar Ruiz as the pivotal match at 152 pounds.
Ruiz took the early takedown and took control of the match. He earned three near fall points in the second period before getting a pin for the crucial six points in the win.
Madera opened silver bracket play with a 45-29 loss to Pioneer Valley-Santa Maria.
Alex Vaca picked up a third round pin at 195 pounds while 220-pounder Santiago earned a second period pin. Heavyweight Cook followed with another second period pin for Madera’s third straight win.
However, Madera lost its next match and three more by forfeit. Rodolfo Paredes, at 135 pounds, won a 5-3 decision while Jose Guzman was a 5-3 winner at 145 pounds.
Ruiz piled on the points and earned a technical fall with a 16-0 victory.
Madera earned a 63-45 victory over Shafter in pool play. Valdez, Alex Carillo, Santiago and Paredes earned forfeit victories.
Cook pinned his opponent in the third round while 106 pounder Maddy Ayala picked up a second period pin. Jose Guzman, at 145 pounds, won by a 6-4 decision.
Madera received four forfeits in a 54-36 victory over Central. Ruiz started the match with a second period pin in one of five matches. Apolonio Ordaz, at 132 pounds, won a 6-2 decision and Paredes was an 8-5 winner. Guzman picked up a third period pin at 145 pounds.
Madera opened pool play with a 42-39 loss to El Diamante. Madera received three forfeits, but gave the Miners five matches and couldn’t overcome the losses.
Ruiz earned a second period pin at 152 pounds. Santiago earned a second period pin and Ordaz won by a 3-0 decision. However, two Coyote wresters lost by pinfall.
Madera South Stallions
The Stallions were put in a tough pool and faced national ranked Clovis North and didn’t pick up a point in a big loss.
Madera South lost a 46-32 battle with Pioneer Valley. Patricio Ramirez, at 220-pounds won a 4-1 decision and 113-pounder Damian Sheriff was a 3-2 winner. Vincente Moreno won a 6-5 decision at 126 pounds while Giovanni Ortiz was a 7-2 winner at 145 pounds.
Only five matches were contested in Madera South’s 51-12 victory over Shafter. Sheriff won by a second period pin. Jamie Garcia won his 132-pound match by pin and Ortiz won by a second period pinfall. Victor Wren earned a first period pin in the victory.
Wren earned a third period pin in a 45-16 team loss to Sunnyside-Fresno. Sheriff earned an 11-3 major decision at 113 pounds and 172-pounder Abel Cardenas won by second period pinfall for Madera South’s only three contested victories. Liberty Hawks
Liberty head coach Jay Pumarejo didn’t do his team any favors in pool play. The Hawks faced three historically tough teams in pool play and came away with a narrow victory.
However, the Hawks closed the tournament with two wins in bracket play.
Madera lost a 62-6 match to Buchanan. Chris Imirian, at 173 pounds, and David Portnoff, at 197 pounds, picked up wins.
The Hawks lost a tough 42-36 decision to Mission Oak on the back of two straight victories late in the match.
Shafter started the match with four straight victories. Liberty battled back with second period pins from Portnoff and 220-pounder Brad Wallace.
Mission Oak recorded two pins, but Liberty received three forfeits. The key match was at 132 pounds with Mission Oak getting major decision. The Hawks got a first period pin from Connor Hiatt at 145 pounds to close the dual.
In one of the more talked about duals of the tournament, the Hawks got a narrow 26-25 victory over Dos Palos that included in a disqualification and two ejections from the rest of the tournament.
Twelve of the 14 matches were contested. Sam Rauschenberg picked up a second period pin at 182 pounds, Portnoff received a forfeit and Angel Lugo won by third period pin at 220-pounds.
Francisco Rojas won by major decision. His opponent pushed him at the end of the match and Dos Palos was docked a team point.
Cole Diebert picked up a major decision victory at 113 pounds. Ryan Avila won by pinfall at 120 pounds.
The key match was at 132 pounds when Anthony Salas was pinned at the end of the third period. However, his opponent had some choice words to the official and was disqualified from the match. The wrestler’s father also got into it with the official and both the wrestler and parent were ejected from the gym.
After Dos Palos got a pin at 138 pounds, Hiatt picked up a key pin and Diego Rojas stayed off his back as Dos Palos earned a major decision, but Liberty won the dual.
In another highly contested match, Liberty earned a 40-36 victory over Sanger.
Imirian won by a 6-3 decision to open the match at 170 pounds. Rauschenberg won a 3-0 decision at 182 pounds. Portnoff, Lugo and Rojas recorded pins.
Sanger bounced back with two pins, but Avila earned a third period pin at 120 pounds.
Sanger got a pair of pins, but Liberty got a 9-0 major decision from Jarrod Dotson at 138 pounds and a third period pin from Hiatt for the victory.
Although Liberty won and were set to face Sunnyside, Sanger and Madera South worked out a deal to switch opponents since the two teams faced each other three days later in the CMAC opener.
Liberty earned a 45-34 victory over the Stallions. However, Liberty received six forfeit victories.
In the contested matches, Lugo defeated Patricio Ramirez, 2-1, in overtime at 220-pounds. Sheriff earned an 8-0 major decision over Diebert at 113-pounds.
Moreno won by second period pin over Mitchell Sano at 126 pounds. Garcia won by second period pin over Salas while Dotson earned a third period pin over German Flores at 138-pounds.
Hiatt took a 7-4 lead in the first period at 145 pounds, but Ortiz came back to dominate the third period and recorded a pin.
Wren recorded a first period pin over Gio Burgess and Cardenas recorded a first period pin over Imirian.
