LJ wrestling: Buzzy, Zeke, Chase, and Jack

Viking 113-pounder Buzzy Bomberger (top)
dominates Owen Boyea of Point Loma
in 12-2 decision.
(Photo by Ed Piper)
 

By Ed Piper

In La Jolla's exciting 31-27 win over Point Loma in their dual meet Wed., Jan. 16, two freshmen and two sophomores in the lower weights carried off thrilling wins in their respective bouts.

Freshmen Buzzy Bomberger and Zeke Pearl and 10th-graders Chase Maisel and Jack Evans all triumphed, all taking wins by decisions other than the 120-pound Pearl's pin of his Pointer foe.

Meanwhile, Point Loma's entire bench, set up on the southern end of the Big Gym at LJHS, began chanting and clapping loudly for their wrestlers once they took a lead or were engaged in a tight match.

To begin the varsity dual meet after La Jolla's Sebastian Heft pinned Pointer 106-pounder Rexx Pastore in an exhibition match with 1:09 left in the third period (4:51 official time), Bomberger engaged in a nose-bleed match with Point Loma's Owen Boyea.

Wrestling at 113 pounds, with his team already trailing in the meet 6-0, Buzzy led 4-0 after one period, and 9-2 after two.

His father, La Jolla assistant Mike Bomberger, repeatedly called out, "Buzz, sit out and make him follow you. Sit out." During a minutes-long delay when the wrestler's nose began bleeding, and the mats had to be sanitized, Viking head coach Kellen Delaney, looking up at the scoreboard, chipped in, "We need points."

The 113-pounder went up 10-2 for stalling by Boyea, then 12-2 on a reverse. That was the final score as time ran out.

Shortly thereafter, Pearl, a fellow ninth-grader wrestling at 120 pounds, quickly built a 4-1 lead over Joel Zapata, then 6-1 in the second period before pinning him with 1:25 left in the stanza (2:35 official time for the fall). La Jolla jumped into the team lead, 10-6.

After losses at 126 and 132 for a 15-10 deficit, Maisel, at 138 pounds, won on an unusual call. Tied 1-1 after regulation time, he and Pointer Troy Alexander entered the first of four overtimes. The first overtime period lasted one minute, then each of the subsequent overtimes were 30 seconds.

In the fourth overtime, having wrestled for eight and a half minutes--gasping from the exertion--Chase was declared winner "on criteria", even though the score remained tied. The referee ruled that he maintained control after taking control late in the match, Maisel said.

Finally, fellow sophomore Jack Evans broke a 2-2 tie after two periods with Jose Lemos at 147 pounds to take a 7-4 decision in the third. That gave La Jolla the lead again, 16-15.