By Ed Piper
Joshua Jasso, La Jolla's defending league champion at 195 pounds, made short work of his opponent from San Diego High, Armando Rios, pinning him in 45 seconds in the two teams' Eastern League dual meet opener at La Jolla Wed., Jan. 8.
It was Jasso's first competition of the 2019-20 season, having come over to wrestling after the Viking football team's participation in the state championship Dec. 14.
Josh, a 5'10" senior who has wrestled all four of his high school years, was held out medically from La Jolla's non-league dual meet against Scripps Ranch Dec. 18.
"I reached over for the headlock throw and flipped him (Rios) over," said Jasso shortly after his dominant performance. He looked quick and strong in going right on the offensive from the opening faceoff.
A major issue for the 195-pounder has been getting prepared for the wrestling season despite the late transition from fall sports. In previous years, Josh would have been working out in November and early December.
In this cycle, though, with him joining the varsity football team as a lineman, and the success of the La Jolla team to reach the state Division 4-A final, he had to forego all that early training. Instead, he has been on an accelerated program, working out against his father at home on mats they have there, while facing off against some of the coaches in the wrestling program during team practice.
"I'm at about an 8 on a 10 scale" as far as progress toward where he wants to be for the season, said Jasso as he stood on the La Jolla side during the dual meet, just after his pin. Asked what else he needs to be at peak performance, he replied: "More mat time. We're working on cleaning up some things" in his approach and technique.
Last season, as a junior, Jasso also placed fourth in the Division 4 finals, in addition to his league title.
La Jolla, hosting the Cavers in the first of five straight Wednesday league dual meets through January into February, dropped a 42-33 decision to first-year coach Jimmy Pham's team.
The Cavers' stalwart is Alex Schwaebe at 138 pounds. Schwaebe, who pinned Viking Keegan Leonard, an able wrestler, in 2:36, won the Division 1 126-pound weight class in San Diego last season. He placed second at the Master's event that takes the best wrestlers from each division.
Leonard, no slouch with a sixth-place finish in Division 4 as a sophomore last year, trailed 6-2 in the second period before suffering the fall to Schwaebe. "Fall" is the technical term for a pin.
No comments:
Post a Comment