LJ wrestling: Bomberger's CIF title - How'd he do it?

Buzzy Bomberger, 128-pound
champ in Division 4, waits
for his next match on day one
of the Holtville Tournament
Jan. 31.
(Photos by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

Buzzy Bomberger, La Jolla's 128-pound wrestler, won the CIF Division 4 title in his weight class. How did the sophomore do it?

By a lot of hard work, training, practice. Plus he had the help and guidance of the Vikings' coaches. His father, Mike, has served as an assistant coach the past two years, and he has played a major role in his older son's success, culminating at this point in the CIF championship.

But prior to this breakthrough, Buzzy's results had not really been outstanding. Sure, he looked quick on the mat, a proficient technical wrestler who is aggressive and dedicated.

When he would suffer a nosebleed, you never saw him looking for a way off the mat to call it quits. Of  course, you wouldn't expect that, anyway.

Head coach Kellen Delaney participated in an exchange about the reasons behind the season-end breakthrough: Bomberger, in his second year at La Jolla High, taking a division title. That's pretty big stuff, and his results during the regular season didn't really point there.

Bomberger (far left, foreground) serves as a team
captain along with teammate Joshua Jasso
(second from left) at the LJ-Pt. Loma
dual meet Jan. 15.

Buzzy has "doubled up" on his mat duty, competing for the school team, while traveling north to participate for Isaac Pumajero's "Puma" wrestling club. Dad Mike drove him directly from the Holtville tournament 128 miles away on Feb. 1 to a meet that Puma was registered in.

Did the heavy load tamp down his earlier results? "You may have a point," replied Delaney, when presented with the analogy to tapering in swimming, in which swimmers train much harder during the earlier portion of the season, then taper off in workouts toward the championships, thereby gaining more muscle rest and recovery--enabling them to perform at a higher level.

"We tend to take some more down time over Christmas break," said the fifth-year head coach, who has been at La Jolla for 10 years total.

By the way, Bomberger went 3-2 at the Master's meet Fri.-Sat., Feb. 21-22, at Southwest High in the South Bay. He reached the round of 12, which is saying a lot. The Master's meet pits the top placers from all the divisions in one big meet. Winners from there go on to the state competition.

"He had a great meet," Delaney said about the 128-pounder's performance at the Master's event.

Regarding his recent success, the head coach also commented, "I think it's the result of some coaching adjustments and simplifying the message. We're focusing on a small number of moves and it's helped a lot."

Buzzy during his match at Point Loma.
He later was pinned by his Pointer
opponent. His success exploded
a month later.