LJ wrestling 36, Lincoln 45 - 1st of 4 league dual meets - 12/11

La Jolla's Maddie Quach (top) pins her opponent

in 45 seconds as the Vikings start out fast

in their first dual meet of the season.

(Photo by Ed Piper)

By Ed Piper

La Jolla was powered by its proven steadies, as seniors Noah Pace (126 pounds), Liam Kressin (150), and Asher Sternberg (wrestling up a weight class at 215)--joined by junior transfer Victor Franklin (138)--all won by pins in the Vikings' first of four dual meets in the Eastern League Thursday evening, Dec. 11.

New head coach Joey Stofko, the stepdad of Sternberg, led the Viking grapplers into the meet at Lincoln High, which eked out a narrow 45-36 win.

Pace and Kressin both reached the CIF Masters tournament last February, while Asher made it as far as the Division 4 finals. Franklin, returning to live in La Jolla with his family after attending Temecula Valley for his freshman and sophomore years, presents a new, intriguing feature for the coastal school's squad.

Sternberg, who also goes by the name Mazzen, took his opponent right to the mat and scored his pin within the first moments of the initial period. Noah "the Constrictor" (sewed on his letterman's jacket), Franklin, and Kressin all accomplished their falls in the second period.

Meanwhile, Patrick Fitzmaurice, a 157-pounder who was an alternate at the Masters tourney last winter, had to play trombone in the LJHS band's concert Thursday night. JV wrestler Julianna Barron was at the same event. The Vikings had to piece things together to fill Patrick's spot from their pool of resources.

The dual meet started off with an exciting exhibition in which senior Maddie Quach pinned her opponent in a quick 45 seconds, then kept up the high pitch with the early wins by Pace, Franklin, and Kressin.

"I wanted to start off the season being aggressive," said a smiling Quach, who also kept the official scorebook for La Jolla during the meet. She was, accomplishing the fall in a fraction of the time the whole bout could have lasted.

Told she looked "powerful" against her opponent, she said politely, "Thank you."