By Ed Piper
La Jolla's boys varsity mowed down visiting Christian High in an Eastern League dual meet, 60-23, Wed., Jan. 7, as six wrestlers pinned their opponents before a good crowd in the Big Gym.
Starting with the lower weight classes, Nathan Kramer, Noah Pace, Victor Franklin, Liam Kressin, Esteban Alcantara, and Asher Sternberg won by fall (pin). Interspersed among the quick pins, several grapplers took wins by forfeit as the Vikings had all 14 weight divisions covered.
Kressin and Pace, both seniors, are returners from reaching the CIF Masters tournament (top qualifiers from each division finals--the Vikings are Division 2) last season. They led the way, along with Franklin, a junior transfer who has attacked well all season.
One of the more dramatic bouts involved the freshman Alcantara at 175 pounds. For a while, it looked like Esteban was going to be pinned by Gage Scott of Christian. Scott recorded a takedown in the first period to lead 3-0, then the La Jolla 9th-grader--brand new to the Viking squad this year--came back in the second period to get a reverse, then his own takedown to take a 5-3 advantage.
Esteban, with Scott seemingly gassed, ultimately pinned him 1:11 into the two-minute period, gaining the six points awarded for a fall to the La Jolla team total.
With the scoreboards not functioning, a hand clock and makeshift flip-card display at a side table in use, Pace's win was an encouraging one. Though a Masters competitor last year, the 120-pounder has started a little slowly this winter. This time, against the Patriots' Sam Larson, he burst out aggressively and put Larson on the defensive from the start.
After scoring a takedown in period one, Pace continued to exert pressure--assistant coach Ryan Lennard's big emphasis--and pinned Larson four seconds before the end of the period.
Kressin, at 144 (he normally wrestles at 150 pounds), left no survivors. He moved to dominate another Liam, Barcenas, of Christian, in a rapid 34-second pin.
The boys varsity travels to the Monte Vista High Tournament this weekend, Sat., Jan. 10. The girls--four were introduced before the boys' matches--compete at Monte Vista a week later on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday, Mon., Jan. 19.
The JV boys go to Monte Vista in between, Sat., Jan. 17, for their own invitational tournament.
La Jolla (3-0) faces league-rival Point Lomas in a fourth dual meet of the season at home Wed., Jan. 14. In duals this winter, the Vikings edged Lincoln, 45-36, and defeated UCHS handily 54-27 Dec. 17.
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