State-record fourth straight championship won by Fresno City

Brackets
Team Scores

FRESNO - For the fourth season in a row, and 17th time in their history, Fresno City College has won the CCCAA Wrestling State Championships. It marks the first time a school has won four consecutive state championships. Previously, only Fresno City (2010-12), El Camino College (1964-66) and San Bernardino Valley (1959-61) had accomplished the feat.

The Rams, who finished with 186 team points, had seven of their entries advance to the championship rounds in six weight classifications. They went on to win four individual state champions, which improves their state-leading total to 87. Southern California Regional champion Cerritos College finished in a distant second place with 137 team points and had two individual champs. It was a battle for the next four positions in the team standings, with Bakersfield College (77) Sacramento City College (72), Sierra College (70) and Mt. San Antonio College (65) rounding out the top six finishers.

For the third season in a row, Paul Keysaw (pictured, left with George Moreno) was named the state's Coach of the year, and award he had received 10 times in his career, with seven of them coming as the Fresno City head coach. His top assistant, George Moreno, received the Assistant Coach of the Year for the third year in a row.

The state tournament's Outstanding Wrestler was Moorpark College's Jacob Hansen, who won the 165-pound weight class with a pair of pins and then a 7-2 victory in the championship match. He was the first Moorpark recipient of the award since 1999.

125 Pounds
#1S Jonathan Prata (Cerritos) def. #1N Mario Moreno (Fresno City), 3-2
Three weeks ago at the CCCAA Team Dual State Championship match, Mario Moreno handed Jonathan Prata his first loss of the season, 5-2. But in the most important match of the season, Prata was able to score a third period reversal and earn enough riding time for an extra point to secure the victory. After a scoreless first period, Moreno was able to earn an escape point early on in the second period, with the two wrestlers looking for the other to make a mistake. That came within the first :13 seconds of the third period, as Prata was able to get hold of Moreno's legs and score the reversal. Moreno was able to escape the hold with :24 seconds remaining in the match, but could not get in another shot attempt.

3rd Place - #3N Brandon Mendoza (Modesto) def. #6S Nick Foster (Lassen), 15-10
5th Place - #5N Ramiro Castillo (Fresno City) def. #2S Connor Diamond (Mt. SAC), 6-1
7th Place - #3S Keithen Estrada (Bakersfield) def. #2N Gavin Sweeny (Sierra), 4-2
NOTES: Mario Moreno placed 2nd in 2018 at 125 pounds; Keithen Estrada placed 6th at 125 pounds in 2018

133 Pounds
2S Kahlil Tucker (Rio Hondo) def. #4N Houston Scibek (Modesto), 7-6
Coming out with a lot of energy Tucker was able to get a two-point takedown seven seconds into the match. He was then penalized a point for clasping his hands, and after a Scibek escape, it was a 2-2 match after the first three minutes. Starting the second period down, Tucker scored a reversal for a 4-2 advantage, but was then penalized another point for stalling after receiving an earlier warning. The lead changed hands in the third period when Scibek got an escape point and takedown for a 6-4 lead with 1:15 remaining. The lead didn't last long, as Tucker used his lean frame to get around Scibek for a reversal and then rode him the rest of the way for the tie-breaking and championship point.

3rd Place - #3S Stefano McKinney (Cerritos) def. #3N Owen Jones (Santa Rosa), 15-6
5th Place - #1N Louie Bravo (Fresno City) def. #2N Cole Kachmar (Sacramento City), 7-3
7th Place - #1S Andres Gonzales (Cerritos) def. #6S Jude Miranda (West Hills), 9-2

141 Pounds
#1S Isaiah Mora (Cerritos) def. #3S Christian Espinoza (Rio Hondo), 10-7
Battling injuries most of the season, Isaiah Mora overcame those obstacles and a pair of losses earlier in the season against Christian Espinoza. Trailing early, Mora scored six straight points to take a 6-2 lead early in the second period. That scoring streak also included a two-point near fall in the first period. However, Espinoza pulled to within 8-6 before the end of the second period with a two-point near fall of his own. It was 8-7 just three seconds into the third period, with both wrestlers looking for what could be a championship takedown. Both took their shots, but it was Mora who scored with :01 second remaining to earn the championship.

3rd Place - #2N Andre Chavez (Fresno City) def. #4S Bradley Chirino (Mt. SAC), 15-8
5th Place - #3N Ivan Gomez (Modesto) def. #2S David Ortega (Victor Valley), 3-2
7th Place - #1N Raul Ortiz (Sacramento City) def. #5S Ali Kaveh (Santa Ana), 8-3
NOTES: Ivan Gomez placed 7th at 133 pounds in 2018; Raul Ortiz placed 2nd at 133 pounds in 2018

149 Pounds
#1N Daniel Ruiz (Fresno City) def. #2N Chris Gaxiola (Fresno City), 3-2
In a rematch of the Northern California championship match, Chris Gaxiola was looking to post a win in their final matchup of the season. The teammates were locked in a scoreless battle after the first period as both spent the first three minutes looking for any kind of advantage. Ruiz broke the tie with an escape point early in the second period, while Gaxiola countered in the third period. With time running out, Gaxiola looked to make a move, but over-shot his position, with Ruiz able to convert it into a two-point takedown with :31 seconds remaining to clinch the win.

3rd Place - #4N Greg Ewart (Santa Rosa) def. #3N Logan Garcia (Lassen), 18-9
5th Place - #1S Adrian Gonzalez (Bakersfield) pinned #5N Joe Kachmar (Sacramento City), 4:25
7th Place - #2S V'ante Moore (Cerritos) def. #3S Josue Aguilar (East Los Angeles), 6-1
NOTES: Daniel Ruiz won the state championship at 149 pounds in 2018; Logan Garcia placed 8th at 141 pounds in 2018

157 Pounds
#3N Josh McMillan (Fresno City) def. #4N William Schwertscharf (Modesto), 9-3
Josh McMillan, fresh off a win over William Schwertscharf in the third place match of the Northern California third place match, used a strong defensive approach to hold a 5-1 lead after the first two period. After escaping from the down position in the third period to get to within 5-2, Schwertscharf had both legs taken down and trailed, 7-2 with just :27 seconds left, which was enough for McMillan to win the championship.

3rd Place - #1S Larry Rodriguez (Cerritos) tech fall #2N Ryan Ojeda (Sierra), 16-1
5th Place - #2S Emmanuel Zepeda (East Los Angeles) injury default #1N Hunter LaRue (Sacramento)
7th Place - #3S Doroteo Lopez (East Los Angeles) pinned #5N Gabriel DeHaro (Lassen), 4:34
NOTES: Larry Rodriguez placed 4th at 149 pounds in 2018

165 Pounds
#1S Jacob Hansen (Moorpark) def. #1N Augie Garcia (Fresno City), 7-2
Facing the defending state champion at 165 pounds, Jacob Hansen (pictured, left) scored a late takedown in the first period and then rode Augie Garcia for the entire second period, which would help him secure a extra point for riding time. But he wouldn't need it, as he escaped from a takedown with 1:04 left in the third period and clinched the victory when he scored his own takedown with :51 seconds remaining, with the riding time earning him an extra point.

3rd Place - #2S Wetzel Hill (Mt. San Antonio) major #6N Jeronimo Cardosa (West Hills), 25-12
5th Place - #3N Darin Chick (San Joaquin Delta) def. #2N Manny Curry (Sacramento City), 10-9
7th Place - #4S Drake De La Cruz (Cerritos) tech fall #4N Alex Thornburg (Sacramento City), 19-4
NOTES: Augie Garcia won the state championship at 165 pounds in 2018; Manny Curry placed 7th at 157 pounds in 2018

174 Pounds
#1S Jonathan Hunter (Bakersfield) pinned #1N Chase Miles (Sacramento City), 2:25
In the only match of the evening that ended in a pin, it also secured third place in the team standings for Bakersfield with the team points. Sacramento City needed a win to catapult over the Renegades for third place in the final standings. However, Jonathan Hunter was able to take a 2-0 first period lead, and after his takedown in the second period, finished off the match with the pin.

3rd Place - #3N Arturo Rivas (Fresno City) pinned #2S Kevin Hope (Mt. San Antonio), 4:17
5th Place - #2N Devyn Kreb (Sierra) major #5S Kevin Ayala (Mt. San Antonio), 19-8
7th Place - #3S Bryan Samayoa (Cerritos) pinned #6N Jamal Starks (San Joaquin Delta), 3:25

184 Pounds
#1N Stephen Martin (Skyline) def. #3S Jacob Annis (Bakersfield), 7-0
Using a methodical approach to his match, Stephen Martin became the first Skyline state champion since 2000 and just the fifth in school history. He opened with a first period takedown and rode Jacob Annis the final 2:15 of the period. With Annis choosing neutral to start the second period, the two looked to see who would get the next advantage, with Martin securing another takedown with :37 seconds left in the period. He ended the match strongly with another late takedown for the shutout win.

3rd Place - #2N Ryan Rucklos (Lassen) major #1S Joey Conroy (Palomar), 8-0
5th Place - #2S Breck Jeffus (Cuesta) pinned #4S Angel Verduzco (Cerritos), 2:16
7th Place - #6S Melad Ayyoub (Mt. San Antonio) major #4N Bobby Mello (Santa Rosa), 14-5

197 Pounds
#1N Jack Kilner (Fresno City) def. #1S Hamzah Al-Saudi (Cerritos), 1-0
In the most controversial match of the night, Hamzah Al-Saudi thought he had pulled the upset win over Jack Kilner on a takedown with just :10 seconds left in the match. However, the officials overruled the takedown and Kilner burned the rest of the clock for the win. At the CCCAA Team Dual State Championship match, Kilner shut out Al-Saudi, 9-0.

3rd Place - #2N Hunter Gonzalez (Sierra) pinned #4S Ricardo Gonzalez (Bakersfield), 2:46
5th Place - #2S Andy Voong (Rio Hondo) major #4N Patrick Slatic (West Hills), 11-1
7th Place - #3N Lazaro Carrasco (Chabot) pinned #5N Steven Karas (Sacramento City), :58
NOTES: Hunter Gonzalez placed 4th at 174 pounds in 2018; Andy Voong placed 7th at 197 pounds in 2018

285 Pounds
1N Armando Barcenas (Fresno City) def. #1S Enrique Galacia (Palomar), 5-2
The night ended with the Rams winning their fourth individual title, as well as their fourth straight team championship. Armando Barcenas was locked in a scoreless match with Enrique Galacia after the first three minutes before Galacia was able to get on the board with a second period escape. That 1-0 score would carry over into the final period until Barcenas was able to get up and out in five seconds to tie the match at 1-1. With thoughts of overtime in everyone's mind, Barcenas locked both legs and got Galacia down for a takedown in the waning seconds and added another with one second on the clock.

3rd Place - #2S Juan Camacho (Cuesta) def. #2N Victor Yakshin (Sierra), 4-1
5th Place - #4S David Aranda (East Los Angeles) def. #5S Randy Arriaga (Cerritos), 5-3
7th Place - #3N Alex Mosquada (Sierra) injury default #3S Ben Hodhodiabkena (Moorpark)