Every year the Moore League wrestling finals bring new opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Grapplers can avenge losses from earlier in the season, win for the first time or continue building on legacies they\u2019ve started during their time in high school.<\/p>\n
On Saturday that was the case at Cabrillo as 14 athletes claimed their bragging rights at the Moore League Boys Wrestling Finals on the Westside. <\/p>\n
Millikan freshman Anthony Avelar started the day with his first Moore League title as he defeated Wilson\u2019s Dominic Cortez via pin in the 106-pound title bout.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really grateful for it,\u201d Avelar said of winning. \u201cI\u2019m just happy that I got to be in this position. It was really hard to get up here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Long Beach Poly\u2019s Knox Espinoza continued his reign as he won the 120-pound crown defeating Millikan\u2019s Kai Backstrom for his third title in three years. Espinoza took the 113-pound title last year and the 106-pound title his freshman year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMy goal today was to get another Moore League title,\u201d Espinoza said. \u201cAnd then next year to become one of the four-time champions. That\u2019s the main goal.\u201d<\/p>\n
Millikan continued the back-and-forth with the Jackrabbits as Chase Antrobius avenged his loss in the final last year as he defeated Cabillo\u2019s Jonathan Marcos by pin.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Jackrabbits won the next two matches as Colin Ornelas (132) and Lincoln Chung (138) won titles. Chung defeated Millikan\u2019s Jimmy Alvarez Jr. as the two have been matched up numerous times this season and could meet again in the postseason.<\/p>\n
The Rams\u2019 next winner won in one of the thrillers of the afternoon as Milad Sharif defeated Jayden Al Ekong for the 144-pound title in a sudden victory when Sharif was able to earn a point by escape when the match came down to a sudden victory period. Sharif desperately tried pulling his foot out from Al Ekong\u2019s grasp across the mat before he finally managed the escape, sending him and his teammates and coaches into a state of pure elation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI still don\u2019t think I\u2019m down,\u201d Sharif said of calming down after the adrenaline of his win. \u201cThat\u2019s a moment where I\u2019ll never forget that moment in my life. A lot of preparation has gone into this and I work super hard. I took a loss to him early in the season, so you know I respect him and his coaches \u2013 but I wanted it more.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sharif credited his coaches for working with him as they prepared for the finals to get him ready for his potential match against Al Ekong.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI did a lot of game planning,\u201d Sharif said. \u201cMe and my coaches, one-on-one work and I put a lot of work outside of school for wrestling. My goals are to go far, go to state \u2013 do the best I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Millikan\u2019s Jason Fiala and Chris Anguiano made it three straight match wins as Fiala won his second-straight title earning the 150-pound gold medal. For Anguiano, it was the junior\u2019s third title in a row as he earned gold in the 157-pound gold in a win over Long Beach Poly\u2019s Alek Carrera.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s very exciting being a 3-time champ,\u201d Anguiano said. \u201cNot a lot of people can say that they\u2019ve gotten to do that. But, that\u2019s just a stepping stone in my goal of going to state and I gotta keep taking them down all the way up until state. I plan to win CIF and go to Masters and show everybody that SoCal is where it\u2019s at.\u201d<\/p>\n
Wilson senior Gannan Erickson made sure to make the most of his title appearance in the following match as he defeated Cabrillo\u2019s Luis Garcia for the 165-pound title. It was a meaningful finish for Erickson after being a runner-up last season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year I came up short,\u201d Erickson said. \u201cBut this year I got first and I\u2019m really happy about that. I was trying pretty hard.\u201d<\/p>\n
Long Beach Poly\u2019s Albert Olague was the next repeat champion as he defeated Lakewood\u2019s Joseph Macias for the 175-pound title. Last season, Olague was the 182-pound champion. The Jackrabbits\u2019 Jordan Dizon was the next repeat champion for Long Beach Poly as he defeated Millikan\u2019s Tyson Dabu for the 190-pound title. Last year, Dizon won the 195-pound gold.<\/p>\n
Millikan\u2019s Daniel Escobedo was the Rams\u2019 last champion of the day as he defeated Long Beach Poly\u2019s Kevin Bennett for the 215-pound gold. Escobedo said it\u2019s just the start for him after claiming his first Moore League gold.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means a lot, and we still got more work to do,\u201d Escobedo said. \u201cTime to get ready for CIF, I\u2019m ready.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the final match of the afternoon, Long Beach Poly\u2019s sophomore Supe Vai Timu defeated Millikan\u2019s Teagan Rowsell by pin for the 285-pound gold. It was a meaningful win for the two-spot athlete after joining the wrestling team after football season.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThroughout my two years of high school already I wasn\u2019t a Moore League champ,\u201d Timu said. \u201cI\u2019m just happy to see everyone smiling during Moore League and individuals. I\u2019m just happy and I thank God for this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n
The wrestling season isn\u2019t over for the top four placers in each weight class as they\u2019ll now prepare for the CIF Individual Championships Friday and Saturday at Moorpark High School.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Final Results (Top 4 Qualify For CIF)<\/p>\n
106-pound<\/p>\n
1. Anthony Avelar \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
2. Dominic Cortez \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
3. Jeremy Arias \u2013 Cabrillo<\/p>\n
113-pound<\/p>\n
1. Martin Ornelas \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
2. Daniel Cullen \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
3. Christian Naples \u2013 Cabrillo<\/p>\n
4. Joshua Rodriguez \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
120-pound<\/p>\n
1. Knox Espinoza \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
2. Kai Backstrom \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
3. Joshua Franklin \u2013 Cabrillo<\/p>\n
4. Maddox House \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
126-pound<\/p>\n
1. Chase Antrobius \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
2. Jonathan Marcos \u2013 Cabrillo<\/p>\n
3. Jacob Cuevas \u2013 Lakewood<\/p>\n
4. Chris Calhoun \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
132-pound<\/p>\n
1. Colin Ornelas \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
2. Damien Orozco \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
3. Jason Nguon \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
4. Anthony Madrigal \u2013 Lakewood<\/p>\n
138-pound<\/p>\n
1 Lincoln Chung \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
2. Jimmy Alvarez Jr \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
3. Cameron McCormick \u2013 Lakewood<\/p>\n
4. Malakhy Rodriguez \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
144-pound<\/p>\n
1. Milad Sharif \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
2. Jayden Al Ekong \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
3. Adrian Dominguez \u2013 Cabrillo<\/p>\n
4. Michael Ramirez \u2013 Lakewood<\/p>\n
5. Keanu Kubo \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
6. Salvador Miramontes \u2013 Compton<\/p>\n
150-pound<\/p>\n
1. Jason Fiala \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
2. Rocky Lo \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
3. German Ampude \u2013 Cabrillo<\/p>\n
4. Jowell Lazo \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
5. Ithiel Flores \u2013 Compton\u00a0<\/p>\n
6. Ethan Romero \u2013 Lakewood<\/p>\n
157-pound<\/p>\n
1. Chris Anguiano \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
2. Alek Carrera \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
3. Earnest Davis \u2013 Cabrillo<\/p>\n
4. Kevin Morales \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
5. Kevin Gomez \u2013 Compton<\/p>\n
165-pound<\/p>\n
1. Gannan Erickson \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
2. Luis Garcia \u2013 Cabrillo<\/p>\n
3. Braxton Chung \u2013 Poly<\/p>\n
4. Joseph Fields \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
175-pound<\/p>\n
1. Alberto Olague \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
2. Joseph Macias \u2013 Lakewood<\/p>\n
3. Mario Vanlizzen \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
4. Malcolm Falls \u2013 Compton<\/p>\n
5. Elijah Mejia \u2013 Cabrillo<\/p>\n
6. Jacob Ramos \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
190-pound<\/p>\n
1. Jordan Dizon \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
2. Tyson Dabu \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
3. Jacob Lopez \u2013 Jordan<\/p>\n
4. Miguel Ramos \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n
5. Rudolfo Velazquez \u2013 Cabrillo<\/p>\n
6. Anthony Luna \u2013 Compton<\/p>\n
215-pound<\/p>\n
1 Daniel Escobedo \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
2. Kevin Bennett \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
3. Emmanuel Magallanes \u2013 Jordan<\/p>\n
4. Andel Valencia \u2013 Compton<\/p>\n
5. Nathan Karst<\/p>\n
285-pound<\/p>\n
1 Supe Vai Timu \u2013 Long Beach Poly<\/p>\n
2. Teagan Rowsell \u2013 Millikan<\/p>\n
3. Marvin Padilla \u2013 Compton<\/p>\n
4. Jericho Rodriguez \u2013 Lakewood<\/p>\n
5. Halil Pala \u2013 Wilson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every year the Moore League wrestling finals bring new opportunities.\u00a0 Grapplers can avenge losses from earlier in the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":168982,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[131,133,132],"class_list":{"0":"post-168981","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-long-beach","8":"tag-long-beach","9":"tag-long-beach-headlines","10":"tag-long-beach-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168981","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=168981"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/168981\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/168982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=168981"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=168981"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=168981"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}