Bonita Vista Barons are Metro’s best on the mat— again

By all accounts, it was supposed to be a killer season for the Bonita Vista High School boys wrestling team, perhaps even topping last year’s history-making San Diego Section Division II championship season.

Then the injuries hit. Five major ones.

Still, there was no quitting.

Head coach Joe Marcotte drew up an alternate training plan and the Barons went on to find a good measure of success.

The team completed a perfect 8-0 dual meet campaign, winning its third consecutive Metro-Mesa League dual title with a 5-0 record.

That was just the beginning. Bonita Vista won its third consecutive Metro Conference title Saturday at Mater Dei Catholic High School by topping the 13-team field with 241.5 points — well ahead of runner-up Hilltop’s 153.5 points.

The Barons qualified nine wrestlers for the championship round, winning five individual titles.

“This year has been tough,” Marcotte admitted. “We’re missing some of the best wrestlers we’ve ever had. We’ve worked around a training schedule that has pushed us to our limits. Yet, everyone. — several underclassmen and newer wrestlers, included — stepped up and exceeded expectations. It’s been an amazing team effort.”

Bonita Vista’s Metro champions included Michael Sanchez (134 pounds), Adrian Tapia (140 pounds), Nathan Banaszek (146 pounds), Andre Lipford (177 pounds) and Jad Keddo (192 pounds).

Silver medalists included Matteo Arechiga (115), Edwin Flores (128), Conlon Merton (152) and Madden Poderick (167).

Banaszek, ranked fifth in the section in his weight class, earned honors at this year’s outstanding lower weight wrestler with a 27-7 record while Otay Ranch’s Isaiah Sary (24-7) captured the outstanding upper weight awardz

Both OW’s recorded three pins and a bye on the day.

The next step for the Barons is Saturday’s Division II tournament at Southwest El Centro High School in Imperial Valley.

“The goal has always been to qualify as many as possible for state.” Marcotte said.

Top-ranked wrestlers include Mar Vista’s Aaron Marcial (second at 165) and Ryder Barang (fourth at 106), Otay Ranch’s Anthony Hernandez (fourth at 106), Hilltop’s Ricardo De La Torre (fifth at 165), BV’s Keddo (fifth at 190), Flores (sixth at 126), Tapia (seventh at 138) and Poderick (eighth at 165), Olympian’s Nicholas Tuatoo (seventh at 113), Noah Soria (10th at 150), Michael Jorensen (10th at 190), and Tamin Bader (10th at 215), San Ysidro’s Frank Zambada (ninth at 126) and Southwest’s Uziel Diaz (10th at 120).

Metro Conference Boys Wrestling Championship Tournament

Saturday, Feb. 7 at Mater Dei Catholic High School

Top Teams
Points: 1. Bonita Vista 241.5, 2. Hilltop 153.5, 3. Olympian 151, 4. San Ysidro 149.5, 5. Otay Ranch 141.5, 6. Mar Vista 89.5, 7. Mater Dei Catholic 84, 8. Chula Vista 75.5, 9. Montgomery 66.5, 10. Eastlake 66, 11. Southwest 52, 12. Sweetwater 34, 13. Castle Park 10

Top Individuals
108 Pounds
Championship: Ryder Bareng (Mar Vista) dec. Diego Herrera (Mater Dei Catholic) 7-3
Third place: Anthony Hernandez (Otay Ranch) major dec. Abiel Rangel (Eastlake) 19-9

115 Pounds
Championship: Jon Francis-Asuncion (Otay Ranch) pinned Matteo Arechiga (Bonita Vista) 1:51
Third place: Ayden Pendergraft (Mar Vista) major dec. Eric Garcia (San Ysidro) 16-6

122 Pounds
Championship: Nicholas Tuatoo (Olympian) dec. Uziel Diaz (Southwest) 8-5
Third place: Gustavo Aguilar (San Ysidro) dec. Sean Ramirez (Otay Ranch) 10-5

128 Pounds
Championship: Frank Zambada (San Ysidro) major dec. Edwin Flores (Bonita Vista) 19-7
Third place: Nathan Abalos (Olympian) dec. Alan Vasquez (Mater Dei Catholic) 10-4

134 Pounds
Championship: Michael Sanchez (Bonita Vista) pinned Salamon Santana-Valdez (San Ysidro) 4:00
Third place: Daniel Hernandez (Hilltop) pinned Cyrus Willie (Otay Ranch) 4:05

140 Pounds
Championship: Adrian Tapia (Bonita Vista) tech fall Joshua Panuco (Sweetwater) 20-4
Third place: Jonathan Avila (Chula Vista) tech fall Joaquin Hermonsura (Eastlake) 16-1

146 Pounds
Championship: Nathan Banaszek (Bonita Vista) pinned Ian Ramos (Olympian) 2:50
Third place: Alejandro Gonzalez (Chula Vista) pinned Christian Leal (Hilltop) 1:52

152 Pounds
Championship: Alan Jean (Montgomery) dec. Conlon Merton (Bonita Vista) 7-4 (OT)
Third place: Noah Soria (Olympian) dec. Elysian Bellaire (San Ysidro) 5-2

159 Pounds
Championship: Ron Pizarro (Mater Dei Catholic) pinned Angel Lopez (Hilltop) 3:12
Third place: Aiden Herrera (Chula Vista) tech fall Aiden Cortes (Bonita Vista) 15-0

167 Pounds
Championship: Aaron Marcial (Mar Vista) dec. Madden Poderick (Bonita Vista) 6-5
Third place: Ricardo De La Torre (Hilltop) pinned Michael Silva (Montgomery) 2:17

177 Pounds
Championship: Andre Lipford (Bonita Vista) pinned Mikhail Cornejo (Mater Dei Catholic) 3:42
Third place: Jaidon Castillo (Otay Ranch) pinned Micah Hopkins (Hilltop) 2:21

192 Pounds
Championship: Jad Keddo (Bonita Vista) def. Michael Jorgensen (Olympian), medical forfeit
Third place: Guy Knowles (Hilltop) pinned Noah Hudkins (Mar Vista) 1:47

217 Pounds
Championship: Jeyren Lopez (San Ysidro) dec. Michael Maddy (Hilltop) 9-8
Third place: Tamin Bader (Olympian) pinned Diego DeLa Vega (Eastlake) 1:12

287 Pounds
Championship: Isaiah Sary (Otay Ranch) pinned Nicolas Quintal (San Ysidro) 1:22
Third place: Erik Nealson (Hilltop) dec. Aiden Avalos (Montgomery) 4-1 (OT)

Dual Meet Champions
Metro-Mesa League: Bonita Vista Barons
Metro-South Bay League: San Ysidro Cougars

Top Records
Ryder Barang, Mar Vista, 106 pounds – 28-8
Nathan Banaszek, Bonita Vista, 146 pounds – 27-7
Frank Zambada, San Ysidro, 128 pounds – 25-3
Isiah Sary, Otay Ranch, 287 pounds – 24-7
Aaron Marcial, Mar Vista, 167 pounds, 23-5
Alan Jean, Montgomery, 152 pounds -20-3
Jeyren Lopez, San Ysidro, 217 pounds – 15-2
Jon Francis-Asuncion, Otay Ranch, 113 pounds, 12-11

Parade of Champions
Photos by Phillip Brents