Day 2 results of the CIF State Wrestling Championships, 5 locals advance

[ASFN Admin]

Five High Desert wrestlers have moved on to the third day of action, with hopes of placing at the CIF State Wrestling Championships in Bakersfield.

Eleven local wrestlers from four different schools qualified for the three-day state tournament, held at Dignity Health Arena from Feb. 26 through 28.

Victor Valley’s Daniel Mendoza made an impressive run Friday with his pair of pinfall victories, brothers Cael and Jackson Humphrey will represent Sultana, Emiliano Hernandez will be Hesperia’s lone representative and Excelsior’s Itzel Padilla is the lone girl to move on.

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Here’s a look at how our local wrestlers did on the second day of action in Bakersfield.

Cael Humphrey, Sultana, 132 pounds​

• Day 2: Humphrey, who took eighth place in last year’s tournament, lost a 14-2 major decision against Birmingham’s Arno Vardanyan, ranked No. 4. Humphrey will begin the consolation bracket action against Joseph Albert, of Everett Alvarez, who scored an 18-7 major decision over Gabriel Pacheco, of Central Union.
• Day 1: Humphrey, ranked No. 5, made quick work in his opening match, pinning James Logan’s Miguel Rodriguez in just over a minute. The junior followed that up by pinning Esperanza’s Joseph Guardado at the 3:29 mark.

More: JT Roach's journey from being a desert hooper to a head coach in the CIF-SS finals

Daniel Mendoza, Victor Valley, 113 pounds​

• Day 2: Mendoza began the consolation bracket action by pinning Folsom's Nox Cruzat in 35 seconds, and Elk Grove's Isaiah Gonzaga in 20 seconds. Mendoza will begin the third day of action against Palm Desert's Alekzander Espinoza.
• Day 1: Mendoza scored a 20-second pinfall victory over Escondido’s Jayden Montoya before losing by tech fall (22-6) to Buchanan’s Thiago Silva, ranked No. 2 in the division.

More: A look back at historic Barstow Riffians 1953 CIF championship season

Emiliano Hernandez, Hesperia, 150 pounds​

• Day 2: Hernandez, ranked No. 9, began the consolation action with a 10-1 major decision over Del Oro's Cooper Sheesley. Hernandez then scored a 7-1 decision over Clovis North's Blake Trelles. Hernandez will begin the third day of action against Birmingham's Greg Torosian, who is ranked No. 6.
• Day 1: Hernandez, ranked No. 9 in the division, wrestled three times, drawing a pigtail round matchup against Red Bluff’s Charles Rice and scoring a pinfall at the 2:17 mark. He then beat Turlock’s Jack Locke by major decision (15-2) before being upset in a 5-4 decision to Poway’s Carlos Valdiviezo, ranked No. 24.

Jackson Humphrey, Sultana, 126 pounds​

• Day 2: Humphrey scored a 10-6 decision over Roosevelt's Jesse Quiroz. Humphrey then pinned Bellarmine’s Julian Holguín at the 4:49 mark. Humphrey will begin the third day of action against No. 5 ranked Aaron Meza, of Esperanza. Humphrey lost a 6-3 decision against Mesa at the CIF-SS Masters on Feb. 20.
• Day 1: Humphrey scored an 11-2 major decision over Oakdale’s Jake Simmons in his opening match. He then lost by pinfall against Clovis North’s Sirah Sidhu, ranked No. 2 in the division, at the 2:20 mark.

Itzel Padilla, Excelsior, 135 pounds​

• Day 2: Padilla, who placed seventh in the division last year, lost by pinfall in the quarterfinals against No. 1-ranked Zahra Stewart, of Orange Vista. The two faced off at the CIF-SS Masters on Feb. 21. Padilla will begin the consolation rounds against Poway’s Edna Rodriguez-Villanueva, who pinned Maggie Tobacco, of Prospect.
• Day 1: Padilla scored a pair of tech fall victories. She first beat Durham’s Emma Waggoner at the 2:45 mark, and followed that up by pinning Golden West’s Alex Torres at 3:55.

How the rest of the High Desert wrestlers did​

Cheyanne Stepanian, Hesperia, 125 pounds​

• Day 2: Stepanian lost her opening match in the consolation bracket. She was pinned by St. Francis' April Gao in one minute.
• Day 1: Stepanian began the day with a pinfall victory over Red Bluff’s Madison Bailey at the 1:17 mark. She was pinned by Del Oro’s Kaiya Maggini to drop into the consolation bracket.

Ellie Meyer, Victor Valley, 115 pounds​

• Day 2: Meyer lost her opening match in the consolation bracket. She lost a 10-1 major decision to Cosumnes Oaks' Bailey Rademaker.
• Day 1: Meyer lost her opening match to Galileo’s Daisy Infante at the 2:27 mark.

Jonathan Ugarte, Hesperia, 157 pounds​

• Day 2: Ugarte went on a big run to begin the consolation bracket. He scored a 9-0 major decision over Kingsburg’s Paxton Palomar, pinned St. Augustine's Georges Daniel at the 4:37 mark and pulled off a 10-9 decision over Dos Pueblos' Brandon Velasquez with a late takedown. Ugarte’s run came to an end with a 9-5 decision loss to Birmingham's Roman Arakelyan.
• Day 1: Ugarte lost his opening match by decision (4-2) against Gilroy’s Anthony Cazarez.

Maddox Hazard, Sultana, 120 pounds​

• Day 2: Hazard lost his opening match in the consolation rounds by pinfall against Selma's Caleb Cisneros at the 2:32 mark.
• Day 1: Hazard lost a 9-4 decision against Joey Guanella, of Windsor, in his opening match.

Max Stevenson, Hesperia, 175 pounds​

• Day 2: Stevenson began the consolation rounds with a pinfall victory over Serra's Finnian Hannegan at the 2:30 mark. Stevenson also pinned Hannegan at the CIF-SS Masters. Stevenson’s run came to an end with a 10-5 decision loss to Centennial's Keshaun White.
• Day 1: Like his teammate Hernandez, Stevenson also began by pinning Shafter’s Jayden Gonzalez at the 1:53 mark in the pigtail round. He then pinned Vallhalla’s Marcelino Nona (1:59) before losing by tech fall (20-4) against St. John Bosco’s Isai Fernandez, who is ranked No. 3 in the division.

Zander West, Victor Valley, heavyweight​

• Day 2: West lost his first match in the consolation bracket. He lost a 21-2 tech fall against Granite Hills' Travin Shahbaz.
• Day 1: West lost by decision to Clovis West’s Bedros Behnam (7-2).

If you plan on attending​

Saturday’s action is split into two sessions, with general admission at $15 for each session. High school students, children, and seniors pay $11 for the final session, which features the championship matches.

Tickets are currently available for purchase through AXS. Tickets purchased at the arena will have a $3 facility fee.

Here’s a full schedule for the final day of the tournament.

• 7 a.m. — Boys weigh-in
• 7:30 a.m. — Girls weigh-in
• 8 a.m. — General admission doors open
• 9 a.m. — Consolation: Fourth round
• 10:30 a.m. — Semifinals
• 10:30 a.m. — Consolation: Fifth round
• 12:30 — Consolation: Semifinals
• 1:30 p.m. — 3rd, 5th, 7th place matches
• 3:30 — Arena will be cleared
• 4:45 p.m. — Doors reopen
• 5:45 p.m. — Grand march (recognition program)
• 6:15 p.m. — Championship matches

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Five High Desert wrestlers advance to CIF state championships day 3

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