Mighty Poway wrestling moved back up to Division I and you could see an immediate impact — they lost four matches!
After a decade down at Division II, the Titans returned to the largest school division, amassing 379 team points and 10 champions to outdistance the field to claim their 42nd total and 41st straight sectional title Saturday at Rancho Bernardo High School.
The host Broncos finished a distant second with 213 points. Two South Bay teams came in third and fourth, Otay Ranch finished with 134 and Eastlake right behind with 127.
“We had a few guys lose, but every one was in the fight all the way to the end,” said Poway head coach John Meyers, who saw his team’s only losses be in the finals by a total of 11 combined points. “Of course we have to get better in some positions, but I’m really excited to see how those guys who lost can turn the tables around.”
One of those losses came at 120 pounds, where Rancho Bernardo’s four-time CIF champion Jacob Jones got a first-period takedown and a second-period reversal and held on for a 4-2 decision over Poway’s Billy Townson.
“I always really enjoy wrestling Poway guys, they’re always tough,” said Jones, currently ranked No. 5 in the state. “I can’t let up, I’m a senior and every match could be my last in high school.”
The Titans came out quickly in the finals, getting a pair of pins from Devin Bobzien at 106 and Edwin Sierra at 113, both in the exact same time of 1:43.
Elias Navida righted the ship after the Jones victory for Poway, decisioning Rancho Bernardo’s RJ Villegas 2-0 at 126.
The finals during this portion seemed to be a rematch of the team’s dual meet.
One major difference came at 132, where RB’s Brandon Eusebio avenged his dual meet loss to Poway’s Jalen Concepcion by downing him 7-3 in the final.
“He beat me earlier, 5-4,” said Eusebio. “That was the first time I cut to 134. But it proves all the hard work I’ve been putting in is working.”
That set off a string of six straight impressive victories by the state’s No. 2 ranked Titans.
Four of the six came by pin.
The quickest of the falls came at 184, where Callen O’Mahoney pinned Otay Ranch’s Diego Camacho in just 26 seconds.
Angelo Posada also had a first-period pin at 160, downing Mission Hills’ Thomas Cho in 1:13.
Paul Kelly’s pin in 2:29 at 140 and Luke Condon’s fall at 4:24 at 172 rounded out that streak of pins until Adam Farha pinned San Marcos’ Tevita Taufa in 1:22 at 285. Laird Root added a 13-3 major decision over Marcus Caro of RB at 145 and Aliaksandr Kidiniou added a solid 10-3 decision over Mission Hills’ Tyler Brown at 152
The other two non-Poway champions were by Eastlake’s Alejandro Martinez at 195 and Patrick Henry’s Elijah Vinoray at 220.
“We made some big adjustments after the Doc Buchanan and it’s helped,” summed up Condon, the No. 1 170-pounder in the state. “We’re not practicing just to practice anymore. We’re coming after Buchanan, and they’re scared.”
San Diego Section Championships
DIVISION I
At Rancho Bernardo High
Team: Poway 379, Rancho Bernardo 213, Otay Ranch 134, Eastlake 127, San Marcos 122, Torrey Pines 117.5, Mission Hills 116, Helix 108.5, Patrick Henry 103, Del Norte 62.5.
Top Seven advance to Masters
Finals: 106 – Bobzien (Pow) pin Cava (TP) 1:43; 113 – Sierra (Pow) pin Vinoray (PH) 1:43 ; 120 – Jones (RB) dec. Townson (RB) 4-2; 126 – Navida (Pow) dec. Villegas (RB) 2-0; 132 – Eusebio (RB) dec. Concepcion 7-3; 138 – Kelly (Pow) pin Harrison (RB) 2:29; 145 – Root (Pow) maj. dec. Caro (RB) 13-3; 152 – Kikiniou (Pow) dec. Brown (MH) 10-3; 160 – Posada (Pow) pin Cho (MH) 1:13; 170 – Condon (Pow) pin Mitrovich (EL) 4:24; 182– O’Mahoney (Pow) pin Camacho (OR) :26; 195 – Martinez (EL) dec.Taylor (Pow) 10-6; 220 – Vinoray (PH) dec. Am. Farha (Pow) 6-5; 285 – Ad. Farha pin Taufa (SM) 1:22.
Farmer is a freelance writer.
