Santa Barbara High’s wrestlers carried out coach Marc Fidel’s game plan to a tee, and the result was a history-making victory over perennial powerhouse Dos Pueblos in a Channel League dual meet on Wednesday night at Sovine Gym.
The Dons’ 39-36 decision was their first-ever victory against DP.
“History,” Fidel said proudly. “The first time ever Santa Barbara beat DP in wrestling.”
The Dons got key pins from Benicio Holland Garcia at 170 pounds, Jose Zapien at 195 and Austin Dye at 113, and Angel Parra scored a vital win at 182 pounds to spark the momentous night.
“We had a game plan and it had to be executed perfectly, and every single kid did their job. If one kid in the chain breaks, we can’t win the match,” Fidel said. “Every kid did their job. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of a team … really impressive.”
The match marked Fidel’s return to Dos Pueblos, where he served as an assistant for a program that won six straight Channel League titles. His staff at Santa Barbara includes other coaches from those DP title teams, Mike Yamasaki and Tyler Mearce. His son, Ryan, a three-time Channel League champion, two-time CIF State Meet qualifier and a standout wrestler and a recent graduate of Colorado School of Mines, also is helping out.
Dye scored the match-clinching win with a stunning pin against DP’s Francisco Espinosa. After tying the score with a two-point takedown in the second period, Dye flipped Espinosa on his back and recorded the fall with 1:14 left in the period.
“I said to him, ‘It’s time now,’” Fidel said of a pep talk with Dye during a little break in the bout. “‘No more what-ifs and no more I’m tired, or I’m on the bottom. Let’s go. I know what you can do.’ He just found a headlock and hit it.”
Parra turned in a solid performance to beat Penniman, 4-0, at 182 pounds.
“We bumped him up in weight class just for that match. And, once again, that was one of the pieces of the puzzle that had to fit or the whole chain breaks,” Fidel said.
Niko Proft got Santa Barbara’s first pin of the night, taking down Tyler Bryce with 16 seconds left in the first period of their 152-pound bout.
The Dons picked up six more points on a DP forfeit at 160 pounds and then Garcia Holland scored six points with a third-period pin of Evan Garcia at 170 pounds.
Zapien capped the run of four Santa Barbara wins on the mat with a pin of Jacob Rubio with 20 seconds left in the second period.
The Dons picked up another forfeit win at 220 pounds to take a 33-6 lead.
Heavyweight Ivan Medina ended DP’s drought with a first-period pin of Julyan Martinez.
Cody Pearce and Ryan Risdall scored pins for DP at 120 and 126 pounds, respectively. Ryan Crawford (138) won a 10-3 decision at 138 pounds and Samuel Ramos claimed a 6-2 win at 145 pounds.
“Some of our guys really stepped up when we needed them and they wrestled really hard. Unfortunately, we just fell a little short,” first-year DP coach Jesse Plowman said.
A former champion wrestler at DP, Plowman is working to rebuild the Charger program.
“We still have a lot of holes to fill. We gave up three forfeits tonight,” he said. “We’re really trying to build the foundation of this team back up. We have a really strong freshman class this year, so we’re gonna keep working hard and keep the program strong.”
But on this night, it was Santa Barbara that came out on top.
“I’m so proud of the them,” an emotional Fidel said. “I’m so proud of these guys believing and sticking with it. We got thumped pretty good against Ventura and lost at Rio Mesa and never got down on ourselves.
“We targeted this date to see if we could make history. But it all had to work out, and they bought in and did it.”