Dos Pueblos boys wrestling put together an impressive performance in the Channel League Championships on Saturday inside the Thunderhut.
The championships are used to determine CIF qualifiers, not to award a Channel League champion.
The Chargers finished in second place with 182 points, finishing only behind Ventura. San Marcos (84) and Santa Barbara (57) finished in seventh and eighth places, respectively.
“The team wrestled very well,” Dos Pueblos coach Matthew Bernard said. “I’m constantly impressed with how every DP wrestler shows up, ready to give it their all, in every match.
“The wrestlers continued to wrestle through tough situations and keep fighting, even when they were down.”
At 108 pounds, Dos Pueblos’ Francisco Miguel Espinosa placed first in the weight class and scored a team-high 26 points to qualify for CIF playoffs. He went 3-0 on the day with three pins.
There were three more individual first-place finishers for the Chargers, as Samuel Ramos (167), Sylis Penniman (177) and Shaun Vague (134) all went undefeated on the day.
Ramos and Vague each secured a pair of pins while Penniman won two of his three bouts by way of a decision. All three qualified for CIF playoffs.
Dos Pueblos also got a pair of second-place finishes from Brandon Velasquez (159) and Seamus Fergus (140). Both Velasquez and Fergus went 2-1 to score 20 team points and qualify for postseason competition.
“Seamus is only in his second year of wrestling and has continued to impress by always being present and grinding through every practice and match,” Bernard said.
Ethan Ono at 217 pounds was the last medalist for the Chargers, earning third place, scoring 18 team points and advancing into the postseason. Ono picked up three wins by way of pins and fell in the semifinals.
Rounding out the CIF qualifiers for Dos Pueblos was Patrick Sullivan (128), while Andrew Gilligan (122) and Max Hernandez (152) earned spots as CIF alternates.
Dos Pueblos Girls Wrestling
On the girls side, Dos Pueblos secured two playoff qualifiers and one alternate.
At 122 pounds, Victoria Bernard finished in second place and earned 18 team points to clinch a spot in the CIF playoffs.
Rebecca Murillo (142) placed third in her weight class and punched her ticket into the playoffs.
After placing fifth in the 102-pound weight class, Liliana Herrera will serve as a CIF alternate.
“Through all the trials, these DP wrestlers continue to show their grit and lead by example, stepping out on the mat and finding a way to bring their whole self, regardless of the outcome,” Bernard said.
San Marcos Royals
While the Chargers finished in second place, the Royals finished off the day in seventh place and earned four CIF qualifiers.
Angel Estrada Rivera had a huge performance for San Marcos, winning the Channel League title after winning all of his bouts by pin and not allowing any points.
Joining Rivera in the CIF playoffs will be teammates Anthony Leal, Cole Dominguez and Dalton Shupe.
Leal and Dominguez each took second place in their weight classes while Shupe ended in third place.