Aptos produced six league champions at the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Finals on Feb. 8 at San Lorenzo Valley High.
Alex Zacarias (106 pounds), Eli Galster (120), Christian Montoya (132), Luke Keaschall (145), Tyler Slay (160) and Marcos Reyes (182) all finished atop their respective weight divisions for the Mariners, who finished second as a team behind champion Santa Cruz.
Those half a dozen wrestlers will all advance to today’s Central Coast Section tournament at Independence High in San Jose along will teammates Salome Ponce (113), Tommy Victory (126), Simon Ramsay (170), James Platero (195) and Cade Crowley (220).
Ponce, Victory and Platero advanced to the section tournament with runner-up finishes, while Ramsay and Crowley kept their seasons alive by taking third in their respective divisions.
Seniors Zacarias and Reyes were the lone Mariners to earn a top-six seed at CCS. Zacarias was ranked fifth at 106 pounds, and Reyes was ranked sixth at 182 pounds.
PCAL
Monte Vista Christian sophomore Christian Cabuag continued his onslaught against Pacific Coast Athletic League competition at the league’s CCS qualifying meet in Gilroy on Feb. 9.
A week after winning the Gabilan division championship in his respective weight division, Cabuag took down the league once again to finish first at 113 pounds and advance to today’s section meet.
He was the lone local that finished first in their respective weight division at the PCAL’s CCS qualifying, but was one of 20 wrestlers who advanced to the section meet.
Teammates Amit Klair (120 pounds) and Edward Zamora (138) finished second in their divisions, Nate Fernandez (220) took third, Brenyn Northey (132) placed sixth, Mike Froess (106) was seventh and Luke Dube (182) squeaked in under the top-eight cut with an eighth-place finish.
Watsonville advanced five wrestlers. Tyson George (132) and Lucky McHenry (182) were the Wildcatz’s top finishers, taking fourth in their divisions. Teammates Sebastian Abonce (6th, 106), Joaquin Mosqueda (5th, 126) and Luke Meyers (6th, 152) also advanced.
St. Francis sent four wrestlers to CCS. Justin Parker led the way for the Sharks with a fifth-place finish at 152 pounds. Isaac Tani (6th, 160), Hunter Blinkenberg (7th, 106) and Manny Madrigal (8th, 220) will join Parker in San Jose.
Pajaro Valley sent three wrestlers to CCS: Jesus Magdaleno (7th, 195), Alejandro Vasquez (6th, 220) and Marcos Aguilar (5th, 285).
Arturo Perez (8th, 152) will be North Monterey County’s lone representative at the section meet.
