Watsonville High’s Abel Pena and Monte Vista Christian’s Amman Klair and Christian Cabuag all captured their respective championship at the Pat Lovell Holiday Wrestling Classic in Aptos on Friday.
The defending Monterey Bay League and Central Coast Section champion at 120 pounds, Pena won six matches en route to the 120-pound title, including the championship match against Caydin Wickard of Golden Valley High via a 15-3 major decision.
Pena, a senior who is ranked No. 2 in CCS at 120 pounds this season by CCSrank.com, secured two of his wins by fall and another two by technical fall. His closest call was a 7-5 decision against Gustav Petruske of College Park High in the semifinals.
Ranked No. 4 in the CCS at 138 pounds by CCSrank.com, Klair started off the tournament equally as dominant through the first four matches of the 145-pound bracket — he won two by major decision and another by fall — but was put to the test in the semifinal and championship match.
The junior Mustang beat San Benito High’s Michael Guzman by a 6-3 decision in the semis and edged Zach Hancock of Sutter High, 3-0, to win the 145-pound title.
A freshman ranked No. 2 at 106 pounds by CCSrank.com, Cabuag, meanwhile, took the 113-pound bracket by storm.
He won his first three matches by fall and breezed through the semifinal and final, too, with a major decision in each match. He beat Kaikoa Tumale of Evergreen Valley High, 15-3.
Watsonville’s Joaquin Mosqueda took fifth at 113 pounds and his teammate, Luke Meyers, finished seventh at 145 pounds.
Monte Vista Christian’s Mateo Montoya finished sixth at 120 pounds.
The Pat Lovell Holiday Wrestling Classic — previously known as the California Coast Wrestling Classic — is a prestigious tournament featuring 70 teams.
Lake Stevens won the team title with 187 points.
M.V.C. finished 10th (106), Watsonville took 19th (82) and host Aptos High was 41st (33).
