Selma star was 10 seconds away from a fourth-straight state title. Then the unfathomable happened, courtesy of Gilroy's Nikko Villareal.
Selma's Alex Cisneros, shown here on the right side in last year's state final, almost pulled off the miraculous feat of becoming a four-time state champion. Nikko Villareal put an end to that Saturday.
File photo by Craig Morley
California ended up 10 seconds short of crowning its second four-time state champion.
In a stunning example of "It's not over 'til it's over" and "Anybody can beat anybody on any given day",
Gilroy sophomore wrestler Nikko Villareal did what no other California competitor had ever done: He beat
Selma superstar Alex Cisneros.
In the 132-pound final, Cisneros held a 3-0 lead in the waning seconds, and Rabobank Arena was loaded with anticipation, just waiting for the seconds to tick away so that history could be made. Then lightning struck, and it threw the entire crowd into a sense of amazement.
Villareal grabbed an overhook of Cisnero's right arm from a neutral standing position, fell backwards as he pulled Cisnero down with him, and came across Cisnero's chin with his right arm. He got just enough leverage to throw Cisneros down on his back and managed to gain the takedown and a three-point nearfall just as the horn sounded. That 5-3 loss prevented Cisneros from joining Bakersfield's Darrell Vasquez as the second four-time champ.
It was an upset, but there were plenty of reasons why Villareal's victory couldn't be called the biggest surprise of the year. Sure, Cisneros beat him twice in the regular season and came into the tournament with a 173-3 record. But those two victories were each by a single point, and Villareal placed third last year at 125 pounds.
Villareal, the Central Coast Section champ, jumped up at the conclusion of the match and walked around the mat waving his arms, getting the crowd to stand and cheer. He got an ovation for felling a giant, and as Cisneros walked off the mat to the tunnel, the crowd showed its appreciation with another ovation.
Read more from the Fresno BeeIn team scoring, Clovis set the state record for team points and it was by a landslide. The Cougars already beat Bakersfield's 2002 record mark of 226.5 before the third-through-eighth matches took place, and they finished with 256.5. Clovis placed 10 wrestlers in the Top 8 and that is the most ever. The next-best team was Bakersfield, with 129.5.
That makes it two straight for Clovis and most importantly, it was the 10th in 40 years, a state record.
Read more here: http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/03/03/2745498/clovis-wrestlers-set-state-record.html#storylink=cpy
There were few major surprises in terms of finalists, as only one of the 28 finalists was ranked lower than third in the state coming in. Here's a breakdown of each weight class final. Other placewinners are at the bottom of the story:
106 pounds Zahid Valencia of St. John Bosco (Bellflower) 5, Johnson Mai of North (Torrance) 4This one was the other final that featured a last-second move to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Mai led 4-3 with 10 seconds left but Valencia, a freshman, spun around and got a reversal right before the buzzer to win and finish 40-0 this season. It was the third time Valencia beat Mai, the defending state champ at 103, by one point. Mai, a senior, finished 44-4.
Isaiah Locsin, Live Oak
File photo by Brad Kupper
Tied at 3 apiece with 10 seconds left, Locsin scored a takedown with a single-leg shot. Gaytan escaped in the third period to make the match closer, but the sophomore Locsin fought off Gaytan's takedown attempts the rest of the way to secure the win and a 51-0 record. Locsin took second last season, losing to Mai, and Gaytan (55-2) placed fifth last year.
120 poundsDaniel Gaytan of Clovis 3, Hermilo Esquivel of Orland 2Gaytan's ankle pick broke a 1-all deadlock in the third period and the senior earned his fourth medal. He was first last year, third as a sophomore and fourth as a freshman. Esquivel earned an escape in the last 15 seconds and had a hold of a leg in his desperate efforts but came up short. The senior, a three-time Northern Section champion, finished his prep career with three medals and a 47-1 record.
126 poundsAnthony Valencia of St. John Bosco (Bellflower) pins Paul Fox of Gilroy, 5:43Valencia dominated right from the start, taking an 11-1 lead into the third period. He's a freshman whose brother won the 106-pound title. Fox, a sophomore two-time Central Coast Section champion, placed eighth last year and went 46-7 this season.
138 poundsBrian Sergi of College Park (Pleasant Hill) 4, Shayne Tucker of Bella Vista (Fair Oaks) 3Tucker got the first takedown and Sergi escaped, then Sergi escaped again in the second. His takedown in the third allowed him to run time off the clock, and he cut Tucker loose late in the match. He said after the match that he just didn't want to make a mistake so he cut Tucker loose. Sergi, a senior three-time North Coast Section champ, finished 44-4 and avenged a 7-2 loss to Tucker earlier this year. Tucker, a junior, finished 42-4 this year and was fourth at state last season.
145 poundsWillie Fox of Gilroy 8, Alex Abono of De La Salle (Concord) 1This one was another brothers story, as Fox is the older brother of 126-pound finalist Paul Fox. Willie finished 50-1 and got over the hump, so to speak. He was a three-time CCS runner-up before winning the section title this year. Abono placed fourth last season and is a two-time North Coast Section champ who finished 36-4.
152 poundsIsaiah Martinez of Lemoore pins Jake Elliott of Oakmont (Roseville), 1:26In a matchup of returning state champions, Martinez (ranked second in the nation) turned Elliott with a double-arm bar and earned a relatively quick pin. Martinez, a junior, earned his third state medal in three years (he was third at 125 as a freshman) while Elliott, a senior who finished 36-1, earned his second medal.
160 poundsJoey Davis of Santa Fe (Santa Fe Springs) 12, Victor Pereira of Newark Memorial 5It was a finals rematch from last year and the same result came about: Davis as the victor. Last year it was 9-5. Davis was unstoppable with his double-leg shots, garnering takedown after takedown. Davis finishes his career with a 55-1 record as a senior, two straight titles, plus a second-place finish as a sophomore. Pereira (48-4), headed to Cal Poly next year, placed fifth as a sophomore and is a three-time North Coast Section champ.
170 poundsZach Nevills of Clovis 7, Silas Nacita of Bakersfield 5Nevills became the 25th four-time medal winner in state history with his victory over a Central Section rival. The two had split their previous six matches and this one was also tight. Nacita, also a senior, beat Nevills in the section final the week before and Nevills beat him for third place last year. Nevills was second as a sophomore and fifth as a freshman. Nacita finished 27-4.
182 poundsNikko Reyes of Clovis West (Fresno) 5, Kyle Pope of Bakersfield 0Just like in the Central Section final, Reyes emerged as the victor, and he finished his senior season 51-1. The Illinois-bound wrestler defended last year's state title and he went 4-0 against Pope this season with three pins. Pope finished 38-5 as a junior and made the state tournament for the second time.
195 poundsRobert Marchese of Oak Hills (Hesperia) 3, Dakota Gordon of Clovis 1Marchese took the win in overtime, securing a takedown in the final 5 seconds. That capped off a 51-0 senior season for the young man who is the first to represent his school in the finals. Marchese placed seventh and eighth previously. Gordon suffered his third loss of the year and earned his second medal, placing seventh last season. These two met earlier this year at the Temecula Valley tournament and Marchese won there by the same score in overtime as well.
220 poundsJ.T. Goodwin of Bear Creek (Stockton) 3, Austin Lobsinger of West Valley (Cottonwood) 2This match came down to one move: Goodwin's bear hug throw in the third period that took Lobsinger down. The West Valley wrestler escaped late in the third but didn't have enough time to get the takedown he needed to win. Goodwin is Bear Creek's first state meet entrant in school history, and after missing last season due to injury, he finished his senior year 46-1. Lobsinger, the two-time Northern Section champion, was in the finals for the second straight year but once again came up a little bit short.
285 poundsJohnny Schupp of Vacaville pins Michael Lowman of Foothill (Sacramento) in 2:59Schupp (38-1) pinned Lowman earlier this season as well, and the two-time Sac-Joaquin Section champ bettered his fifth-place medal from last season. Schupp's future is going to Colorado State to play football. Lowman finished his season 47-3 and was at the state meet for his second time.
Other medal winners106 poundsThird: Gionn Peralta of Vacaville 8, Isaiah Hokit of
Wasco 4
Fifth: Troy Lakin of
Clayton Valley (Concord) 9, Julian Gaytan of Clovis 3
Seventh: Adrian Camposano of
Central (Fresno) 1, Matt Smull of
Shasta (Redding) 0
113 poundsThird: Micah Perez of
Central (El Centro) pins George Torres of
La Quinta in 2 minutes
Fifth: Mason Pengilly of
Porterville 3, Matt Nader of
Canyon (Anaheim) 2
Seventh: Christian Martin of
Chino Hills 10, Arnulfo Olea of
Exeter 6
120 poundsThird: Taylor Hall of
Canyon Springs (Moreno Valley) pins Emilio Saavedra of
Modesto in 5:31
Fifth: Josh Miranda of
Poway pins Victor Trujillo of Bella Vista in :39
Seventh: Jordon Gurrola of North Torrance 14, Adrian Panduro of
Corcoran 2
126 poundsThird: Joe Moita of De La Salle 4, Joshua Rodriguez of
Righetti (Santa Maria) 2
Fifth: Jake Smith of Newark Memorial 1, Connor Pollock of
Folsom 0
Seventh: Evan McKirdy of
Del Norte (San Diego) 2, Vicente Hernandez of Clovis 1
132 poundsThird: Javier Gasca of
Kingsburg pins Victor Lopez of Poway in 3:53
Fifth: Christian Pagdilao of
Centennial (Corona) 1, Micah Cruz of Bakersfield 0
Seventh: Jon Jay Chavez of De La Salle 2, Blayne Briceno of
Crespi (Encino) 1
138 poundsThird: Jacob Leon of
Alta Loma 11, Natrelle Demison of Bakersfield 3
Fifth: Jason Ladd of Clovis 3, Racelis Cardenas of
Buchanan (Clovis) 1
Seventh: Josue Hernandez of
Madera South pins Chris Garcia of
Clovis West (Fresno) in 3:45
145 poundsThird: Sam Duchene of
Simi Valley 6, Bryan Salinas of
Northview (Covina) 5
Fifth: Ray Lomas of
Central Catholic (Modesto) 3, Adam Hendrickson of
Healdsburg 1
Seventh: Maxx Ramirez of Bakersfield by default over Luke Wilson of Righetti
152 poundsThird: Coleman Hammond of Bakersfield 5, Jorge Barajas of
St. Francis (Mountain View) 2
Fifth: Corey Griego of
Sultana (Hesperia) 3, Austin Branum of
Del Oro (Loomis) 1
Seventh: Kyle Perreault of
Clovis East 5, Dallas Poston of
Foothill (Palo Cedro) 1
160 poundsThird: Jim Wilson of
McNair (Stockton) 4, Adrian Salas of Clovis 1
Fifth: Keaton Subjeck of
Oak Ridge (El Dorado Hills) 7, Matthew Tsarnas of Healdsburg 1
Seventh: Steve Cervantes of Poway 9, Brady Beamon of
Steele Canyon (Spring Valley) 7
170 poundsThird: Immanuel Barber of Canyon Springs 5, Connor King of Poway 3
Fifth: Peter Santos of Oakmont 3, Micah Macias of
Sonora (La Habra) 2
Seventh: Dylan Morris of
Redwood (Larkspur) pins Andrew Tiedeman of
Palm Springs in 2:43
182 poundsThird: Paul Yoo of
Cypress 3, Ryan Davies of Clovis 1
Fifth: Brody Goens of Chino Hills 9, Trevor Smith of
Ripon 4
Seventh: Westley Ruffer of
Chester by default over Mark Jorgensen of
Chico
195 poundsThird: Danny Chaid of
Bellarmine (San Jose) 4, Khymba Johnson of
Center (Antelope) 0
Fifth: William Walker of De La Salle pins Elder Cruz of
La Habra in :46
Seventh: William Gockel-Figge of Simi Valley 8, Jeramy Sweany of Vacaville 3
220 poundsThird: Kyle Clark of
Antioch 13, Sean Medley of
Wasco 8
Fifth: Richard Black of
Chavez (Stockton) 5, Richard Durr of Poway 4
Seventh: Tyler Smith of
Marina (Huntington Beach) 11, Alex Encarnacion of College Park 4
285 poundsThird: Nick Nevills of Clovis pins David Trujillo of
Villa Park in 1:57
Fifth: Robert Chism of
Downey pins Nour Abdullatif of
Roosevelt (Corona) in 1:26
Seventh: Rudy Amaya of
Foothill (Bakersfield) 3, Jonathan Tuiolosega of
Seaside 2
