By Mitch Stephens
MaxPreps.com
NEWARK, Calif. – Jason Welch got his workout in and then finally, with the OK of his coaching staff, finished off his North Coast Section wrestling career appropriately.
With a pin.
The Las Lomas (Walnut Creek) senior, considered the top pound-for-pound wrestler in the United States, put defenseless Nick Pappas (Sonoma) on his back 51 seconds into the second round to win the North Coast Section 160-pound championship on Saturday.
Welch became just the third four-time NCS champion, joining James Logan’s Jesse Reta (1993-96) and Campolindo’s Nikko Triggas (2004-07) in the elite company.
Reta, in fact, is Welch’s mom’s cousin.
“That makes it even more special,” Welch said. “It’s nice keeping it all in the family.”
Welch won his 124th consecutive match, improved to 43-0 on the season and 188-7 for his career. He goes after his third straight state title this weekend in the CIF State Championships at Bakersfield’s Rabobank Arena.
He aims to become the state’s 13th three-time state champion and only four-time state finalist. After placing second as a freshman, Welch won back-to-back state titles. California’s only four-time state champion is Bakersfield’s Darrell Vasquez (1999-02).
To make sure he got his workouts in, Welch toyed with his first four NCS opponents, beating all by technical fall. He was up by 13 points early in the second quarter when he pinned second-seed Pappas, who is absolutely no slouch at 48-5. He pinned two foes and recorded two technical falls on the way to the finals.
“I was told to go ahead and try to pin him,” said Welch, a soft-spoken modest sort. “It worked out well.”
It figures to go well for Welch at state. He will have an extra match, which is probably to his liking. He opens with Southern Section sixth-place performer Anthony Duarte of Fountain Valley. If Welch prevails, he’ll then get Central Section’s fifth-place Jose Ramirez of Bakersfield.
Other 160-pounders to advance: Pappas (48-5), Ken Corbin (Freedom, 52-8), Andrew Engdahl (Granada, 34-10). Corbin defeated Engdahl in the third-place match, 8-5. The top four from the Section advance to state.
Liberty (Brentwood), under 29-year head coach Greg Chappel, won its fifth NCS team crown by advancing seven to the state meet, a school record. The Lions got only one individual champion, top-seed David Rios at 135 but sent three others to the finals, Paul Gomez (103), David Klingsheim (112) and Ryan Smith (130).
Though that trio lost, the Lions finished with a school-record 177 points to easily outdistance runner-up De La Salle-Concord (134.5). Rounding out the top five were College Park-Pleasant Hill (134), James Logan-Union City (131.5) and Livermore (119).
The most impressive performance for Liberty might have been Chris Leyan at 145. Leyan only got into the meet as an alternate after finishing fourth at the Bay Valley Athletic League meet, but placed fourth on Saturday earning a spot in the state meet.
“He told me he was going to get to state,” Chappel said. “I didn’t believe him. I thought he might win a match or two, but fourth place? That was a great performance.”
De La Salle scored a pair of champions in Tyler Sheridan (145) and Tito Pica (171).
The following is a breakdown of NCS wrestlers heading to state, highlighted with their performances at Newark on Saturday.
103 - Lawrence Blanco (James Logan) d. Paul Gomez (Liberty), 4-0.
Blanco (37-10), the second seed, avenged a loss to top seed Gomez (26-5) in last year’s finals and won his first NCS championship.
“I was just a lot more relaxed this year,” Blanco said. “I didn’t make any bad decisions. I just wrestled smarter. This feels awesome. But this is just a stepping stone to better things.”
Third-place match: Taylor Hayes (Clear Lake, 40-3) p. Theo Phan (San Marin) 1:49.
112 – Markjay Acosta (San Leandro) d. David Klingsheim (Liberty) 8-4
In what may have been the most entertaining match of the night, second-seed Markjay broke a 2-2 tie with an escape with 58 seconds remaining and then recorded a takedown with 28 ticks left to dethrone the defending champion and No. 1 seed.
Acosta, who improved to 44-1, was second as a sophomore and third as a junior.
“But this was my year,” Acosta said. “Nobody was going to take this away from me.”
Klingsheim (41-5) clearly would like another shot at Acosta at state.
“Give (Acosta) all the credit, but (Klingsheim) didn’t wrestle his best,” Chappel said. “Hopefully we’ll see him in Bakersfield.”
Third-place: Ricky McFerrin (Mission San Jose) d. Eric Perez (Logan) 4-2
119 - Chase Aura (Foothill) d. Cody Howe (Windsor) 10-8
After placing fourth and second the last two years, third-seeded Aura (28-4) won his first title by recording an escape with 33 seconds left.
“When you’re in a close match like that you just have to stay calm, you can’t panic, you have to stay cool,” Aura said.
Aura, coming off a loss to Alec Fraser in the East Bay Athletic League tournament last week, avenged his loss with a 8-3 win over Fraser in Saturday’s semifinals. He also knocked off Howe, the top seed who defeated Aura earlier in the year.
“This was my tournament to avenge losses,” Aura said. “That makes this all the sweeter. My goal was to win NCS this year and place in the top eight at state. So far, so good.”
Third-place: Alec Fraser (Livermore) d. Anthony Thurgood (Liberty) 6-0.
125 – Ruben Baca (Logan) d. Dylan Phillippy (College Park) 7-6
Top-seed Baca (41-8) fought back from a 4-0 deficit to record the win thanks to takedown with 20 seconds left to pull out the match. Phillippy enters state with a 38-8 mark.
“I just had to keep pushing myself,” said Baca, who took fifth last year. “I got down. I put myself in a bad spot but I never gave up. This has been a goal of mine forever. It feels awesome.”
Third place: Wesley Young (Healdsburg) d. Mike Sherman (Freedom) 7-1
130 – Aaron Westphal (Alhambra) d. Ryan Smith (Liberty) 6-2
After placing third and fourth the last two years, Westphal (41-4), the fourth seed, got over the hump with a solid victory second-seeded Smith (38-11).
“I’ve always wanted to be a champion,” Westphal said. “I knew I could go all the way and now I think I can win state. There’s nothing I can’t do if I set my mind to it.”
Westphal, who lost to Smith 5-0 earlier this year, defeated top-seed Taylor Raphael (Albany) in the semifinal with a convincing 15-6 victory. “That gave me all sorts of confidence going into the finals,” Westphal said.
Third place: Joseph Ramos (Windsor) d. Taylor Raphael (Albany) 4-3.
135 – David Rios (Liberty) d. Nick Hernandez (Granada) 8-2
After three other losses in the finals, top seed Rios (41-6) got Liberty’s first and only championship with a convincing win over Hernandez (37-8).
Rios had finished third and fourth the previous two years at 135. He started the 2007-08 season at 152s but slimmed down toward the end of the season. It helped Liberty not only win this tournament, but the NCS 3A East Bay duals as well.
“It feels good, it feels awesome to win it all and four our team to win it,” Rios said. “I’m glad I could break the losing streak in the finals as well. I’m so happy because now I’ll be on Liberty’s Hall of Fame wall.”
Rios won three straight matches by pin before edging College Park’s Drew Bush 6-3 in the semifinals. Hernandez edged EBAL and cross-town rival Stephan De La Cruz (Granada) 8-6 in overtime in the other semifinal match.
Third place: Stephan De La Cruz (Livermore) d. Drew Bush (College Park) 18-2
140 – Trent Stevenson (Arcata) d. Sam Worth (Miramonte) by injury default.
Worth separated his shoulder earlier in the day and did not even go out for this 140-pound championship.
Stevenson, the top seed, improved to 47-1 with four earlier wins all by technical fall. Worth (38-5), the second seed, won three matches by majority decision and one by technical fall before ending his day.
Third place: Jonathan Laureta (Logan) p. Jesse Baldazzo (Liberty) 3:17
145 – Tyler Sheridan (De La Salle) d. John Banke (Granada) TF, 17-2
The top seed (35-2) took a different approach while capturing his first NCS crown.
“I just went out and tried to have fun,” Sheridan said. “I just forgot about practice and all the hard work and just went out and wrestled the way I know how.”
Sheridan, who took fourth at 130s as a freshman and third at 135 as a sophomore, won four straight by pins en route to the finals.
Banks, the No. 2 seed, is 33-9 heading into the state meet. He defeated Freedom’s Clint Joaquin 15-0 to move into the finals.
Third place: Mike Trumbo (Miramonte) d. Chris Leyan (Liberty) 2-1
152 – Aaron Drake (California) d. Joe Hefflemire (College Park) 9-3.
In a surprise finals, Drake, the third seed, won going away against Hefflemire (36-7), who knocked off No. 1 seed Andrew Tsarnas (Healdsburg) in the semifinals 3-2.
Drake (39-5) upset No. 2 seed Gian Traverso (St. Helena) 7-6 in the semifinals.
Third place: Andrew Tsarnas (Healdsburg) d. Gian Traverso (St. Helena) 5-3.
171 - Tito Pica (De La Salle) p. J.T. Baumann (Dublin) 1:42.
Fighting off a series flu bug throughout the week, Pica won his third straight NCS title with the fastest pin in the finals.
“I couldn’t even get out of bed earlier in the week,” Pica said. “It sure helped making weight, but I was worried about my strength.”
He didn’t need to be. He won four of his five matches by pin and another by technical fall, 16-1. Pica, the top seed, is 22-0 on the season.
Third place: Gerson Nkunku (College Park) d. Ben Crosby (Castro Valley) 9-0.
189 - Mike Larson (McKinleyville) d. Adam O’Brien (Petaluma) 7-1
The top seed improved to 34-2 with a workman-like victory in the finals. Larson beat fifth seed Shawne Hoehne, of Livermore, in the semifinals 7-0 and eighth seed Milo Anderson (Newark Memrorial) 15-5 in the quarterfinals.
O’Brien, the third seed, upset second-seed Fred Doerr (Montgomery) by a pin with 16 seconds remaining during the semifinals.
Third place: Shawne Hoehne (Livermore) d. Fred Duerr (Montgomery) 1-0.
215 - Casey Tompkins (Justin Siena) p. Drew Carpenter (Foothill) 4:18.
In one of the best stories of the year, Tompkins overcame two torn cartliges in his left ankle to start the year. That was at the 285 weight class as well. Tompkins sat out a month, lost weight and came home with the ultimate price
“I didn’t think I’d even have a junior season,” said Tompkins, who finished eighth last year as a sophomore. “This is incredible. I was just hoping to earn a medal. To win the whole thing is pretty amazing.”
Third place: Jeff McGee (Alhambra) d. Jake Young (Del Norte) 5-3.
Heavyweight - Roger McCovey (Del Norte) d. Bud Guinn (Rancho Cotate) TF (18-3)
This was no contest not in the finals but all the way through. The state’s No. 1 ranked heavyweight scored four straight pins, three in the first round, before a fall in 3:32 in a quarterfinal win over Gonzalo Hernandez (Freedom).
“I had to work harder than I thought in that last match,” said McCovey, who improved to 36-0 after finishing second and fifth the last two years at 215 and 189, respectively. “But that extra work will hopefully pay off next week.”
McCovey said that anything other than winning the state title will be a disappointment.
Third place: Dan Stoops (Mission San Jose) p. Trevor Harvey (De La Salle) 2:03
E-mail Mitch Stephens at mstephens@maxpreps.com
