Bearcats claim Ocean wrestling crown

Three years later, the Bearcats are Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division champions.

Fighting back from an early deficit, San Mateo won five matches in a row to take control as the Bearcats would go on to post a 57-27 win over Oceana to finish with a perfect 6-0 division record.

“When I first came on, we barely had a team,” Cervantes said. “Last year, we just fell short.”

In 2018, the Bearcats’ only league dual-meet loss came to eventual champion Aragon.

This year, San Mateo wanted to seal the deal and, with new team motto of “Squeeze,” the Bearcats went out and took the title.

“Last year we weren’t squeezing enough to pin our opponents,” Cervantes said as the Bearcats chant “Squeeze! Squeeze!” as their teammates close in on a pin. “So this year, ‘Squeeze!’ They even made a banner.”

Oceana (5-1) dominated the lighter weights, winning at 128, 134 and 140. Following a double forfeit at 147, Oceana led 27-12.

Then the Bearcats went to work, starting with Romelo Rivas Aguilar. Ranked No. 18 at 145 by CCSrank.com, Rivas Aguilar wrestled up a weight class at 154 against the Sharks.

He had little trouble with the seven-pound difference. He got a quick takedown with a throw and roll before he settled in for a pin at the 1:48 mark of the first round.

Rivas Aguilar’s win was followed by a second straight Bearcats victory at 160. Sven Albin Kagedal had to work a little harder, but he also ended up winning by pinfall. He started slowly, leading 2-0 after one round. Kagedal built up a bigger lead in the second period, getting an escape to start the round before nearly sticking the pin, only to see time round out.

In the third, Kagedal finally got his pin, using a throw that he quickly turned into a nearfall and finally ended the match at the 4:21 mark.

“They’re two of my team captains … and they got it started,” Cervantes said of Rivas Aguilar’s and Kagedal’s victories. “I was expecting our middle weights and heavier weights would take over.”

Kagedal’s win cut San Mateo’s deficit to 27-24 in the team score and it was Mohammed Sarsour’s win by decision at 170 that tied the team score at 27-all. Sarsour also got off to a slow start, even being warned for stalling. Moments later, he scored the first points of the match by gaining control. Oceana’s Roberto Canales got a point back with an escape to start the second period, but Sarsour gave himself some breathing room with a takedown to go up 4-1. He added one takedown in the third to post a 6-2 win.

It was Christian Lemus’ third-round pin at 182 that gave San Mateo the lead for good, 33-27. He toyed with his opponent in the first round, leading 10-0 after two minutes. He slowed down a bit in the second, getting an escape, but put his opponent away with a pin at the 4:34 mark of the six-minute match.

There was a double forfeit at 197 before San Mateo got back to its winning ways, with William Bradford, ranked No. 5 in CCS at 195, earning the Bearcats’ fourth pin in five matches at 220, finishing off the win with four seconds left in the first round.

The Bearcats picked up another six points for a forfeit win at heavyweight and Jude Sarsour put an exclamation on their title with a first-round pin at 108.

The match started with each team picking up a six-point forfeit win. Oceana’s Dmitriy Muratov won the first contested match, winning by second-round pin at 128. He jumped on his opponent early, building a 9-2 lead after one period before closing out the win at the 2:50 mark of the second.

That was the first of three wins in a row for the Sharks. Irvin Reyes, ranked No. 9 in CCS at 132, managed only one takedown in the opening round, but he quickly finished off his opponent in the second, earning a pin 31 seconds in.

David Orozco then held off San Mateo’s Ben Lui 4-1 at 140 to give Oceana a 21-6 lead.

But then the Bearcats came roaring back.

“[Winning the team title] was our goal coming and the guys pulled it out,” Cervantes said.