Nighthawks Dominate TCC Dual Match

JORDAN SEPEDA (R)  PINNED JORDAN DAVIS IN THE SECOND PERIOD.

BY TREVOR HORN
THE NATOMAS BUZZ | @natomasbuzz

The Natomas High School wrestling team beat River Valley High School of Yuba City 46-23 tonight in the first home league match of the season.

“This is what the fans should expect,” Natomas head coach Don Martinez said.

COACH MARTINEZ

Behind pins by Vicente Garcia at 132 pounds, Alex Villalobos at 195 pounds and Jordan Sepeda at 220 pounds helped Natomas High bounced back from a road loss last week at Yuba City High School.

Garcia earned the first match points for Natomas High after both teams forfeited the 106– and 113-pound weight classes before Talaha Fayyaz lost a major decision (13-2) to Carlos Robles at 120 pounds.

Garcia then pinned Skyler Marsh (132) with 59 seconds remaining in the second period, giving the Nighthawks a 12-10 lead.

Alex Gonzalez appeared to be in place to pin Chance Perez in both the first and second periods, after River Valley took a 13-12 lead, but settled for near fall in both periods and won a 13-1 major decision.

Gonzalez appeared frustrated at the end of the match after giving up a one-point escape just before the match ended.

“It was mostly for the pin I was trying to get for the team,” Gonzalez said. “He was just difficult to (pin), so I was a little frustrated.”

After the match, Martinez said it’s this mentality he wants from his athletes. They know the two-point difference between a decision and a pin can be critical for dual match wins and losses.

“In dual matches, if you get put on your back, you can’t get pinned,” Martinez said. “And if you get someone on their back, you need to pin them because it is a difference between a four-point win and a six point win.”

River Valley took a 23-16 win after a pin of Jerry Thaa at 160, but forfeits at the next two weight classes gave Natomas High a 28-23 advantage.

At 195 pounds, Villalobos was able to make a quick reversal over Ahmad Bahran and get a pin to earn the Nighthawks a decisive 34-23 lead with just the 220 match to go.

Jordan Sepeda pinned Jordan Davis with 9.8 seconds left in the second period. Sepeda fell behind early and had to take an injury timeout in the first period.

“I rolled onto my neck and just tweaked it a little bit,” Sepeda said.

But the senior, who is ranked 4th in the state at 220 pounds, took control in the second period and got a take down and a quick pin just before the end of the period, giving the Nighthawks a “great team win,” Sepeda said.

River Valley forfeit at 285 pounds.

The Nighthawks will compete at the Oak Ridge Tournament Saturday, Jan. 12 in El Dorado Hills and host Woodland High School in a TCC dual on Tuesday, Jan. 15.