The high school wrestling season faced off last weekend with a 41-team boys tournament at La Costa Canyon High School, the 21st annual Jimmy Hamada Invitational.
Granite Hills, braced by 138-pound individual champion Collin Guffey, placed eighth in the team standings as the highest-placing San Diego Section team.
The Eagles had four medalists overall. Heavyweight Logan Ransdell placed second in his division while Devon Wells (132 pounds) and Zack Waterhouse (145 pounds) both placed eighth in their weight classes.
Guffey, a sophomore, recorded a 7-4 decision over Slam Academy senior Anthony Aniceite to win his weight division. He finished the tournament with a 6-0 record that included four pins (two in the first period), one technical fall and one minor decision.
Ransdell, a senior, placed runner-up in his 285-pound weight class following a loss by a 1:12 pin to Boulder City’s Dylan Spencer. The Granite Hills mat man finished 3-1 in four matches, winning his opening three bouts by pins — 1:24, 4:00 and 4:53.
Wells, a sophomore, finished 5-3 on the mat in eight matches, recording one pin, one technical fall and three minor decisions.
Waterhouse, a junior, finished 3-3 in six matches, winning two by pin and another by a major decision.
Both Wells and Waterhouse lost seventh-place matchups to place eighth in their respective weight classes.
Wells lost by a 4:55 pin against Bonita Vista senior Isaac Lopez while Waterhouse lost by a 1:00 pin against Slam Academy senior Cannon Montoya.
The Eagles entered 11 wrestlers in the two-day tournament. Also competing were Camren Carmickle (120 pounds), Ryan Carroll (126 pounds), Layronz Fraser (132 pounds), Kaden Long (145), Keagen Kroeger (152), Kyle Fellows (170) and Alec Peckman (220)
Fraser finished 4-2 with three minor decisions and one win by injury default. Long finished 3-2 with two pins and one win by injury default.
Carmickle finished 2-2 with one pin and one technical fall while Carroll finished 2-2 with one pin.
Granite Hills, which finished with 109 team points, was among five East County teams that participated in the seasonopening tournament. West Hills finished 21st with 59 points and one weight class champion while Helix finished 27th with 52 points. Monte Vista finished 34th with 33.5 points while Steele Canyon tied for 38th place with 23 points.
West Hills’ Ryder Dearborn placed first at 160 pounds and Lance Briseno placed third in his heavyweight division to highlight the Wolf Pack’s tournament showing.
Dearborn recorded a 16-4 major decision over Slam Academy senior Ryan Hrcka to finish on top of his weight class with a 5-0 record that included four pins and one major decision.
Briseno, who finished 4-1 with four pins, pinned Oceanside senior William Montano in 2:39 to capture his third-place medal.
Helix’s Jayden Avila finished third in his 220-pound division while Monte Vista’s Zahi Davis finished fourth in his 152-pound weight class.
Avila, who finished 5-1 with five pins, pinned Redwood junior Evan Daley in 2:57 to finish third while Davis (6-2 with four pins) lost by a 1:44 pin to Oakdale junior Payne Perkins to place fourth. Both of Davis’ losses were to Perkins, both by fall.
Oakdale, from Modesto, won the tournament title with 252.5 points and two individual champions. The Slam Academy finished second with 216.5 points, followed by San Clemente with 173.5 points in third place, Calvary Chapel with 166.5 points in fourth place with one individual champion and Cherokee Trail with 141 points in fifth place.
Holtville and tourney-host La Costa Canyon were the second-highest placing teams from the San Diego Section in a tie for 13th in the standings with 83 points. Other section teams to earn place finishes included San Marcos (72.5 points, 18th), Mt. Carmel (71 points, 19th), West Hills (59 points, 21st), Eastlake (56 pints, tied 22nd), Helix (52 points, 27th), St. Augustine (46 points, 28th), Fallbrook (43 points, 29th), San Pasqual (40 points, 30th), Oceanside (36 points, tied 31st), Scripps Ranch (36 points, tied 31st), Monte Vista (33.5 points, 34th), Torrey Pines (33 points, 35th), Canyon Crest (23 points, tied 38th), Steele Canyon (23 points, tied 38th), Bonita Vista (20 points, 40th) and Orange Glen (17 points, 41st).
Thus, much of the early season rankings have been set.
Of note, Steele Canyon’s Javier Sanchez finished 4-2 in his 170-pound weight class with four pins.
