ANAHEIM – They were not victories, but to Corona del Mar boys wrestling coach Mark Alex they might as well have been.
Corona del Mar’s Tony Leon in the 220 pounds class and Porter Sharp at 160 pounds scrambled and battled to avoid getting pinned, thus limiting the points Western got in those matches, and Corona del Mar went on to defeat Western 35-33 Wednesday in the Division 6 final of the CIF Southern Section Dual Meet Championships at Western High.
Corona del Mar (16-1) won its second dual meet championship in the past three seasons. The Sea Kings won it in 2020 and lost to Western in the final last season.
“The key to the match was the two guys who didn’t get pinned, Tony Leon and Porter Sharp,” said Corona del Mar coach Mark Alex. “Because it came down to bonus points. It stopped them from getting six extra points, so those two not getting pinned was a key.”
Among the many highlights for Corona del Mar were pins recorded by Zion Bowling at 152 pounds and Eugenio Franco at 195.
Franco’s pin was spectacular. The sophomore, who is ranked No. 14 in the state in his weight division, took down Western’s formidable Gerardo Orozco Garcia with 44 seconds left in the first period.
Bowling delivered his pin in the third period.
Franco saw Bowling’s pin as being a difference maker.
“Zion’s match at 152, that match was amazing,” Franco said. “It was tied in the second period and then he scored a pin in the third and that pretty much told everyone we were going to win it.”
Corona del Mar sophomore Eugenio Franco had a pin at 195 lbs in the Sea Kings’ 35-33 win over Western in the @cifss Division 6 Dual Meet final. pic.twitter.com/VPPSxAOXty
— Steve Fryer (@SteveFryer) February 3, 2022
Other Corona del Mar winners were JJ Strapp (126 pounds), Loscar Riestra (132), Antonio Aramburu (145) and Anthony Gonzalez (182).
Western’s winners included Alejandro Hernandez at 220 pounds, Angel Orozco Garcia (160), Juan Orozco Garcia (170), Paulino Lazaro Lopez (106), Eduardo Merdel (113) and Isaac Gonzalez (120).
Corona del Mar had a 24-0 lead after four matches.
“I knew they (Western) would have the advantage in the last matches,” Alex said. “We had it won with six matches left. But I didn’t want to win by two points!”
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Franco said the Sea Kings were confident all season that a CIF championship was their destiny.
“We already knew since the beginning, honestly,” Franco said. “We won it in 2020, were runner-up last year and this was our year again.”