Damian Hernandez (blue singlet) earned a first round pin in his match against Kelvin Yan (KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings).
In their first Mountain Valley Conference dual meet of the season, the McNary wrestling squad showed their superiority by defeating McKay 66-15 on Wednesday, Jan. 5.
“It’s always good to start the league schedule on the right foot as we get into the groove of our season,” McNary head coach Sam Martin said.
After winning the opening match via forfeit, Celtics 113-pounder Max Blanco made quick work of his opponent, Felipe Sandoval, earning a pin 32 seconds into the first round.
Damian Hernandez soon followed with a first round fall of his own in the 126-pound bout. After a pair of early takedowns, the senior eventually got the pin with 41 seconds remaining in the first round.
“I definitely wanted the first round pin. I just wanted to come out and dominate,” Hernandez said.
Martin was highly complementary of how Hernandez has been wrestling this season.
“Damian Hernandez is my favorite wrestler in our room right now. He knows what he wants to accomplish and is wrestling tough and working hard,” Martin said. “Everyday, he is trying to get better. I love watching him wrestle and I love watching him work in the practice room. He has been a ton of fun so far.”
Jordan Orr continued the string of first round falls in the 132-pound match, pinning Jaylin Quintero just over a minute into the bout.
Jonathan Canchola, a 138-pounder, didn’t get his opponent down in the first round, but still controlled his match from start to finish. With the score tied 2-2, Canchola got a three-point near-fall early in the second round, then was credited with the pin moments later.
“It was a great team effort. We all did a good job of pushing each other tonight,” Canchola said.
Hunter Ruberto (152), Anthony Bennett (170) and Aldo Villalvazo (220) also won via first-round fall.
Arguably the most entertaining bout of the night came in the 125-pound exhibition girls match between McNary’s Kaliyanei Hill and McKay’s Izabella Campbell.
Hill fell behind 5-2 in the second round, but took advantage of a mistake by Campbell to get a two-point reversal
“(Hill) is a fun wrestler to watch. She is good on her feet and she wrestles well on the mat,” Martin said. “She was having a little bit of trouble getting out, but she was able to capitalize when the other girl fell to her hip. She is a pretty well rounded wrestler. It was good for her to come out and get a win.”
Caitlin Salivar was the other female victor for the Celtics, earning a first round pin at 170 pounds.
McNary’s next dual meet will take place at South Salem on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m.
Matt Rawlings: [email protected]