Collin Houck
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Sports Editor Nick Pecoraro contributed to this story
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The City College wrestling team began its new season on Sept. 2 with the Alumni wrestling match, an unscored exhibition game that brought old Panthers face to face with current ones.
Once the fun was over, the Panthers refocused on their new goal — a seventh straight Big 8 championship. The Panthers finished the 2016 season with an 11-2 record, making them the Big 8 Conference champions for the sixth straight year. They took second in Northern California and third in the state. City won four tournaments and produced seven All-Americans, eight state medalists and six academic All-Americans in 2016.
Competition began when City College hosted the KLS Air Express Invitational Sept. 16, in which the Panthers finished second to Fresno City College.
Head coach Dave Pacheco sees many challenges ahead, along with some clear areas for improvement.
“Even though we were losing, we were battling,” said Pacheco. “I think our biggest area is our bottom wrestling. We need a lot of improvement getting off the bottom. There were other little things, but that was the biggest thing.”
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“They have about five medalists coming back and a lot of redshirt freshmen,” said Pacheco. “They are a much more mature team.”
Fresno also took the West Hills Tournament with the Panthers looking up from fourth place. Freshman Abel Garcia took gold in the 174-pound division, rebounding from an overtime loss to Chabot’s AJ Cress in the KLS Tourney, with a 4-2 victory over Cress in the finals at West Hills.
Assistant coach Walter Ulrich knows there is still much work to be done and wants his wrestlers to be peaking at the right time.
“We are always looking to improve,” said Ulrich. “We’ll be competitive if we continue to the end.”
Morgan Sauseda (125 pounds) is the only returning member from last year’s state championship. The sophomore known as “Sausey” to his teammates placed second in the 125-pound weight class at both the KLS and West Hills meets. He fell just short of earning gold, finishing behind Brandon Bettencourt of Fresno in each final.
Carlos Alvarez (149) earned second- and third-place finishes, respectively, in the season’s first two meets. Trevor Mattox (133) and Dylan Crawford (157) placed third in their respective weight divisions at KLS.
The Panthers are looking to return to state and have their eyes on their ultimate goal — winning another championship. Their next hurdle is on Sept. 30, at the Santa Ana Tournament.
For more info on SCC wrestling, visit sccpanthers.losrios.edu/sports/wrest.
