Pali High Wrestlers Gain Experience Versus Birmingham and Mira Mesa
By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
Coming off a runner-up performance at last year’s City Championships, expectations were high for Palisades High’s wrestling team this season. However, the Dolphins’ chances of capturing their first section crown were dealt a major blow when two-time City champion Ryan Woods suffered a season-ending torn miniscus in his right leg and underwent surgery December 16.
“I’m start physical therapy this week,” said Woods, a senior captain who showed up on crutches to offer words of advice and encouragement to his teammates at Monday’s tri-meet in Lake Balboa with reigning City titleholder Birmingham and perennial San Diego Section powerhouse Mira Mesa. Woods, who captured the City 106-pound crown as a freshman and the 132-pound division last February, is committed to Washington & Lee, a Division III program in Lexington, Virginia.
“Eight starters from last year’s team have graduated and we have almost as many freshmen (five) as seniors (six),” said Mike Lawlor, who became the program’s fourth coach in the summer of 2018. “We lost a dual meet to Banning based on criteria (tiebreakers) when we got hit hard by the flu bug. We only had eight wrestlers, but seven of them won on pins. Earlier we lost to San Fernando but we’ve beaten San Pedro, University and Bell. Birmingham’s loaded as usual.”
Throughout the ongoing gym renovations, the team had to practice on the black top outside, but is now back “Randy’s Room,” named after Randy Aguirre, who started the wrestling program in 2011 and died of a brain tumor in January 2015.
Monday’s format started with JV matches and senior Jason Lema got edged 6-5 by Mira Mesa’s RC Santos but rebounded to take down Birmingham’s Rafael Lazar 12 times on his way to winning via technical fall at 126 pounds. Michael Gatto pinned Mira Mesa’s Tyler Nguyen in the first round, then lost 14-13 on points to the Patriots’ Jessie Pena.
At 180, junior David Mendizaden won by fall with 35 seconds left in his match against Birmingham’s Jason Murcia. Ninth-graders Vincent Meiseles (160), Ethan Edwards (182) and Michael Cahill (195) lost to their Birmingham counterparts.
In the day’s first varsity dual, Birmingham showed why it took first place at the prestigious Blackwatch Tournament in Upland two days after Christmas by beating Mira Mesa.
Next, Palisades took a crack at the road-weary Marauders but had to forfeit four weight divisions and lost, 52-21. A highlight at 120 was junior James Van Wagenen, last year’s City 106-pound champ, who scored a 14-7 victory over Chris Tran. Van Wagenen has been the Dolphins’ most successful wrestler this season, with a first-place medal at the San Fernando Tournament, a second-place medal at the Costa Mesa Classic and fifth-places at Newbury Park and Calvary Chapel.
Juniors Parker Field (145) and Derek Anwar (152) won by forfeit and senior Cole Rowland notched the Dolphins’ last six points with a second-period pin at 170 after he fell behind 8-4 on points.
Lastly, Palisades and Birmingham went head-to-head for the first time since Birmingham’s dramatic 36-35 triumph in the City Dual Finals a year ago—a rematch of Palisades thrilling 48-36 upset on their Senior Night two weeks before.
This time, the Patriots were simply too deep and too talented. After surrendering the 106 and 113 weights Palisades fell further behind when Van Wagenen battled until the end at 120 but lost 9-2 to Giancarlo Plaza, who was third at Blackwatch.
Junior Flynn Gartin (126) and sophomore Soushyont Saberi (132) got pinned before Rosen, a captain along with Woods and fellow senior Christian Baud (a lineman on the football team in the fall) barely lost 10-8 in one of the best matches all day. Anwar got the Dolphins on the scoreboard with a pin at 145, building off the confidence he gained by taking second at the San Fernando Tournament and third at Costa Mesa and Newbury Park. He was second in the City at 138 last year.
Field (152) and fellow 11th-grader David Mendizaden (160) lost by fall but Rowland made it two-for-two on the day with an impressive pin of Birmingham’s Hugo Aguilar at 170 pounds. Rowland was a finalist in his weight class at the San Fernando Tournament earlier this year and took third at Newbury Park.
Senior Anthony Alvarado (182) lost by fall in the first period and Palisades had to forfeit the 195, 220 and heavyweight divisions, making the final tally 66-12. However, for Lawlor the score was not nearly as important as the valuable experience gained by his squad.
Rounding out the roster are junior 113-pounder Austin Meloche and freshmen Eitan Schapiro (145) and Matthew Hsu (160). Among those graduating in the spring were City 152-pound champion Charlie Addis and Johnny Berrellez (third at 160). Lawlor was voted National High School Coaches Association’s CIF-LA Coach of the Year last winter.
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Photos by Steve Galluzzo
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