Wrestler Woods Fourth at Blackwatch Tourney

Winter Break was no vacation for the Palisades High wrestling team, which traveled to Upland High two week ago for the annual Blackwatch Tournament. Although the team did not place among the top 15, several Dolphins performed well in their weight divisions.    

Most notable among them was junior Ryan Woods, who took fourth in the 132-pound class, narrowly missing third after losing a 4-3 decision to Norco freshman Isaac Rea.     

Wood, the reigning City champion at 106 pounds, improved his record to 19-5 this season. He became the first Dolphins freshman to win the City title in 2019 and led Palisades to the City dual finals last spring.       

Sophomore James Van Wagenen took fifth in the 106-pound division at Blackwatch after pinning Palm Desert freshman Gary Johnson in the first period to improve to 17-4.

Also medaling was senior Charlie Addis, who placed seventh at 152  pounds. He upped his record to 17-5 after needing only 37 seconds to pin  Vista Murrieta’s Michael Reynaga.

Birmingham is the team to beat in the City and the Patriots finished seventh in the team standings, but Pali High Coach Mike Lawlor has his strongest and deepest squad yet and believes this is the Dolphins’ year to break through. They have a balanced roster that includes sophomore Austin Meloche at 120; senior Matthew Maldonado-Cruz at 126;senior Richie Rosen at 132; brother Robbie Rosen and senior Ben Frizzell at 138; sophomore Derek Anwar at 152; senior John Berrellez at 170; and sophomore Jean Carlos Rodriguez at heavyweight. Football linemen Ricardo Abrego and Nick Raddon will bolster the Dolphins  in the upper weights. Rounding out the roster are Kaden Cleary, Pablo Estrada, Parker Field, Flynn Gartin, Andrew Kim, Jack Steel, Cole Rowland and Zach Mehdizadeh.

Last weekend Palisades traveled north to Clovis for the Doc Buchanan Invitational where Woods built a 9-1 lead before pinning Cameron Estrada of Clovis West in his first match. Woods then fell to eventual champion Jack Gioffre of Buchanan High in the round of 16. Maldonado-Cruz (116), Richie Rosen (129) and Abrego (198) also competed for the Dolphins.