Central Coast Section boys
Gilroy wins 22nd consecutive title
“Your champion, from Gilroy High School…”
That refrain was heard over and over again on Saturday night at Independence High School in San Jose. The Gilroy boys, winners of 21 consecutive CCS wrestling championships, set a new standard on Saturday.
Not only did the Mustangs win their 22nd straight title – at the 60th anniversary edition of the championships, no less – they accumulated 363 team points, easily lapping second-place Los Gatos and challenging some of the highest point totals in the event’s long and proud history.
Gilroy won the first five weight classes contested, 10 of 14 overall and finished second in two more. It was more surprising to see a championship match without a Gilroy wrestler than to see the Mustangs win yet another title tilt.
“Never take for granted the opportunity to come out here and dominate this section,” seventh-year Gilroy coach Daniel Cormier told his team after the match.
The Mustangs won every which way on Saturday. Gilroy had two wins by forfeit, four by decision, three by technical fall and another via a pin.
“It went well,” Cormier said. “Our kids are competing well at the right time, and that’s so important whenever you’re trying to accomplish these great things that they are. We feel we have a chance to win a state title as a team, so it takes these types of performances. These kids have dominated the section for a real long time. To come out here and dominate in the way that they did today, unbelievable.”
Next up for Gilroy will be the state meet in Bakersfield starting on Thursday, where the Mustangs will face off against the best from Southern California and across the rest of the state.
“I believe that we have a chance. It’s gonna be tough, right?” Cormier said. “Some things gotta fall our way. You’ve got to catch some breaks. It’s not just what you do. You have to take care of the business that you’re supposed to, and it helps if things fall in line for you. But to have my team at full strength and have all the kids wrestling well, very important.”
Other local winners included Los Gatos’ Luke Schoch, who was trailing Gilory’s Jose Limones 7-4 but rebounded to score a takedown and later win by pin at 120 pounds. Wesley Hayden of Los Gatos also earned a decision win at 144.
“That was a heartbreak,” Cormier said of the 120-pound match. “Winning the whole match and getting pinned. But that kid from Los Gatos deserves some credit. He never quit fighting. He kept pressing, and he got the job done. So hats off to them. It was a good match.”
CCS girls
A new queen rises in the south
Gilroy also took home the girls title in 2024, but that was not the case this year. Monterey, which did not even finish in the top five at the last section meet, emerged to take the crown this year.
St. Francis finished a close second at just 2 1/2 points behind Monterey. Gilroy was still in the hunt, trailing Monterey by 15 points.
All girls matches except the three highest weight classes were won by Bay Area wrestlers. Terra Nova’s Sophia Darer, Los Gatos’ Kaja McCullough and Milpitas’ Tuongvi Le all pinned their opponents in the championship match.
Central Coast Section boys
Team scores (top five)
Gilroy 363, Los Gatos 232.5, St. Francis 109.5, Serra 107, Silver Creek 77.5
Championship results
106: Eli Mendoza (Gilroy Boys) 4-0, Fr. over Santos Tizoc (Silver Creek Boys) 3-1, Fr. (Dec 14-8)
113: Aiden Garcia (Palma Boys) 4-0, So. over Gavin Pongsai (Gilroy Boys) 3-1, So. (Dec 7-0)
120: Luke Schoch (Los Gatos Boys) 4-0, Fr. over Jose Limones (Gilroy Boys) 3-1, Jr. (Fall 4:59)
126: Isaiah Cortez (Gilroy Boys) 4-0, Sr. over Antonio Rodriguez (Los Gatos Boys) 3-1, Jr. (Dec 7-2)
132: Moses Mendoza (Gilroy Boys) 4-0, Jr. over Micheal Terrell (Los Gatos Boys) 2-1, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:49 (19-4))
138: Elijah Cortez (Gilroy Boys) 3-0, Sr. over Joseph Pavlov-Ramirez (Los Gatos Boys) 2-1, Jr. (TF-1.5 3:44 (19-4))
144: Wesley Hayden (Los Gatos Boys) 4-0, Fr. over Sebastian Garcia (Serra Boys) 3-1, Jr. (Dec 8-2)
150: Daniel Zepeda (Gilroy Boys) 4-0, Sr. over Matthew Luna (Saint Francis Boys) 2-1, Sr. (TF-1.5 4:13 (20-5))
157: Jacob Perez (Everett Alvarez Boys) 4-0, Jr. over Hunter Luna (Saint Francis Boys) 3-1, Fr. (TF-1.5 4:42 (16-1))
165: Travis Grace (Gilroy Boys) 4-0, Jr. over Isaiah Rangel (Palma Boys) 3-1, Sr. (Fall 1:17)
175: Tyler Eise (Gilroy Boys) 4-0, Sr. over Dylan Pile (Los Gatos Boys) 3-1, Sr. (Dec 7-1)
190: Kaleo Garcia (Gilroy Boys) 4-0, Jr. over Richard Vega (Westmont Boys) 3-0, Sr. (M. For.)
215: Brian Haran (Gilroy Boys) 4-0, So. over Preston Dixon (Serra Boys) 3-1, Sr. (For.)
285: Juan Carlos Puga (Gilroy) 4-0, Sr. over Hung Vo (Silver Creek) 3-1, Sr. (Dec 4-0)
Central Coast Section Girls
Team scores (top five)
Monterey 123.5, St. Francis 121, Gilroy 108.5, Fremont-Sunnyvale 100, Alisal 71
Championship results
100: Eva Bhattacharya (Saint Francis Girls) 4-0, So. over Kiana Lien (Mt. View Girls) 3-1, So. (Dec 6-0)
105: Ella Cohen (Palo Alto Girls) 4-0, Fr. over Jaelle Cortez (Gilroy Girls) 3-1, Jr. (Dec 9-3)
110: Sophie Darer (Terra Nova Girls) 4-0, Jr. over Briana Ochoa (Alisal Girls) 3-1, So. (Fall 1:02)
115: April Gao (Saint Francis Girls) 4-0, Jr. over Jade Bito (Westmont Girls) 3-1, So. (MD 17-8)
120: Laruren Aguilar (Burlingame Girls) 4-0, Sr. over Daisy Infante (Galileo Girls) 3-0, Jr. (M. For.)
125: Katherine Love (Saint Francis Girls) 4-0, Jr. over Jocelynn Mendoza (Gilroy Girls) 3-1, So. (Dec 6-4)
130: Kaja McCullough (Los Gatos Girls) 4-0, Jr. over Ava Mendoz (Terra Nova Girls) 3-1, Jr. (Fall 2:43)
135: Tuongvi Le (Milpitas Girls) 4-0, Sr. over Tamara Grace (Gilroy Girls) 3-1, Jr. (Fall 2:48)
140: Haru Duus (Fremont (Sunnyvale) Girls) 4-0, Fr. over Sarai Cortez (Gilroy Girls) 3-1, Fr. (Dec 6-2)
145: Haru Duus (Fremont (Sunnyvale) Girls) 4-0, Fr. over Sarai Cortez (Gilroy Girls) 3-1, Fr. (Dec 6-2)
155: Angelina Jiang (Gunn Girls) 4-0, Sr. over Angelinah De Leon (Santa Clara Girls) 3-1, Sr. (Dec 1-0)
170: Areli Rodriguez (Alisal Girls) 3-0, So. over Kimmora Teo (Wilcox Girls) 3-1, Jr. (Dec 10-4)
190: Golda Demby (Hollister Girls) 3-0, Sr. over Katianna Martinez (Evergreen Valley Girls) 2-1, Sr. (MD 10-1)
235: Natalie Ramirez (Soledad Girls) 3-0, So. over Violett Ross (Monterey Girls) 2-1, Jr. (Fall 1:54)
