Story by Devin Harris & Jennifer Corriea
PINOLE, CA (MPG) – When 12 Bear wrestlers ventured to Pinole Valley High School on December 16 to test their skills against unknown competition at the TCAL Open Wrestling Tournament, little did they know that their upstart team would more than hold its own.
Coach Devin Harris reported that in more than 30 bouts Pierce conceded just five total losses, and that while every member of his squad medaled, seven came away as a tournament champion.
“We didn’t know what to expect attending a big tournament in the Bay Area,” Harris said. “We anticipated some pretty brutal beat downs and losses, but didn’t anticipate we would be the ones on the delivery end of the exchange.”
Those finishing at the top of their weight divisions included Lina Perez, Leonardo Andrade, Anthony Reynolds-Villegas, Nathan Gomez, Yoxan Almendares, Jose Pinon and Chase Friel.
James Vernon, Easton Richins, Isaac Tirado, Jacob Pina each came away in second place, while Pam Vernon was rewarded with third place for her efforts.
It was definitely an assurance-builder for the Bears as assistant coach Tom Stephens explained, “The team made some big gains in confidence. We had some wrestlers find the switch and flip it. They are exceeding my expectations as a first-year program. I would have never guessed we could have brought kids who have never wrestled in their life to a Bay Area tournament and walk away as tournament champions.”
Overall, the results were a testament to the growth of the team’s skill, power and confidence on the mat.
Pierce closed out 2023 at a match night in Williams on Dec. 20 and will return to action in East Nicolaus on Jan. 11.