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Mustangs Wrestle Up Pair Of VOL Wins
serale
Oakdales 220 pounder Nico Serale defeated Sonoras Dillion Morrison with a second period fall at the Robert Hatler Memorial. DENNIS D. CRUZ/THE LEADER

 

Eight-time defending Valley Oak League (VOL) champions, the Oakdale Mustang wrestling team, welcomed Weston Ranch and East Union to town for a triangular meet this week. The Mustangs made short work of the Weston Ranch Cougars, who only had two wrestlers represented for varsity. At 126 pounds, Cody Williams pinned Adrian Angulo in the second round in the first match of the evening. Williams led 5-0 after the first period.

Oakdale’s Nico Serale fell to Marcellus Austin in a high powered match between the pair of 220-pounders. After a scoreless first period, Serale took a 1-0 lead midway through the second period. Serale held on to his slim lead until the final minute of the match when Austin earned a takedown to get the win.

In a full slate of matches against East Union, Oakdale won 57-16 to remain undefeated in VOL action. Dustin Chavez (113) and heavyweight Matt Kjeldgaard each won by forfeit but 10 other Mustangs were in action.

Jake Abeyta (120) earned an early first round fall over Jared Graves to give Oakdale a 12-0 lead. Cody Williams battled in his second match of the evening when he took on Jason Betley. Much like his first match, Williams defeated his opponent in the second round. Taking a 2-0 lead into the second period, Williams pinned the Lancer grappler just 18 seconds in. Freshman Ricky Torres (132) pinned Enrique Mendoza in the first period to give Oakdale a 24-0 advantage.

Senior Trevor Williams (138) built up a 15-0 advantage to win by technical fall over Anthony Contreras in the second round. Williams scored 12 first period points, handing Oakdale a 29-0 team lead.

Freshman Gabe Martinez (145) continues to have a big year, as he put away Alan Huerta 1:30 into the third period. After a scoreless first period, Martinez got into his rhythm outscoring his opponent 4-0 in the second period. With Martinez’s pin, Oakdale opened up a commanding 35-0 lead over the Lancers.

Oakdale senior Julian De Los Rios (152) squared off against Daniel Huerta. Huerta took a 2-0 first period lead, but De Los Rios would earn the fall nine seconds into the second period. His victory expanded the Mustangs lead to 41-0.

Bronson Harmon (160) earned a technical fall over Ruben Gallegos 27-12, thanks to a 13-point third period effort by Harmon. Cody Golding (170) continued the Mustangs big evening with a second period fall over Levi Huffman.

East Union got on the board with Joel Melena earning a technical fall over Oakdale’s Max Moore 25-8, and earned a forfeit in the 195 pound match, and a Jason Reindel first period pin over Serale.

Four members of the varsity team went to Sonora High School to battle in the 39th annual Robert Hatler Memorial at the Bud Castle Gymnasium on Saturday. Ralph Leyva (120) joined Golding, Serale and Kjeldgaard as the Mustang varsity representatives. Golding and Kjeldgaard finished first, while Serale placed fourth. Leyva did not place.

Oakdale now turns their attention to Central Catholic for their final VOL meet of the season. The battle for VOL supremacy takes place at Central Catholic on Wednesday, Jan. 27 beginning at 4 p.m. Oakdale also hosts a pair of matches against Bakersfield and Clovis West on Saturday, Jan. 30 with action beginning at 2 p.m.