This season, the approach is different for the Pitman High wrestling team.

Third-year coach Adam Vasconcellos said he’s conditioning his Pride wrestlers to achieve more individual awards, since he doesn’t have many wrestlers to work with. He has only eight available for today’s annual Bulldog Classic at Turlock High’s Bulldog Arena that starts at 9 a.m. with finals expected to begin at 5 p.m.

It’s an event that is just another stepping stone toward the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Tournament and the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield.

“We don’t have a lot of guys, but guys we do have can all wrestle,” Vasconcellos said. “I think all seven or eight guys will do well. That’s kind of where our team is at right now.”

Pitman wrestlers will have quite a challenge, as 21 teams are enrolled in the tournament. That list includes Turlock High, Denair High and Hilmar High, with many of the wrestlers from those schools already thinking about postseason tournaments.

Some of the wrestlers to watch are Turlock’s Fabian Garcia and Brandon Egleston and Pitman’s Andrew Perez and Emilio Savaadra, with all of them having aspirations to make it to the state tournament in March.

To contact Chhun Sun, e-mail csun@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2041.