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Pins aplenty as Pitman, Turlock kick off CCAL competition with duals
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Pitman’s R.J. Wilharm looks for an opening ahead of his eventual pin victory during Tuesday’s dual with Modesto (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

The wrestling programs of Turlock and Pitman took to the mats on Tuesday night at Bulldog Arena for a tri-meet with Modesto and Gregori to kick off Central California Athletic League competition. 

By night’s end, grapplers from the two Turlock schools totaled 40 wins by fall, as the Pride dominated the Jaguars 68-15 and the Panthers 78-6 in their duals, while the Bulldogs defeated Panthers 68-3 to start the night before falling to the Jaguars 38-36.

The majority of those 40 pins came courtesy of Pitman. In their victory over Gregori, the Pride only lost two of their 14 matches, with all 12 of their wins coming by fall. Securing the pins were Ryder Munoz (108), Shalveen Prasad (113), R.J. Wilharm (126), Aaron Yniquez (132), Angel Villasenor (138), Brayden Silva (146), Mika Ontiveros (150), Brodie Johnson (167), Mason Ontiveros (177), Carter Vannest (192), Jeremiah Mora (217) and Troy Ceja (275). 

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Turlock’s Eli Watson takes his Gregori opponent into deep waters as he worked towards an eventual pin in the Bulldogs’ 38-36 dual loss to Gregori on Tuesday (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

Against Modesto, they only lost one match, with 122-pounder Joshua Teodosio, 157-pounder Kai Merafuentes and alternate 217-pounder Jesiah Vasquez joining Munoz, Prasad, Wilharm, Villasenor, Silva, Johnson, Vannest, Ceja and the Ontiveros brothers in achieving pins in all 13 of their victories.

“I feel like it’s easy for us as coaches when we get into a dual meet because we're so strong in the middle and all up to our upper weights,” said Pitman assistant coach Matthew Vasconcellos. “If we start at the very bottom at like 108, we see how things go those first four or five weight classes. And if we’re ahead after those first four weight classes, we feel really good about the rest of the dual since we have guys who will probably be favored in every weight class above 132.”

The Bulldogs displayed similar dominance against Modesto. 108-pounder Aliah Bertalotto, 122-pounder Cole Cronon, 128-pounder Cruz Contreras and 134-pounder Eliseo Martinez got the night started by each earned decision wins. Jack Locke (140), Jeremiah Bertalotto (146), Logan Silva (152), Shane Petty (159), Ivan Villegas (167), Cesar Barajas (177), Levi Cook (192), Elijah Watson (217) and Marcos Pernillo (285) secured the dual victory with pins.

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Turlock’s Aliah Bertalotto squares up her Gregori opponent just seconds before securing a pin in the Bulldogs’ 38-36 dual loss to the Jaguars on Tuesday (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

Pernillo, Watson Villegas, Jeremiah Bertalotto and Locke each won again by fall against Gregori, as did Aliah Bertalotto. Meanwhile, Cronon and Cook muscled out decision victories, though it just wasn’t enough to overcome six match losses, including one by forfeit due to injury.

“We are super young and inexperienced, minus Eli Watson and the Bertalotto twins,” said Turlock head coach Mike Contreras. “But the boys are working super hard and improving every week.

Even with Watson and Jeremiah Bertalotto in their lineup Tuesday, it was Bertalotto’s first action of the year as he has been dealing with an injury. As for his brother, Isaiah, he has yet to see any action as he is recovering from his own injuries.

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Pitman’s Brodie Johnson works towards a pin during the Pride’s 78-6 dual domination of Modesto on Tuesday (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

Despite the Pride improving to 2-0 in CCAL competition to start the year and Bulldogs settling for a 1-1 league record, Vasconcellos realizes that their crosstown rivals can look a lot different by the time they meet on Jan. 24.

“They've got guys out with injuries, but I bet you we will see a different lineup,” he said. “Just because we're the crosstown rivals with these guys, no one's going to want to give an inch. So I feel like we'll see a different lineup. You’d have to think [CCAL] is going to come down to us two.”