Valencia senior Gabby Garcia capped her high school career with a history-making weekend.
Garcia captured her fourth CIF State Girls Wrestling title when she defeated Nicole Joseph of Camarillo, 10-0, Saturday night in the 126-pound final in Visalia.
She is the second girls wrestlers in CIF State history to win four titles. It has been done once in boys wrestling.
“As time ran out (in her match) and I realized what I finally did, it felt amazing,” Garcia said Monday. “It was amazing to complete a goal that I’ve been hoping to achieve since I was in middle school.”
Garcia finished her high school career with a 138-2 overall record. She won her first state title at 108 pounds as a freshman, then added titles at 121 (sophomore year) and 126 (junior year).
“Her first goal was to go undefeated, and she didn’t talk about the state title or winning it four times,” Valencia coach Gerardo Rodriguez said. “She wanted to take it one match at a time, and after the last match, she was so emotional and that is something she never does. She’s always the same.”
Garcia said she was proud to win all of her titles for Valencia, the school that her father and brothers attended.
“This is home and the place where I’ve always felt comfortable,” Garcia said. “I love that I’m able to get my school name out there and let people know where I come from.”
Rodriguez said there are plans for the school to honor Garcia with a banner in the school’s gym and with a championship ring that highlights her state titles.
“Going into the season, people were out to beat me and take the title away,” she said. “My mindset going into my last season was to go out and give it my all and have fun.”
– DAMIAN CALHOUN
WRESTLING
It has been a long time since a county team finished near the top of the standings at the CIF State Wrestling Chamapionships.
In 2003, Calvary Chapel finished in third place (110 points). No county team has finished that high since that season.
Could Calvary Chapel end the drought this year?
Calvary Chapel has won titles on two consecutive weekends, at CIF-SS and the CIF-SS Masters Meet. The CIF State Tournament in Bakerfield begins Friday at 9 a.m.
Luciano Arroyo (113), Justin Thomas (160) and Jeremy Thomas (170) reached the finals at Masters. Arroyo and Justin Thomas were champions.
Elijah Palacio (120) and Johnny Knowles (145) each finished third, and Morris Wilner (182) had a fourth-place finish.
– DAMIAN CALHOUN
GIRLS WATER POLO
Orange Lutheran girls water polo coach Steve Carrera believed so strongly this season that his team’s biggest challenges were mental, he shared a prediction with his players.
“I told them when we beat Laguna (Beach), we will never lose another game,” Carrera shared Saturday night after the Lancers captured their first CIF-SS title with a 6-3 victory against Foothill in the Division 1 final.
“I told them that back in December when we lost to (Laguna Beach). … I just knew it was a mental thing. It was a mental hurdle.”
Carrera’s hunch turned prophetic. Orange Lutheran (26-3) beat Laguna Beach, 8-7, in the semifinals of the Santa Barbara Tournament of Champions on Jan. 16 and capped the season with a 17-game win streak.
“I feel (in) Santa Barbara was where (our season) clicked,” Orange Lutheran’s Emma Skelly said.
The Breakers were a dangerous foe, in Carrera’s mind, because they used a style that mirrored Orange Lutheran’s strength.
Laguna Beach and Orange Lutheran were both known for their counterattack and hard press.
“They matched up so well with us,” Carrera said. “Had they been in the final … it could have gone either way.”
Foothill coach Jim Brumm believed both teams in the Division 1 final played excellent defense Saturday, but the Lancers earned more scoring chances.
“OLu played really well,” he said. “I was really proud of (our girls). They played their hearts out. … We really gave it everything we got.”
– DAN ALBANO
GIRLS SOCCER
The path set in front of Tesoro’s girls soccer team looked like the gauntlet.
Don’t tell the Titans that. They’ve made things look easy in one of the toughest paths taken to Tuesday’s CIF-SS semifinals.
Tesoro (21-5-3) has beaten No. 7 Esperanza, No. 6 Edison, and No. 1 Mater Dei, all in regulation, to move one step away from its first championship game appearance since 2006.
“I don’t think that anyone has had the obstacles that we’ve had in front of us,” Titans coach George Deverrick said. “That draw was set up for us to show everyone what we’re capable of doing, and perhaps we’ve been underestimated.”
Tesoro shut out its first two playoff opponents before beating the Monarchs, 2-1, in the quarterfinals. The Titans have scored in 27 of 29 games this year, and that has the team confident headed into Tuesdady’s road match against Baseline League champion Chino Hills.
“We go into every game with a lot of confidence and a lot of belief, and we know that it is going to take something very special to beat us,” Deverrick said. “If we don’t score in the first half, there’s still another 40 minutes. We’ve scored in the last minute of games. There’s a goal in us.”
The semifinals are a more familiar stage for Santa Margarita, which won it all two years ago. The Eagles (18-5-1) draw another Baseline League foe, as they will travel to Rancho Cucamonga….
In Division 2, Northwood hosts ML King. The Timberwolves (15-4-6) have matched the farthest playoff run in program history. They made it to the semifinals in 2006, dropping the match in penalty kicks….
Yorba Linda’s Emma Deane made 20 saves to help the Mustangs get past defending CIF-SS Division 3 champion West Torrance on Thursday.
Deane’s impressive showing in the quarterfinal shootout victory broke the school record for saves. The previous mark of 17 was held by Kristin Kleinow.
“It’s pretty phenomenal to watch her in her first year as a starter,” Mustangs coach Greg Aviles said. “We’ve had a long history of phenomenal goalkeepers. To see Emma come right in and continue that legacy has been pretty awesome.”
Yorba Linda is at San Luis Obispo, while North Hills League champion El Dorado hosts top-seeded South Hills in the other Division 3 semifinal.
– ANDREW TURNER, Contributing writer
