Troy wins, grabs share of Freeway title
FULLERTON – The perfect record of the Troy wrestling team looked to be in danger after the first six individual matches of Thursday's Freeway League dual with Sunny Hills.
The Warriors trailed by 10 — but that didn't last long.
Troy picked up 27 points in a five-match span (195-113 pounds) to coma away with a 37-31 victory at Troy.
Troy (15-0, 4-0) clinched at least a share of the league title. The Warriors can clinch the outright title with a victory Tuesday against La Habra.
Sunny Hills (3-1 in league) will conclude its dual season Tuesday against Fullerton.
"Like most coaches, you know everybody in your league and you know where your tough guys are," Troy coach Mike Thomas said. "We know where we have to battle and not get pinned, and we have to battle to keep the match close and of course go for the win, but definitely not give up the extra bonus points.
"And the key is knowing that your big guns are going to get those bonus points."
Christian Cabrera (195) started the comeback with a victory by forfeit.
Bijan Armstrong (220), Angel Lewis (285) and Rusty Goyette (106) won their matches by fall to give the Warriors a 34-20 lead.
Ray Moreno increased the lead to 37-20 with a 5-3 victory at 113. Walter Lindo ended Troy's run with a technical fall at 120 to cut the score to 37-25.
Although the Warriors lost the final two matches (126 and 132) Anthony Vaccher and DJ South didn't give up bonus points to preserve the victory.
"I'm proud of Anthony Vaccher," Thomas said. "That's a tough scenario. You always wrestle to win. He wrestled for the team 100 percent. He wrestled one of their best wrestlers. He wrestled smart.
"I told him he had to wrestle smart and don't expose your back. We were up 12, and if he doesn't get pinned, we're league champs."
Vaccher lost his match, 6-4, but that left Troy with a nine-point lead heading into the final match at 132.
"If I got pinned and if something happened and DJ (South) got pinned (at 132), then we would have lost and I'd rather take one for the team," Vaccher said.
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com
