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Oakland gets leg up on Skyline in wrestling

January 19, 2001

By Steve Herendeen
STAFF WRITER

OAKLAND -- The team is just 1-1 at this point, but Oakland High most likely
locked up the Oakland Athletic League regular-season wrestling title
Thursday evening at Skyline.

The Wildcats prevailed 38-36 despite forfeiting four weight classes to the
Titans (1-1). Oakland posted five pins in the 10 matches that were actually
contested, including crucial ones by Ken Thompson and Aaron Cooper late that
put the Wildcats over the top.

Even though Oakland was forced to take a season-opening forfeit loss at the
hands of Fremont last week due to a paper snafu, the Wildcats and Titans are
the top two teams in the league. Both should end up 4-1 by season's end, but
Oakland will have the edge in the head-to-head.

"This was the main meet," said Oakland coach Ben Barrientos. "Now I'll tell
the kids the next thing we want is to be (OAL) Sectional champions."

Because Oakland knew it was going to forfeit at 215 pounds and at
heavyweight, it was imperative the Wildcats get pins when they could.

Both Thompson and Cooper delivered big.

Thompson, the quarterback and free safety on the football team, had some
trouble with his shorter, muscular opponent Kalima Hamble.

Thompson jumped to a 6-2 lead, but an escape, takedown and near fall by
Hamble at the end of the second period and an escape to start the third gave
the Skyline wrestler an 8-6 lead heading into the final round.

That's when Thompson went to work. He scored on a quick takedown, then
rolled Hamble on his back. After struggling for a few moments, Thompson
flattened Hamble's shoulders for the pin at 4:35.

It was a tough match, said Thompson.

"(Hamble) is hard to get to because he's so far down there," Thompson said
of his shorter opponent. "I think I was a little stronger, but I couldn't
hardly get to him."

But when he got Hamble in the position for a pin, he didn't let the
opportunity get away.

"(The other Oakland wrestlers) were yelling 'go for what you know,'" said
Thompson, "and that's when I pinned him."

That gave Oakland a 33-18 lead with four matches to go, not enough to ensure
the win.

Cooper took care of that. He recorded a takedown of Robert Jones,
efficiently rolled him on his back and got the pin just 1:41 into the match
for a 39-18 lead.

The Wildcats were dinged a penalty point for an infraction earlier in the
match, but still had enough to weather an 11-second pin by Skyline's Elijah
Booker at 189 pounds and the two forfeits at the heavier weights.

It was an entertaining match all around, despite three forfeits to open
things up.

Oakland's Justin Smith got a 50-second pin of David Alexandrovich in the
125-pound match and state meet returner Jas Leverett outlasted a very
determined Jorge Mona 15-8 at 130 pounds.

Chris Wilson then added a 53-second pin of the Titans' Scott Tonelli and
Jeremiah Captain worked over Roy Chunne at 145 pounds to the tune of a 23-9
lead before getting the pin at 4:54.

Captain was in command throughout, but said there was a reason the match
went so long.

"At the beginning of the season, I didn't get as much mat time as I needed,"
said Captain, who is determined to return to the state meet this year. "The
longer you're out there, the better you get."

The match that really had the crowd going was the 152-pound bout when
Oakland's Dominique Walker -- a freshman girl -- squared off against
freshman Vi Lu, making his first appearance of the year.

Lu held a 10-2 lead until a late reversal by Walker closed the gap to six
points heading into the third round.

Although Lu seemed exhausted at the end of the second round, he came out and
scored a quick takedown, then threw Walker on her back for a pin at 4:30.

Lu admitted he was tired and said Walker was "pretty strong," but he was
determined. "I got a little extra strength there at the end," he said with a
smile.