Brian S. Doyle
On Thursday, Jan. 18, League City Clear Falls HS made the 62-mile drive across Houston to visit Klein Oak HS for a dual meet that was postponed earlier in the week due to the weather.
On this night, the Klein Oak Seniors are being honored for their commitment and sacrifice to their improvement in the sport. The Seniors were escorted out during introductions to be greeted by the crowd. There are seventeen seniors on the wrestling team.
The Girls would wrestle first. It would be a very fast dual because of the large number of forfeits that Klein Oak collected.
100 lbs: Chloe Hanes (32-11) Klein Oak wins by Forfeit. Klein Oak 6, Clear Falls 0
107 Lbs: Genesis Jara (12-15) Klein Oak wins by forfeit. Klein Oak 12, Clear Falls 0
114 lbs: Grace Banuelos (2-2) Clear Falls wins by Forfeit. Klein Oak 12, Clear Falls 6
120 lbs: Kennedi Lewis (31-10) Klein Oak vs. Audrey Carroll (5-7) Clear Falls. Lewis scored the takedown while tying up with an overhead/chin loc k, went down to her knees and grabbed the far ankle to break down Carroll. Lewis spun around for the two. Lewis got control of Carroll’s arm and put a chicken wing in, turned her over and covered for the pin at 0:41. Klein Oak 18, Clear Falls 6
126 lbs: Laita Perez came in with a 37-8 record and a Texas Wrestling rank of #18. Her opponent from Clear Falls was Mylanni Ayala (6- 3). After some hand fighting and tying up, Ayala got a hold of a single, but Perez was able to get loose and shrugged Ayala by for the takedown. With a heavy ride, Perez tried several different combos to try to turn Ayala, but it wasn’t until she ended up facing her that she got a deep underhook and leveraged her over to her back. She covered and the pin was recorded at 1:54. Klein Oak 24, Clear Falls 6
132 lbs: Pamela Carlos Maldonado Klein Oak received a Forfeit. Klein Oak 30, Clear Falls 6
138 Lbs: Josephine Clarke (17-13} and #9-6A received a Forfeit. Klein Oak 36, Clear Falls 6
145 lbs: Malaina Jones of Klein Oak (38-7) and #3-6A received a Forfeit. Klein Oak 42, Clear Falls 6
152 lbs: Skyler Stafford (22-18) of Klein Oak took on Clear Fall’s Caitlyn Tresler (15-7) Tressler started the match off with what looked like she was going for a fireman’s carry, but ended up just being a clean single. She was able to turn Stafford over, but not get the pin. The period ends with Tresler up 5-0 and a stall warning to Stafford. Stafford chooses up, but quickly gives up an escape and takedown. Tresler turns her again, and this time completes the pin at 3:00 Klein Oak 42, Clear Falls 12
165 lbs: Cassidy Castro gets the Forfeit for Oak. Klein Oak 48, Clear Falls 12
185 lbs: Rylee Ferranti (35-0) #1-6A Klein Oak receives the Forfeit. Klein Oak 54, Clear Falls 12
235 lbs: Ariana Rangel (10-11) of Klein Oak met Sydney Layton (6-5). Layton was awarded the takedown after getting a single and forcing Rangel onto her hip and spinning to the back. Layton wasted no time in sinking the half and turning Rangel for the pin at 1:32. Final Score: Klein Oak 54, Clear Falls 18
And then came the Boys: Klein Oak is coming into this dual after winning the championship of the Gator Roll tournament with a 64-point advantage over their nearest competitor. They will be probably be without two of their ranked wrestlers, Christian Aranda and Sebastian Tobar until Districts.
106 lbs: Nicholas Davila of Klein Oak picks up a Forfeit. Klein Oak 6, Clear Falls 0
113 Lbs: Christian Willis of Klein Oak (5-6) was matched up with Julio Castillo of Clear Falls (15-7). It looked like Willis would get the first takedown, but he was unable to put his cross-face and spin together and Castillo was able to get on top for two. Castillo got control of the wrist, sunk a half and turned Willis for a quick two. Willis tried to kick up and over Castillo when his hip was down, but Castillo got up in time and caught Willis and turned him on his back for a three point near-fall as the period ended.
Willis started up in the 2nd, down 7-0. Castillo reversed in twenty seconds and rode Willis out. Castillo chose neutral in the third got a similar takedown as the first period and worked an armbar/wrist to turn Willis and pick up an N3. Knowing he needed 2 more for a Tech Fall, Castillo turned Willis one more time, heard the ref count to five and the match was over, TF 16-0 at 5:52. Klein Oak 6, Clear Falls 5
120 lbs: Julian Davila of Klein Oak (3-9) and #10-6A Braiden Maida of Clear Falls (27-3) bumped heads at 120. In this match, Maida did most of the head-bumping. Two of Maida’s three losses this season have been at the hands of #4-6A 120 Luca Rios (2-0) and #8 Kerolus Badrous of Keller Timber Creek (7-5).
This match was all Maida. He had a 9-1 lead in the third period when he had Davila’s shoulders down for the count at 5:03. Klein Oak 6, Clear Falls 11
126 lbs: Jadon Magrini of Klein Oak collected the Forfeit points. Klein Oak 12, Clear Falls 11
132 lbs: Klein Oak’s #18-6A Jayden Jones (34-7) took on Clear Falls’ Corbin Guthrie (4-20). Jones started with a single-leg and front trip for the first takedown in the first ten seconds, then cut Guthrie. Jones’ second takedown came on an ankle pick before the thirty second mark. Guthrie was cut loose again and immediately taken down, turned and pinned at 1:05 Klein Oak 18, Clear Falls 11
138 lbs: Niccolo Rodriguez of Klein Oak (20-7) and Hunter Anderson (7-10) came on the mat next. Rodriguez easily handled Anderson. Rodriguez up in the 2nd, Anderson escapes, and Rodriguez connects with another double-leg takedown. He gets an armbar and chin pull-back, which turns into a deep half, and the pin is recorded at 3:13. Klein Oak 24, Clear Falls 11
144 lbs: Landin Perilman (20-15) of Klein Oak entered the circle to face Brayden McClain (11-14) of Clear Falls. McClain scores the only points of the first period by defending a shot and keeping Perilman’s head down while sneaking a leg in and coming around back. McClain started on bottom in the 2nd and got his escape at the end of the period, just after picking up a penalty point for an illegal cross-face. Perilman, down 4-1 chose bottom for the third, and that is where he would stay, unable to escape from under McClain’s ride. He did pick up a clasp penalty point, but that would not be enough as McClain won the decision 4-1. Klein Oak 24, Clear Falls 14
150 lbs: Carter Canizaro, #11-6A and 15–2 picked up a Forfeit. Klein Oak 30, Clear Falls 14
157 lbs: Austen Bailey (4-5) of Oak and Luke Booher (10-17) of Clear Falls were up next. Bailey came in with a nice single, but couldn’t finish the takedown. Booher eventually did get the two. Bailey escaped, but was quickly taken down again. Bailey reversed before the period ended. 4-3 Booher starting the second period. Booher chose neutral, and scored his third takedown of the match, Bailey fought back to his feet for another escape and took a quick shot at Booher’s legs. After a restart, Booher caught Bailey with a quick double-leg takedown for his fourth. Bailey started down in the third and was quickly reversed. The last point of the bout was a penalty point against Booher for a full nelson. The decision was his with a 10-5 advantage. Klein Oak 30, Clear Falls 17
165 lbs: Patryk Cook (6-2) of KO faced Myckel Luna-Acker of Falls. This looks to be Luna-Acker’s first varsity match, and Cook, took advantage of that. A quick shot by Luna-Acker was defended with an overhead chin lock and an underhook, and Cook muscled him the Falls wrestler to his back. The fall was called at 0:37. Klein Oak 36, Clear Falls 17
175 lbs: Dino Navarro of Klein Oak, #9-6A and 35-3 on the year, would be tested by Nathaniel Carroll of Clear Falls tonight. In the first minute, Navarro would score three takedowns, one by defending a shot by Carroll and two by getting a single-leg. The first two times Navarro would cut him loose, but the third he worked on turning him over, but he got a little sloppy and let his hips get lower than his opponent while trying to pull him over with an armbar, and Carroll scored a reversal, almost getting Navarro to his back.
Going into the second period Navarro was up, 6-4. Navarro used an armbar/wrist and turned Carroll over for a NF-3. He couldn’t get the pin and Carroll worked out of it, back to all fours. Navarro was able to use a cross-wrist roll to get two more nearfall points before the period ended.
Now up 11-4, Navarro was on bottom to start the third. Carroll tried working the legs, but Navarro was able to come out the back door and get a reversal. After getting on top, Navarro worked Carroll over to his back, but Carroll was able to bridge and roll Navarro over for a Carroll reversal. Navarro worked to his base, stood and got one more reversal. After a restart due to a headgear on the mat, Carroll sat out, but leaned back too far, and Navarro pulled him to his back and got the pin at 5:30. Klein Oak 42, Clear Falls 17
190 lbs: Jeremy Lee (17-14) of KO and Ethan Rice of CF, another first-time varsity wrestler up from the JV ranks. While on their knees in a neutral position, Rice tried to do a kick-over, but was caught by Lee and put on his back for 3. Lee connected with the armbar and half and tilted Rice over for the pin at 0:59. I’m hoping someone on Clear Falls has video of this and shows Rice, so he won’t try that move again, and learns a valuable lesson. Klein Oak 48, Clear Falls 17
215 lbs: Adrien Perez of Klein Oak picked up the final Forfeit of the night. Klein Oak 54, Clear Falls 17
285 lbs: Cris Flores (5-3) of Klein Oak and Liam Gurka (4-6) of Clear Falls close out the night with a match that will go all three periods. In his first two weeks back on the mat, Flores has a 2nd place at the Gator Roll to his credit. That tournament also included a defeat of the #9-6A heavyweight.
Gurka got the first points when Flores shrugged him by, but Gurka went down and grabbed Flores’ leg for the takedown. Gurka would start the second period on top with a 2-0 lead. He would ride Flores for the first minute and ten seconds, then Flores would escape and drive Gurka backwards off the mat for a stalling point. After they restarted, Flores worked a defensive takedown to end the period up 5-2.
Flores chose neutral for the third period. Gurka charged him at the whistle, Flores backed up a couple of steps, Gurka went down, and Flores spun around for two. Flores released Gurka, and got another defensive takedown on a failed shot by Gurka. This would repeat two more times, and the match would end with Flores earning a 13-5 Major Decision. Final Score: Klein Oak 58, Clear Falls 17
It was quite difficult for both of varsity teams from Clear Falls to overcome the Forfeits that they gave up, especially on the Girls’ side with six forfeits. But they are a young team that will continue to get better, just as the Klein Oak team has done over the past few years.00
