HIGH SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT: ROYAL'S AIM IS SECTION CROWN LAST YEAR'S LOSS IS INSPIRATION FOR WRESTLING TEAM.Byline: Dave Shelburne Staff Writer SIMI VALLEY Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. - Royal High of Simi Valley, knocked out in the second round of the Southern Section Div. IV dual-meet wrestling tournament last year after a 16-0 regular season, entered this season determined to have a better finish. The Highlanders, who compete in the Marmonte League The Marmonte League is a high school sports league primarily made up of schools from Ventura County. The Marmonte Leauge is part of the CIF Southern Section. Click here to view the league schedule. championships Saturday at Simi Valley High, have finished fourth or better in four tournaments, producing four individual champions, five finalists and top- seven finishers in every weight class. ``This year, I think we've got it together,'' said Eric Blackwell, Royal's returning state qualifier qual·i·fi·er n. 1. One that qualifies, especially one that has or fulfills all appropriate qualifications, as for a position, office, or task. 2. , who wrestles at 152 pounds and has three tournament titles. Kevin Dunn (112) has won two tournaments, and Mike Dicato (189) and Adam Rundgren (119) have one title each. The Highlanders captured the Newbury Park Invitational in·vi·ta·tion·al adj. Restricted to invited participants: an invitational golf tournament. n. An event, especially a sports tournament, restricted to invited participants. Adj. 1. , finished second at Estancia es·tan·cia n. A large estate or cattle ranch in Spanish America. [Spanish, room, enclosure, country estate, from Vulgar Latin *stantia, something standing, from Latin of Costa Mesa Costa Mesa (kŏs`tə mā`sə), city (1990 pop. 96,357), Orange co., S Calif., on the Pacific south of Santa Ana; inc. 1953. It is a transportation, residential, and light industrial center. , third at Upland and fourth at Rosemead. ``Royal is a monster,'' Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. coach Kerry Lyne said. Lyne got a closer look at the monster last week. The Highlanders - the No. 1 team in Div. V - crushed Thousand Oaks 59-12 in a meeting of programs that have won the past three league titles. Royal (7-0, 6-0) clinched a second consecutive Marmonte title with the home victory. The Lancers lanc·er n. 1. A cavalryman armed with a lance. 2. A member of a regiment originally armed with lances. 3. lancers (used with a sing. verb) a. A kind of quadrille. b. , who took a 15-8 season record and No. 10 Div. V ranking into the match, won only two bouts and lost five by pin and another on a technical fall. ``They're a lot better than last year,'' Lyne said. Calabasas, No. 2 in the Marmonte League this season, was dispatched 53-12 by Royal in a league opener. The Coyotes (28-6, 5-1) won their other five league matches. Royal also posted a 37-31 nonleague victory over 14-time Channel League champion Ventura, which is ranked fourth in Div. III, and two weeks ago Ventura defeated Highland of Palmdale 49-24. Highland, ranked second in Div. V, won the past two Div. VI dual-meet titles and is considered Royal's top challenger in this year's Div. V tournament, scheduled Feb. 12 at Kaiser High in Fontana. That tournament has been the focal point focal point n. See focus. for this year's Highlanders. ``It's essentially the same guys,'' said Royal coach Paul Mole, who has nine seniors on his team. ``A lot of them went to wrestling camps, and they improved, and they're just working harder than ever in practice. They want it this year. They want a (Southern Section) championship.'' The Highlanders had hoped to cap an undefeated season with a dual-meet title last year but finished 17-1 after the playoff play·off also play-off n. Sports 1. A final game or series of games played to break a tie. 2. A series of games played to determine a championship. Noun 1. loss to Mayfair of Lakewood. ``You never know about the duals,'' Mole said. ``Some team could slip in there in the quarterfinals and just be better than you. But I think with this team, we have a really good shot of getting in the finals. And when we get there, we have a really good shot of winning.'' Blackwell said: ``Last year was a little upsetting, I guess. We didn't go out there and wrestle as hard as we could have.'' He thinks losing last season - and the advances the Highlanders have made this season - will help the Highlanders as they reach for a section title. ``We'll get the job done,'' Blackwell said. ``It's pretty much the same team. We've just got a year more experience, so we're extra strong.'' Dave Shelburne, (818) 713-3609 dave.shelburne(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Eric Blackwell, top, finishes off Thousand Oaks' Brandon Eaton for one of Royal's five pins in the Marmonte League title-clinching victory. Joel P. Lugavere/Special to the Daily News |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion