PREP WRESTLING NOTEBOOK: LITTLEROCK REACHES BIG MILESTONE WRESTLING TEAM WINS STATE SECTIONAL.

Byline: Gideon Rubin Staff Writer

PALMDALE - One small step for the Lobos wrestling team. One giant leap for Littlerock High.

That's the significance of the wrestling team's historic Southern Section Division VI title - the first-ever state sectional championship won in any sport since the school opened its doors in 1989 - coach Dennis Henderson said.

``One team wins a CIF (Southern Section) championship and you never know,'' Henderson said. ``We've never been able to get over the hump, and now that we've taken that next step, you never know who's going to be next. It could be the football team, the basketball team, maybe even the cross country team.''

The Lobos defeated perennial area power Highland 34-28 in the title match at Highland on Saturday. The victory erased any doubt that a one- point victory earlier in the season that helped Littlerock win its first-ever Golden League wrestling title was a fluke.

Littlerock (25-5) overcame a 28-18 deficit entering the final three individual matches. The two teams were deadlocked at 28-28 entering the 119-pound division - the last match of the day - when Joe Fernandez pinned Highland's Jeremy Salisbury in 1 minute, 27 seconds.

``It means a lot, a lot, a lot'' Littlerock's Brian Jennings said. ``It means we stepped up from our past years; after losing and losing, our team finally came together.''

Jennings (125-pound class) was among seven Littlerock wrestlers who were 3-0 on the day. He had two pins and one victory by decision.

Fernandez (112) and Chris Field (145) each had three pins. Tim Miller (275) had two pins and one major decision.

Littlerock sends 11 wrestlers to the Southern Section Eastern Divisionals at Norte Vista High in Riverside on Friday and Saturday. The top five wrestlers in each weight division advance to the Masters Meet on Feb. 22-23 at Fountain Valley High.

Jennings is 40-1 and does not have a peer in the area in his weight class. He's admittedly untested against more formidable competition and is eager to prove himself.

``I'll get to see how good I really am,'' he said. ``If I can do well there, I'll know that I'm a really good wrestler. Right now I still have doubts, I think a lot of it might just be who I'm wrestling, but I'll know for sure next week.''

Highland (26-5) will send 14 wrestlers to the Eastern Divisionals. Among the Bulldogs' best hopes of advancing to the Masters is Dustin Alleman (32-5), a senior 160-pounder who narrowly missed a berth to the Masters last season after entering the tournament as a third seed.

He's hoping to benefit from his experience at the high-impact tournament.

``It was a different atmosphere; it was very intense,'' Alleman said. ``You go to some of these (area) tournaments and some of these guys know who you are and maybe psych themselves up for you, but you go down there and nobody gives a damn who you are and what you've done, they just want to go out and beat you.''