TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

LEMOORE -- While all of his Bakersfield High wrestling teammates were celebrating league championships last week, Maxx Ramirez felt just a little left out.

Not anymore: Ramirez won a bigger prize Saturday night, the 145-pound gold medal at the Central Section's Yosemite Divisional. After avenging his Southwest Yosemite League finals loss to Liberty's Tyler Hartsfield in the semifinals, Ramirez took out Lemoore's Osamuyimen Osunde 12-7 in a finals matchup that would have scored quite a few Scrabble points.

"It was a little more motivation to be on top of the podium this week, for sure," Ramirez said. "But the goal's not really to take first this week, either."

That was the overwhelming theme Saturday -- yes, 138-pounder Natrelle Demison joined Ramirez as the only two Drillers took home titles and BHS was routed in the team race by Clovis -- but this week doesn't really matter.

Not with next Saturday's Central Section Masters meet at East High and the CIF State Championships coming March 2-3 in Rabobank Arena.

That wasn't lost on Silas Nacita, Bakersfield's top-seeded 170-pounder, who led Clovis' Zach Nevills late in the championship match before giving up a late reversal and nearfall to lose 6-3.

"Darn," Nacita said, flashing his silver medal. "But in two weeks, I'll be swapping this (for gold)."

Demison dominated his bracket and received some help when the No. 2 seed, Lemoore's Dillen Rocha, was upset in the early rounds. After a scoreless first period, he dominated Clovis-Buchanan's Racelis Cardenas 9-1 in the championship.

"I felt all right," Demison said. "I started off slow, but I picked it up. I was just like in a shell at first, but I started moving better."

But the Drillers' accomplishments paled in comparison to those of Clovis, which won seven championships and qualified all 14 wrestlers for the Masters. The Cougars won the team race with a whopping 361 points. Bakersfield was second with 237.5, and Clovis West edged Lemoore 177.5-176.5 for third.

The Drillers will send nine wrestlers to Masters, with Carlos Herrera (106) and Arik Onsurez (113) alternates after they finished eighth.

"We thought nine would be a good number, but when you get here, you always want more," BHS coach Andy Varner said. "We were hoping to get a couple of those guys through, but they fought hard. Now they can wait and see what happens, see if anybody doesn't make weight or something and they get in."

Three other Kern County wrestlers lost championship matches: A.J. Fierro of Bakersfield, who two weeks ago was a 145-pound junior-varsity wrestler but reached the 160-pound final before falling to Clovis' Adrian Salas, was one of them.

"This week is kind of deceiving, though," Varner said, "because you've got to do it again next week."

That will be a sweet chance for Coleman Hammond, the Drillers' bally-hooed 152-pounder who suffered a surprise loss to Clovis East's Kyle Perreault in the semifinals before rebounding for third place.

It will also be another chance for Frontier's Jack Murphy, who nearly did the unthinkable, putting accomplished top seed Dakota Gordon of Clovis on his back early in the 195-pound final.

"I just thought maybe he would have a lot of confidence and get lazy," Murphy said. "I'm probably one of the only kids to ever have him on his back."

But Gordon rolled over and quickly recovered from a 4-0 deficit. He led 6-4 when he pinned Murphy midway through the third period.

"I felt like once he got off his back, the match was over," Murphy said. "The goal is to take another shot next week."

Same goes for Foothill heavyweight Rudy Amaya, who lost 6-4 to defending state champion Nick Nevills of Clovis.

"I was nervous," Amaya said. "It was a wake-up call for what I need to work on."

In all, 26 Kern County wrestlers finished in the top seven, securing their spot at Masters, where they'll be joined by Sierra-Sequoia Division survivors in a fight for the Central Section's eight spots to state.

That number includes five each for Frontier and Foothill, which finished seventh and 10th, respectively, in the team standings.

It also included two from Liberty and surprising West, which was only third in the relatively weak South Yosemite League. But the Vikings' 145-pounder, James Toro, finished fourth, and Miguel Trejo was seventh at 152.

Stockdale, Centennial and Kennedy also each had a Masters qualifier. But as one of the day's biggest winners, Ramirez, noted, this was only a step on the way to state.

"Our motto is that it only matters what happens in March," Ramirez saidd. "That's what people remember."

Sierra-Sequoia

Wasco finished second at the Sierra-Sequoia Divisional at Washington Union in Easton. The Tigers piled up 186.5 points to Selma's 248.5.

Isaiah Hokit (106 pounds), Michael Martinez (145) and Sean Medley (220) each scored individual championships for Wasco, which had six wrestlers finish in the top four and advance to Masters.

Shafter had the only other local Masters qualifier from the meet.