Fallbrook wrestlers have great season

FALLBROOK — Last weekend six Fallbrook High School varsity wrestlers, three of whom are sophomores with only two seasons of experience on the mat, went to the Masters Tournament in San Ysidro. In this tournament the best wrestlers in the region meet to determine who will go to the State Championships, being held this coming weekend, March 2-3, in Bakersfield. The top four wrestlers in each weight class qualify.

Although each of the boys fought their hearts out, only two, Bret Jones and Jacob Wagaman, made it to the second day of competition. And when all was said and done, only Jacob, who placed fourth at 215 pounds, qualified for States. What a great way for him to top off his high school wrestling career! Congratulations, Jacob!

Because the team is so proud of all the wrestlers who made it to the Masters this year, they would like to take this opportunity to highlight some of the season’s achievements.

Jacob Wagaman, a senior wrestling at 215 pounds, is a four-year member of the wrestling team. He previously wrestled for three years during “kids’” season under the Relentless Wrestling Charter from 1999-2001. As a freshman he decided to return to wrestling. He has wrestled on the varsity team for the past three years and this is his third year qualifying for Masters. This year his record going into Masters was 28-12 and, by placing fourth, he has qualified for the first time to compete at the State Championships in Bakersfield.

Shannon Cone, a senior wrestling at 145 pounds, is also a four-year wrestling Warrior. His father encouraged him to try wrestling in lieu of PE during high school. He had no previous wrestling experience when he began wrestling in his freshman year as a 189-pounder. Since then, by staying dedicated and working diligently on his strength, conditioning and overall fitness, he has dropped five weight classes. He has wrestled on the varsity team for the past two years and has accepted a leadership role on the team since his sophomore year. He says that wrestling has been a great growth experience for him. This is the first year he qualified for Masters after placing eighth at CIF.

Zac Plum is one of three juniors on the wrestling team. He is originally from Wyoming, where he had been wrestling since seventh grade. During junior high, he lost only two matches. Zac moved here during the summer of 2006 and joined the Fallbrook High team this season. He is a great addition to the team. Zac qualified at CIF, taking seventh at 152 pounds. He is expected to be a leader on the team next year. His season record is 17-9.

Brett Jones is a sophomore wrestling at 103 pounds. He had done tai kwon do as a child. In ninth grade, a PE teacher told him to join wrestling because he seemed the type of athlete who would like it, so he joined when the season began. As a first-year wrestler, Brett took second at the Freshman County Championships. This year he placed fourth at CIF, unable to wrestle his last match due to the five-match-a-day rule. Brett wrestled eight matches at Masters this year, ending with a 6-2 record to take fifth, one place shy of qualifying for State. He is a very promising wrestler with a season record of 31-11.

David Lopez is a sophomore wrestling at 112 pounds. For six years he practiced jujitsu before beginning wrestling as a freshman. His inspiration to join the wrestling team was the Universal Fighting Championships. David could not compete at Freshman Counties last year because he was the same weight class as Brett Jones; however, he did compete at the JV Counties, taking third place. Although this year was his first time competing at CIF, he qualified for Masters by placing sixth. His season record is 30-13.

Haden Lundy is a sophomore wrestling at 135 pounds. Joining the team as a freshman, he had had some exposure to wrestling in the fifth grade. He had wrestled with No Mercy for one year but didn’t find the sport all that interesting. With some coaxing from his preacher and his dad’s friend, Haden decided to give the sport another try. Now he finds the sport “intense and challenging.” He competed at Freshman Counties last year at 125 pounds. This was his first year competing at CIF, where he qualified to compete at Masters by placing eighth.

According to FUHS wrestling coaches and parents, “these six fine young men are good examples of the quality wrestlers on the team and Fallbrook can expect great things from them and their teammates in years to come.”

The team wishes to thank those who have supported them this season, especially the Adopt-a-Wrestler sponsors and the upper level team sponsors: Dorman Construction, Valley Short Pour, Bonsall Construction, BITF Sports, Del Sol Trucking, Ultra Graphix, Major Market and the Meyers Family.

It’s never too late to donate! All funds raised will first be used to help cover the team’s expenses at the State and National Tournaments this year; any funds left over will go to support the FUHS Warrior wrestlers in the future. For more information on FUHS wrestling and/or sponsorship, contact Bonnie Wagaman at (760) 473-5203.