Brockson, Aguila win divisions at Cougar Classic

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Fallbrook High School wrestlers Nick Brockson and Ethan Aguila won weight class championships at the 2022 Escondido Cougar Classic which was held Jan. 29 at Escondido High School while Fallbrook finished third in the team standings.

The tournament championship was the first ever for Brockson and the second of the season for Aguila, who also won his weight class at the Carter Classic tournament Nov. 20 in Rialto. The third-place team finish was the highest for Fallbrook this season.

"It was a good one," said Fallbrook coach Cristian Vera.

Brockson is a sophomore and competed in the 108-pound class. He shared seventh place in the Carter Classic and did not place in any of Fallbrook's other tournaments this season. "He hasn't accrued any type of seeding," Vera said.

That impacts Brockson's opponent draw in tournaments. "It's been a bit of an uphill battle," Vera said.

Brockson was given a first-round bye in the Cougar Classic. He then pinned Jonathan Murillo of Huntington Beach High School 1:41 into that match. Brockson faced top-seeded Joaquin Angulo of Hilltop in the semifinals and pinned Angulo with 15 seconds left in the third period. In the championship match, Brockson faced second-seeded Felipe Martinez of Del Norte and won by a 9-1 major decision.

"To not only win matches but win the way he won was incredibly impressive," Vera said. "He beat out guys who on paper he wasn't supposed to beat and did it incredibly well."

Vera considers regular-season matches to be practice for the CIF tournament. The Division II tournament Feb. 12 will be held at Alliant University, and the top wrestlers in each class from the division tournament will compete in the all-division masters tournament Feb. 18-19 at Christian High School.

"I think by far Nick Brockson had the best practice of his life today," Vera said.

"He had himself a fantastic day," Vera said. "It's good to see all the hard work he's put in the room finally paying off."

Aguila, a senior, was in the 154-pound bracket. "This particular tournament I think was his most dominant performance," Vera said.

After a first-round bye, Aguila pinned Ryder McMahan of El Camino 1:10 after the match began, pinned Armando Olmos of Montgomery 36 seconds into that bout, and won the championship match with a pin of San Pasqual's Sam Pontanares at the end of the first period.

"He mowed through the opposition," Vera said. "It's really good for him to have him as dominant as he was."

Aguila was the top seed in his weight class. "He wrestled like he was the number one guy in the tournament," Vera said.

The 128-pound division included senior Ethan Ellefsen, who placed third. "Ethan had himself another fantastic tournament," Vera said.

Ellefsen had a first-round bye and began competition by pinning Lincoln Norris of El Camino 1:20 into the second period. In the semifinals, Ellefsen faced eventual champion Nathen Lam of Poway, who pinned Ellefsen 17 seconds after the second period began.

That put Ellefsen into the consolation semifinal against Nicolas Gonzalez of San Ysidro. Ellefsen advanced to the third-place match by pinning Gonzalez 35 seconds into the second period. In the match to decide third and fourth place, Ellefsen pinned Cesar Estralla of Guajome Park Academy 1:00 into the third period.

"He still battles back and finds ways to win," Vera said.

Daniel Wilson, who placed fourth in the 122-pound class, is a freshman with no previous wrestling experience. Wilson is also on Fallbrook High School's cross country team and joined the wrestling team after the CIF cross country meet, so he missed the first two weeks of wrestling practice as well as the Carter Classic. "It's been a struggle for Daniel. He's a young guy," Vera said.

Wilson had a first-round bye and then faced Justin Bernardo of Hilltop. If a wrestler is ahead by at least 15 points a technical fall is declared, and Bernardo amassed an 18-3 advantage to trigger a technical fall and send Wilson to the consolation bracket. Wilson began consolation bracket competition by pinning Michael Marquez of Mount Miguel 59 seconds into the match. Wilson then pinned Owen Baker of San Pasqual 55 seconds into the second period. That put Wilson into the third-place match against Bernardo, who had lost in the semifinals. Bernardo defeated Wilson by technical fall in the third-place match with a 16-0 victory.

"He had the best tournament he had all year. Even his losses today were very impressive," Vera said of Wilson. "He had himself some fantastic matches."

Alex Brown is a senior who placed fourth in the 162-pound division. He began the Cougar Classic with pins of Valley Center's Alexander Rodriguez at the end of the first period and of Hilltop's Frankie Mendoza 1:30 into the match. Top-seeded Moses Saucier of Grossmont pinned Brown 1:57 into their semifinal match. Brown began consolation bracket activity by pinning Jacob Blanchard of San Pasqual 1:00 into the third period.

"He battled back," Vera said.

Defeating Blanchard put Brown into the third-place match against Gabriel Duron of Eastlake, who pinned Brown 1:00 into the second period.

"It didn't end the way we wanted to," Vera said.

Medical issues limited Brown's wrestling activity during the three weeks prior to the Cougar Classic. "It was important for him and for us to try to get him on the mat," Vera said.

Brown also wrestled his consolation bracket matches with a sore ankle. "It didn't deter his will," Vera said.

Wrestling tournaments have a double-elimination format other than the championship match between two previously undefeated wrestlers and the fifth-place match between the two consolation semifinals losers, which in the 115-pound class involved junior Xavier Pacheco. Pacheco had a first-round bye and then pinned Noah Heredia of Hilltop 53 seconds into the second period. Robert Jones of Poway won the weight division, and in the semifinals Jones pinned Pacheco with five seconds left in the first period.