By STEVE GALLUZZO | Sports Editor
The Palisades High wrestling team is shooting for its first-ever City Section title this season and the youthful Dolphins looked every bit like championship contenders throughout the first round of the City Dual Championships last Tuesday in the Pali High gym.
Eight Dolphins scored pins en route to a 67-9 victory over San Pedro that had coach Steve Cifonelli smiling from ear to ear.
“I’m very pleased with our effort as a team,” he said. “We performed the way I hoped we would.”
Lucas Gagne pinned the Pirates’ Jake Franco in 1:09 at 106 pounds, Ryan Gouche won 12-4 at 113 and Aaron Galef pinned San Pedro’s Travon McDonald in 1:25 in the 125-pound weight division.
Jonathan Quero increased the Dolphin’ lead to 31-0 with a 5-3 decision over Vincent Gutierrez at 126 before 132-pounder Jesus Mejia got San Pedro on the scoreboard by pinning Tommy Kalili in 1:54.
In the most exciting match of the meet, 138-pounder Jake Carpenter pinned San Pedro’s Ray Rodriguez with 26 seconds left.
“Jake was all guts,” Cifonelli said. “He gave up two points with five seconds left in the first period and again in the second period, but he his heart’s the size of an ocean. He only had one day to make weight, but his desire got it done.”
Chance Chapman won by forfeit at 145, Marcelo Maya pinned San Pedro’s Jacob Duran in 2:30 at 152, Max Palees pinned the Pirates’ Joshua Ward in 2:11 at 160, Joseph Velado pinned San Pedro’s Peter Palma in 26 seconds at 170 and Joshua Du won by forfeit at 182 to set up a showdown between two of the best 195-pounders in the City, Palisades’ Hamzah Alsaudi and San Pedro’ Abraham Rivera.
Alsaudi got taken down, but escaped in the first period and earned another point on an escape in the second period to tie it, 2-2. Rivera took a 4-2 lead on a reversal and although Alsaudi got a point back on an escape, but Rivera held on to win 4-3.
“Hamzah almost got a takedown at the end but time ran out,” Cifonelli said. “He didn’t hit one shot in the first period and the other guy played defense the last 30 seconds, but maybe not winning will help Hamzah down the road.”
Immanuel Newell won by fall in 1:44 at 220 pounds and Carlos Velado won by fall in 3:44 at 285.
The third-seeded Dolphins advanced to Saturday’s semifinals against second-seeded San Fernando at Eagle Rock and this time Palisades did not bring its ‘A’ game, falling behind 31-0 on its way to a 37-27 defeat.
“I’m not shocked by the result but I’m disappointed with the way we wrestled,” Cifonelli said. “We were afraid and we didn’t wrestle smart.”
Maya won 10-5 at 152 pounds, Palees won 11-0 at 160, Joseph Velado pinned his opponent in 18 seconds at 170, Du won by forfeit at 182 and Alsaudi got a reversal with two seconds left to pull out a 7-6 win against Joe Reyes at 220.
At heavyweight, Carlos Velado pinned San Fernando’s Fernando Ramos in 45 seconds to round out the scoring.
San Fernando went on to lose, 37-29, to No. 1-seeded Birmingham in the final, but Cifonelli knows every team is saving itself for regionals.
“We can definitely challenge for the title if we wrestle like I know we can,” Cifonelli said.
Palisades hosts the Region 3 Meet Saturday at 10 a.m. against Van Nuys, Sylmar, San Fernando, Fremont, Bright Star, Panorama, Reseda West Adams, Dorsey and Diego Rivera.
The top five wrestlers in each weight advance to the City finals Feb. 17-18 at Roybal Learning Center.
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