DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

NEWSLETTER
The State
Championships

!
Finally, the moment the Driller Wrestlers have been training
all year for is here: the CIF State Championships. The
tournament will be held at Rabobank Arena this Friday and
Saturday. The best wrestlers from all over California will compete
to be named the State Champion. The Drillers have qualified 8
wrestlers to the State Championships this year. Read on to meet
your qualifiers!
!

PAGE 1

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

STATE QUALIFIERS:
Tournament Placings:
!

1st - Rumble for the Rig

!
!

2nd - Temecula Valley

!
Battle for the Belt

1st - SW Yosemite League

4th - Yosemite Valley Div.

8th - Central Section Masters

Izzak Olejnik - 108

!
As the first State Qualifier for the Drillers, Izzak Olejnik
prepares for his second consecutive trip to the CIF State
Championships. Last season Olejnik won three matches before
being eliminated. This year the talented sophomore enters the
tournament ranked 5th in the state at 108 pounds. Olejnik will
face either Marcos Polanco of Servite HS or Jimmy Heryford of
Sutter HS in his first match Friday morning.

PAGE 2

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

Navonte Demison - 140

Tournament Placings:
!

1st - Rumble for the Rig

2nd - Walsh Ironman (OH)

4th - Doc Buchanan Inv.

!
!

2nd - Temecula Valley

!
Battle for the Belt

1st - SW Yosemite League

1st - Yosemite Valley Div.

1st - Central Section Masters

!
Navonte Demison is no stranger to the CIF State
Championships. After watching his two older brothers compete
there for the Drillers, Navonte matched and surpassed their
accomplishments with a bronze medal as a freshman and a silver
as a sophomore. This season Demison enters the tournament
ranked 2nd in the state. Last week he earned his first career
Central Section Masters title. He will look to keep that
momentum heading into this weekend. First up for Demison will
be a match with Steven Aguirre of Birmingham HS Friday
morning.
!

PAGE 3

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

Dillon Cravens - 147

Tournament Placings:
!

1st - Rumble for the Rig

5th - Clovis West Shootout

1st - SW Yosemite League

5th - Yosemite Valley Div.

4th - Central Section Masters

!
Making his first ever trip to the State Championships is
junior Dillon Cravens at 147 pounds. Although an extremely tough
and talented wrestler, Cravens was unable to break the starting
line-up during his first two years of wrestling. This season Cravens
has not only claimed a spot on the varsity team but a #15 ranking
in the state of California. Cravens will await the winner between
Jose Castellanos of Castlemont HS and Johnny Knowles of
Calvary Chapel HS to make his debut in Rabobank Arena.

PAGE 4

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

Ricky Gonzalez - 154

Tournament Placings:
!

2nd - Clovis West Shootout

!
!

7th - Temecula Valley

!
Battle for the Belt

2nd - SW Yosemite League

6th - Yosemite Valley Div.

4th - Central Section Masters

!
Junior Ricky Gonzalez returns to Rabobank Arena for his
second CIF State Championships Tournament. Gonzalez has put
together an impressive season thus far, and is currently ranked
17th in the state. Lately Gonzalez has been improving from week
to week. He has avenged a streak of losses and finished better in
the Central Section than he did the week before in the Divisional
tournament. He will look to keep that momentum when he faces
David Scrivnor of Poway HS in the first round on Friday.
!

PAGE 5

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

Sam Loera - 162

Tournament Placings:
!

1st - Rumble for the Rig

4th - Doc Buchanan Inv.

!
!

4th - Temecula Valley

!
Battle for the Belt

1st - SW Yosemite League

2nd - Yosemite Valley Div.

2nd - Central Section Masters

!
After going 0-2 in his first State Championships as a
freshman, Loera vowed that would never happen to him again.
The very next year Loera battled his way to a 7th place finish as a
sophomore. This season Loera returns to Rabobank Arena for his
third attempt at a State Championship. He enters the tournament
ranked 7th in the state and fresh o a 2nd place finish in the
Central Section. Loera will start his run to a state title against
Aaron Padilla of San Marino HS in the first round.
!

PAGE 6

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

Antonio Gutierrez - 172

Tournament Placings:
!

1st - Rumble for the Rig

1st - Clovis West Shootout

2nd - SW Yosemite League

8th - Yosemite Valley Div.

5th - Central Section Masters

!
By placing 5th in last weeks Central Section Masters
tournament Antonio Gutierrez has become a four time State
Qualifier. In last seasons State Championships Gutierrez narrowly
missed finishing in the top 8 - by about 10 seconds. While he has
had an up-and-down senior season, he seemed to be hitting his
stride in last weeks Masters tournament where he finished in 5th
place. Entering the tournament as the number 13 wrestler in the
state, Gutierrez has proven time and again that he can compete
with the best in the state. He will face Anthony Mantanona in the
first round this weekend.
!

PAGE 7

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

Noah Rodriguez - 184

Tournament Placings:
3rd - Rumble for the Rig
2nd - Clovis West Shootout
8th - Temecula Valley
!
Battle for the Belt
1st - SW Yosemite League
4th - Yosemite Valley Div.
4th - Central Section Masters

!
Despite only starting wrestling as a freshman in high school,
Noah Rodriguez was able to make improvements at a phenomenal
rate. He became a State Qualifier as a junior and now enters the
state tournament again, this time as the 16th ranked wrestler in
the state. Rodriguez has continued to improve this season, and
has done some of his best wrestling ever in recent weeks. He will
look to make the most of his senior season this weekend as he will
begin his state tournament by facing Joshua Adams of Centennial
Corona HS in the first round.
!

PAGE 8

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

Elias Rosales - 197

Tournament Placings:
1st - Rumble for the Rig
4th - Clovis West Shootout
5th - Temecula Valley
!
Battle for the Belt
1st - SW Yosemite League
4th - Yosemite Valley Div.
3rd - Central Section Masters

!
Senior Elias Rosales became a 2x State Qualifier this weekend
with an impressive 3rd place finish in the Central Section Masters.
Rosales has had a successful senior season thus far, placing in
several tough tournaments, however like many of his teammates
he seems to be peaking at the right time. He has avenged several
earlier losses this weekend, including beating the #3 ranked
wrestler in the state, and will now look to finish his wrestling
career with a state medal. He will wrestle Jake Wood of Newbury
Park HS in the first round.
!

PAGE 9

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

JJ Figueroa

!
The Drillers will enter the 2016 CIF State Championships
without one of their most talented wrestlers. Unfortunately, JJ
Figueroa sustained an elbow injury during the Yosemite Valley
Divisional tournament that cut his season short. After placing 4th
in the state last season JJ was on pace to improve upon that this
season. He was ranked 3rd in the state before his injury.
!
Everyone in the Driller Wrestling Family wishes JJ a speedy
recovery. The impact he has on the team goes well beyond his
wrestling ability. His work ethic, mental toughness, and positive
attitude set him apart. In the face of his devastating seasonending injury he has shown great courage and honor in supporting
his teammates. He will be back.
!

PAGE 10

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

2014-2015 Varsity Schedule

Dec 5

Rumble for the Rig @ HOME

Dec 11/12

Coyote Classic @ East HS

Walsh Jesuit Ironman @ Ohio

Dec 12

Clovis West Shootout @ Clovis West HS

Dec 22

San Marino @ San Marino HS

Dec 23

Vacaville @ HOME

Jan 8/9

Doc Buchanan Invitational @ Clovis HS

Dinuba Invitational @ Dinuba HS

Jan 15/16

Kern County Invitational @ Centennial HS

Battle for the Belt @ Temecula Valley HS

Jan 28

League Duals @ Centennial HS

Jan 30

Clovis West / Oakdale @ Oakdale HS

Feb 4

Frontier @ Frontier HS

Feb 6

CSUB vs Oregon St @ BHS

Feb 11

SWYL League Championships @ Frontier HS

Feb 19/20

Yosemite Valley Championships @ Clovis HS

Feb 27

Central Section Masters @ Lemoore HS

Mar 4/5

California High School State Championships

@ Rabobank Arena

PAGE 11

DRILLER WRESTLING CLUB!

MARCH, 2016

Thank You to Our Sponsors!

MG Constructors and Engineers - Terry Bedford - Appliance Clinic - Bakersfield
Bird Dogging Service - Morgan Corporation - Coyote Club - Varner Brothers Clark Pest Control - Northern Digital Inc - Barrentine Company - BHS Booster
Club - Centennial Medical Group - Dewars - Bill Lees Bamboo Chopsticks Anthony Tobin - Advanced Network Solutions - Sequoia Sandwich Company NuFarm Americas Inc - Skateland - Onsurez Family - Daves Fabrications Atchley Insurance - MTS - San Joaquin Fence & Supply - Cataldos Pizzeria @
the Riverwalk - Supreme Almonds of California - Sharon and Bill Varner - Vernon
and Janis Varner - Fred H Schoene - Ron and Kim Nickell - Denis and Pinki
Maddox - Ernie Kochis - Jon Edwards - Jose and Rosalle Figueroa - Justin and
Andrea Golding - Todd Bassett - Ted and Lorraine Bloemhof - Buck Bonilla Lance McCullah - Larry and Kim Morgan - Mike and Kim Mason - Robert
Warkentin - Randy and Karla Bloemhof - Toby Nairn - Mark Garrison - Mike and
Mary Box - Daniel and Yolanda Cruz - Jeff Lopeteguy - Ed and Sue Thomas Sherman Lee - Pamela Povlak - David R Jones - Jodi Doane - Jeff and LeeAnn
Annis - Casey Lee - Barry Cales - Andy and Hillary Varner - Connie Misko - Valari
Lee - Ron and Vicki Richardson - Gene and Janice White - Darryl Pope - Jack and
Carol Doty - Linda Chitwood - Brian Perkins - Mike and Lori Mendoza - Mike
and Liz Ruder - John and Jean Olejnik - Taunya Deyoung - Eva Villa - John Burns Matthew Lee - Tom and Alicia Olejnik - Eric and Debbie Kinsel - Kenny
Ellebracht - Daniel and Kayla Atondo - Dale Annis - Mitch Rolow - Harold and
Dawn Brown - Mark and Cindy Cravens - Sharon Lee Levine - Abigail Lee Connie E Collaso - Raymond and Eloise Estrada - Maria Perez - Casey Lee Mike and Heather Olejnik - Richard Madsen - Sherman and Vicki Lee - Jack
Skeen - Pat and Lisa Coyle - Patrick Acosta - Lexey Swall

Its not about today, its about what we do today to prepare for March.

GO DRILLERS!
!

PAGE 12