By Dick Sparrer
Tim Heinrich has had quite a season for the Westmont wrestling team.
But as far as the Westmont 154-pounder is concerned, it's just beginning. Because this is the week when things start heating up for high school wrestlers throughout the area. The dual match season is over, and the road to the state tournament begins.
Wrestlers will compete in league finals this week with their sights set on the Central Coast Section and state tournaments.
Heinrich is certainly no different. The local star will lead his Westmont teammates into the Blossom Valley Athletic League finals at Santa Teresa on Feb. 14. The top placers there advance to the CCS finals on Feb. 21-22 at Santa Clara, and from there it's on to the state tournament at the University of the Pacific in Stockton for the top qualifiers.
Heinrich, a CCS runner-up and state placer last year, is a top prospect for a state berth, but it all starts when the second season begins.
The first season, the dual match season, ended last week in impressive fashion for Heinrich and the Warriors. Westmont crushed Andrew Hill 47-6 in a match dominated by forfeits.
Only Heinrich and Aaron Garcia had to win their bouts on the mat against Hill. Six other Warriors were handed forfeit wins.
Heinrich rolled over his opponent at an 18-2 victory despite wrestling up a weight at 160.
Garcia pinned at 3:01 of the second round at 119 pounds to give the Warriors their first win of the night.
Forfeit wins went to Tony Oka, a freshman at 135, Brodie Gorman at 140, Jeff Innamorato at 145, Andrew Wadler at 171, Greg Woodland at 189 and Dan McLellan at 275.
The Warriors evened their division record at 3-3-1 with the easy team win.
Westmont head coach Mitch Vierra is looking for big things from Heinrich at the league finals this weekend, but he also figures that junior Luong Vuong (103), Phat Dinh (119) and Wadler (145) are top candidates for league honors.
Prospect, meanwhile, lost a 65-12 decision to Del Mar in Santa Teresa Division competition.
Senior standout Son Nguyen, a top prospect in his weight class at the league tournament this weekend, won by fall 35 seconds into the second round at 119 pounds. But the only win the Panthers could manage against the powerful Dons was a forfeit victory at 103 by David Lam.
In other local action, Lynbrook pulled out a 49-22 win over Gunn to even its record at 1-1-1 in the El Camino Division of the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League.
First-round pins by Jonah Vinciguerra, Dan Ramirez, Steve Horner and David Townzen sparked the Vikings to the victory.
The Vikings will compete in the SCVAL finals on Feb. 15 at Cupertino.
This article appeared in the Saratoga News, February 12, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.