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Valadez wins thriller in Overfelt finals
By Dick Sparrer
Time had run out in the title match at 142 pounds, and Willow Glen's Daniel Valadez looked up at the referee for an encouraging sign.
He got it, too. A 2-point takedown with no time left on the clock, giving him a thrilling 4-2 victory and an individual championship at the Overfelt Classic.
"It was fantastic," said Willow Glen coach Phil Luna of Valadez's exciting victory. "Daniel took him down as time ran out."
The two wrestlers were standing face-to-face in the final seconds of the match. With the score tied 2-2 and only eight seconds left to wrestle, the conventional wisdom was to let time run out and take the bout into overtime.
Valadez had other ideas. He took a shot at the takedown, and stuck his opponent for the win.
"He's the best shooter on the team," said Luna of Valadez.
It was an impressive win for the Willow Glen senior. His San Mateo foe was a former USA freestyle national champion.
The win came a week after Valadez had finished second in his weight class at the JFK Classic.
Henry Chavez, Steve Klein and James Arballo were other Willow Glen placers at Overfelt. Chavez was second at 142, Klein fifth at 191 and Arballo sixth at 127.
Chavez, a senior captain for the Rams, lost 7-5 in overtime to Miguel Chavez of Santa Clara in the finals. It was his third loss this year to the SC standout, one of them coming last week in the JFK finals.
"He's the hardest working kid in our gym," said Luna of Chavez, a four-year wrestler at Willow Glen who boasts a 29-5 record this season.
Klein won his last match 3-1 in overtime to clinch fifth at 191 pounds at Overfelt, and Arballo finished sixth at 127 after missing part of the week with the flu.
Earlier in the week, the Rams had lost a tough 41-26 dual match decision to Overfelt.
Valadez pinned at 1:37 of the first round at 137 pounds and Khang Truong pinned in just 48 seconds at 105 for his first varsity win.
Chavez won a 14-0 major decision at 142 pounds, Adam Copas won 7-1 at 154 and sophomore Joel Drescher pinned with 15 seconds left in the second round at 191 pounds.
"We're happy with the way the kids are wrestling right now," said Luna. "We're peaking at the right time."
The Rams will host Santa Teresa on Jan. 31, 6:30 p.m., in a dual match in the Mt. Hamilton Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League.
It will be "Senior Night" for the Rams when they will honor Chavez, Copas, Valadez, Klein, Truong and Memo Rivera, along with senior stat girls Jennifer Mummy and Christina Cardenjas, who have each been involved in the program for four years.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
