The Willow Glen Resident

The Rams are chasing league's wrestling title

By Dick Sparrer

It hasn't happened in 30 years. But Phil Luna and his wrestling team have every intention of making it happen this year.

It was 1968 when a Willow Glen wrestling team last won a league championship. But on Feb. 12, that drought could be over.

The Rams, now 4-1 in the West Valley Division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League, are on a collision course with Silver Creek, 5-0 in the division.

Willow Glen will host San Jose in its final home match of the year on Feb. 4, 6:30 p.m., and is a heavy favorite to pin a victory. That win would send the Rams up against the Raiders with the division title on the line.

The match this Wednesday will mark the final home appearances for Willow Glen seniors Mike Von Rueden and Doug Murr. But it certainly won't be the end of the years for Von Rueden, Murr and the rest of the Rams. They'll battle Silver Creek for the division championship on Feb. 12, then head to Independence on Feb. 14 for the BVAL tournament.

"All 22 BVAL teams will be there," said Luna, "and we should qualify four or five guys to CCS."

Willow Glen's strongest hopes for a CCS qualifier rest with Lupe Duran. The junior star placed fourth in the league last year to earn a CCS berth, and Luna expects him to place at least that high again this season in the 119-pound division.

The coach looks for Von Rueden to wind up in the top three at 215 pounds and also expects Murr at 189 and sophomore Kurt Watkins at 145 to advance to CCS.

"[Watkins] has been a real surprise this year as a sophomore," said Luna, who indicated that Watkins didn't post a victory until his final match as a freshman but has posted a 17-7 record this season.

Watkins won an individual title at the Live Oak Tournament and came back with a sixth at the Jim Root Classic.

Flu symptoms kept Watkins from placing at the rugged Overfelt Classic this past weekend. Duran and Murr each placed eighth in the tourney.

Duran also has high hopes for freshman Henry Chavez at the league tournament next week. The 135-pounder was second at Live Oak and third at Oak Grove in junior varsity tournaments, and added a sixth in the Live Oak varsity tourney.

In junior varsity action last weekend, Fernando Betancourt nailed four pins and lost just one match to finish third at 215 at Overfelt. Greg Barone added a fifth.

Sophomore Rodney Turco had finished third at the Live Oak JV tourney earlier in the year.

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