Wildcats set for a big weekend of wrestling in state meet

Paloma Valley wrestling coach Luis Robles (lower left) has 10 wrestlers competing in the CIF state meet this weekend. Photo courtesy of Wildcat wrestling Facebook page

By Doug Spoon, Editor

Luis Robles will be a busy man this weekend -- and he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'll take it," said Robles, coach of both the boys and girls wrestling teams at Paloma Valley High School. "It's so exciting ... just unreal."

Robles will be at the side of the mat often during the next three days of the CIF State wrestling meet in Bakersfield. He will be coaching eight members of his girls wrestling team and two boys wrestlers who qualified for the final step on the way to state championships.

In the finest season ever for Wildcat wrestling, the following athletes will be competing at the state meet:

Girls wrestling:
101 -- Jayden Von Moos
111 -- Alyssa Guardiola
121 -- Makayla Correra
126 -- Luisita Jara
137 -- Janelle Gomez
143 -- Maya Cruz
189 -- Kassandra Ayard
235 -- Desiree Cortez

Boys wrestling:
126 -- Roman Carrillo
132 -- Cameron Owen

The boys wrestling program has a long history of success and has built on that this season. The Wildcats finished second in the Division 2 dual meet championships. Having two wrestlers in the state meet this year is a first for the program.

The rise of the girls program is especially impressive. Since its first year in 2015-16, the program has improved tremendously each season. The Wildcats have sent a girl to the state meet every year, with this year's field of eight by far the most in program history. In addition, Kassandra Ayard became the program's first CIF-SS champion this year, pinning her opponent in the championship match at 189 pounds in the CIF finals.

It is a tremendous source or pride for Robles, who recruited everywhere on campus for girls interested in wrestling and now has a championship program that continues to improve every year.

"Ninety percent of our girls just started wrestling their sophomore or junior year," Robles said. "We work them hard. We grind the basics, emphasize lifting weights. We've won matches where the opponent was technically better, but our girls were just stronger. They're just tougher than everybody else."

Robles' title is wrestling program director, and he has several other coaches to assist him in overseeing both teams. Coaching both the boys and girls programs is a challenge for Robles when it comes time for the big meets. Last weekend, he was at the girls CIF finals in Beaumont with coach Jon Briggs, while assistants Marshall Palmer and Joe Tuthill were at the boys Masters Meet at Sonora High in La Habra. Darren Purcell is also an assistant in the program.

"Some schools have two separate wrestling programs. At Paloma, everything is together," Robles said. "It can be hard on me, but I've selected the right coaches to assist me."

Competition at Mechanics Bank Arena in Bakersfield began this morning and will continue through the finals on Saturday night.