Paloma Valley heads into Division 1 wrestling tourney

By Doug Spoon, Editor

The Paloma Valley High boys wrestling team has been rewarded for its annual success, but with that comes greater challenges.

The Wildcats are privileged to be placed in the Division 1 bracket for Saturday’s opening rounds of the CIF Dual Meet Championships. But that puts them in with the best of the best – including first-round opponent Northview, which has won multiple CIF championships and won the Division 2 title last year.

The first round and semifinals of the Division 1 tournament will be held at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower. If the Wildcats defeat Northview, they would turn right around and go up against the winner of the St. John Bosco – Corona del Mar match. But although they are confident of their ability to compete for their first-ever CIF dual meet title, the Wildcats aren’t looking anywhere past Northview.

“They’re a powerhouse,” coach Luis Robles said of the Covina school. “Beating them would be like winning a CIF title in any other year. We’re so good we’ve been moved up [in divisions], but it’s like we skip the CIF title and go right into the biggest, baddest tournament there is. Little Paloma moved up really fast, and look where we are now.”

The winners of Saturday’s semifinals advance to the championship match Feb. 1. The higher seeded team will be the host school.

Liberty High also qualified for the Dual Meet championships, in Division 5. The Bison will take on La Habra at Western High in Anaheim. The first three rounds will be held there on Saturday, with the finals on Feb. 1.

In Division 6, Santa Rosa Academy will go up against Grand Terrance at John Glenn High in Norwalk.