Upper-Weight Classes Help Calvary Chapel Wrestlers Defeat Bakersfield

The Calvary Chapel wrestling team was not supposed to be that strong in the upper weights. But it was the Eagles’ upper-weight wrestlers who overpowered state-ranked Bakersfield in a 43-13 victory Wednesday at Calvary Chapel.

Though Bakersfield (10-1) may have been the underdog, the margin of victory still was impressive, especially considering the Drillers are ranked third in the state and 17th in the nation. Bakersfield finished third behind Calvary Chapel at the state finals last season. The Eagles are 10-0 this season.

“They’re [Bakersfield] a tough team, and this match could have gone either way,” Calvary Chapel Coach John Azevedo said. “But our upper weights played a major role in our win.”

Before Calvary Chapel’s Ty Wilcox recorded the first pin of the dual meet at 152 pounds, the match had been fairly close--with the exception of Joe Calavitta’s 24-11 major decision over Bakersfield’s Ernesto Muralla in the 125-pound class.

But after Wilcox’s win, Calvary Chapel finished the match with three pins from Arsen Aleksanyan (160), Josh Saul (189) and heavyweight Josh Schultz.

Though the upper weights played a key role in the Eagles’ victory, it may have been the 145-pound match that set the tone. In that match, Calvary Chapel’s Phil Wozniak was scheduled to face Kelly Miller. Miller, who has a 19-1 record this season and was a 1995 state finalist, beat Wozniak two weeks ago at a Las Vegas tournament.

This time, however, Vegas was history, and Wozniak was the victor, beating Miller, 7-4.

“That was an impressive win for Phil,” said Azevedo. “After that match, it seemed to break the back of Bakersfield.”

Other winners for Calvary Chapel included Armando Lucero (103), Tino Archuleta (112), Matt Azevedo (119) and Josh Rydbeck (130).