Windsor should battle Ukiah for top spot in new NBL
The Jaguars may have a new head coach and league, but the expectations remain unchanged for the wrestling team this year in the first season following league realignment.
As a result of the recent election for the Windsor School Board, Ken Coburn moves up to take the reins from longtime head coach Rich Carnation following several years as an assistant, although Carnation will be very much involved as an assistant coach.
The Windsor brain trust hopes to continue the tremendous success the program has enjoyed for more than a decade, elevating the Jaguars to an elite level during that span.
In the past 12 years the Jags have had at least two state qualifiers each season, a span that’s included multiple league and NCS team championships.
Consider the fact that there were more than 27,000 participating athletes on 900 high school teams in California last year, but only one tenth of one percent of all athletes qualified for state.
Look for more of the same during the 2018-19 campaign as the Jags look to flex their muscles in the new North Bay League Oak Division, which includes Ukiah, Cardinal Newman, Healdsburg, Maria Carrillo and Santa Rosa.
Windsor returns many of the top athletes in the North Coast Section, a list that features 115-pound NCS champion and senior state placer Blake Fredrickson, the fourth ranked wrestler in California. Also returning for his junior campaign is 154-pound NCS champion and state qualifier Trent Silva, currently ranked 12th in the state.
They’ll be joined by returning senior NCS qualifiers: heavyweight Austin Jacobs, 138-pound Brennan Brown, 132-pound Brandon Fong and 220-pound Ben Smith. Returning junior NCS qualifiers are 184-pound Lorenzo Leon (NBL champ), 134-pound Justin Campbell, 147-pound Tony Russotti and 195-pound Alex Cruz. Sophomore veterans are 106-pound Jon Fredrickson and 170-pounder Jacob Campos.
“We have good experience and our kids have high expectations for themselves and they work hard to reach those goals,” Carnation said. “Overall, we’re tough and accomplished and have our eyes on some high achievements.”
Bolstering this year’s squad is an impressive group of incoming freshmen that features 106-pound Dominik Mertens, 113-pound Isaiah Rubio, 120-pound Juan Bernal, 126-pound Zach Claassen, 132-pound Dimitrio Cruz, 138-pound Marquez Pigg, 160-pound Israel Higareda and Antonio Salinas.
Girls have eyes on league title
Windsor will also boast a strong girls wrestling team this season, most which are back to better last season’s second-place league finish.
The squad is led by head coach Richard Dixon and will include junior state qualifier Ivory Osborn, NCS qualifiers Molly Cox, Dulce Chavez and Bianca Correa. Also returning to the team are Annette DeLaPena, Maxine Demars and Ashley Culver. The team will benefit from the addition of talented freshman Carmen Perez.
The ladies are fresh off a great showing at the recent Yuba City Tournament, bringing home four top-three medals. Earning hardware for Windsor were Osborn (1st), Chavez (1st), Perez (1st), Culver (3rd) and DeLaPena (3rd).
“Yuba City was a great tourney to get our girls into the wrestling season,” Dixon reported. “We showed a lot of potential that will be shown in future matches both individually and as a team.”
