It took four years to achieve, but the Millikan High School wrestling senior-seven will end their prep careers as Moore League champions.
The Rams seniors finally upended Lakewood High, who were the reigning four-time Moore League champions and had claimed eight of the past 10 league titles. The wait and the fight to get to the top will make this 2009-10 season even more meaningful for Millikan coach Marshall Thompson and his grapplers.
The senior standouts include James Kuwata (103 pounds), Jake Wallace (135), Julian Gandarilla (140), Jaime Reyes (145), Nick Pena (152), Zack Woodruff (189) and heavyweight Calvin Gonzalez.
The Rams seniors have a combined record of 206-55 this season, but Jake Wallace, Jaime Reyes, Nick Pena and Zack Woodruff have combined to win 139 of 160 matches and have a collective winning percentage of 87-percent with 102 pins.
Kuwata (24-10) has struggled much of the season making weight, but he’s won 114 matches with 50 pins over his career at Millikan.
He will be going for his third Moore League individual title on Saturday and is coming off a sixth-place showing at last year’s CIF Central Division Individuals.
“James worked hard going to out of state tournaments and should be a favorite to qualify for Masters,” Thompson said. Kuwata is near the top of career individual wins in Millikan High history.
Wallace (36-5, 26 pins) is one the area’s best at 135 pounds and someone who is incredibly strong. The eccentric Wallace has 88 career victories and 60 pins and is what Thompson calls “the most improved wrestler we’ve had over the last four years.
Wallace wears his “good luck” Michael Jackson shirt before and after matches and is a big WWE fan. Wallace’s grade-point average hovers over 3.5 and is someone who’ll never be out-worked. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the WWE’s John Cena are two of Wallace’s inspirations. He has a keen insight on what made his senior year such a successful one.
“I think the difference is our training this year,” Wallace said. “Last year it all seemed routine and we did the same things everyday. This year, we have much more variety in our workouts. Along with thanking all of our coaches, I’d also like to thank Jose Pena (Nick’s father) who trained us very hard at the Ram Tough Camp.”
Wallace and Mr. Pena are very close and Jake says Jose Pena is a second father to him, so Wallace and his father will be taking the Pena’s to an upcoming WWE Smackdown taping at the Staples Center to try and indoctrinate the Pena’s into the world of professional wrestling.
Gandarilla (16-11, 10 pins) has 46-career wins with 30 pins and is a three-sport athlete at Millikan. He runs cross county and track and has a great work ethic.
“Julian works and competes very hard for not just me, but for the cross country and track programs,” Thompson said. Gandarilla believes the reason they finally won a league championship was simply by “working hard.”
“My teammates are my inspiration, because of all the hard work they’ve put in,” he said. “Not many people know how difficult this sport is and to put in the time to perfect your skills is very inspirational to me.”
Reyes (32-7, 18 pins) is one of the area’s best-kept secrets. He has 63 career wins with 42 pins and has been a huge reason the Rams are now on top.
“Jaime has worked very hard and has beaten some of the best wrestlers in CIF this year,” Thompson said. “He is very capable of making it to Masters.”
Reyes said last year’s loss to Lakewood set the stage for this title run.
“We started working harder and put in the time to be where we’re at right now. We’re a very close team that’s been through a lot together and we’re very much like brothers,” Reyes said. “I hope we remain in contact when this is all over and I hope the younger guys remember from our example that you have to work extremely hard to become a champion.”
Pena (37-2, 32 pins) is as dominant as anyone in the Southern Section and has 112 career wins and 93 pins— just three pins from tying the Millikan career school record. Remarkably, Pena is even a better student (career 4.0 GPA) and person than he is a wrestler. Pena’s won the Millikan Duals, Brea-Olinda, Troy Classic and Arroyo Tournament’s and is what area coaches believe is as close to a lock to qualify for state as Warren 103-pound Damien Gomez (40-0).
“Nick is our team captain and is someone who has earned great respect for the coaches and his teammates,” Thompson said. “He wrestles in a very intelligent manner, but is also very aggressive and goes for the pin.”
Pena said the recipe to the top was simple. “The difference between this year and last year was that we pretty much worked harder in the summer time than any other year. We put our blood, sweat and tears into this endeavor we had of defeating Lakewood and all of it did not go to waste. Everyone was on the same page and everyone wanted to be a part of something great, so everyone worked hard.”
His father, Jose, is his inspiration and he’s also very close with his mother, Jocelyn and his little sister, Catie. Pena’s goals are to win CIF, Masters and to place at State and you’d be a fool to bet against this great young man. He is what coaches Bart Roper (Poly), Andy Miramontes (Lakewood) and Seth Wegter (Wilson) say “such a classy kid and is someone every coach would love to have on his team.”
Woodruff (34-7, 26 pins) is another one of the lesser known, but dangerous Millikan wrestlers and has 55 career wins and 39 pins.
“Zack is a very pleasant surprise this year and he’s earned all his success by working very hard and it would not surprise me at all to see him quality for the Masters Meet,” Thompson said.
Woodruff has won the Millikan Duals and the Arroyo Tournament and a third-place showing at the Troy Classic. Perhaps Woodruff’s most emotional moment thus far this season was when his individual victory over Lakewood clinched the dual and what ended up being the Moore League championship.
Marshall Thompson went up to him and said “Zack, you did it,” and it almost brought the senior to tears.
Said Woodruff: “Over the last 3 years, I’ve had to sit and watch Lakewood take the Moore League titles. In no way was I going to watch them take it again. We’ve been working and training so hard this year. I really believe that it came down to who wanted it more, and we did. We now get the privilege to be known as the senior class that finally did it.”
Gonzalez (27-13, 17 pins) has 54 career wins and 34 pins and has been a solid heavyweight for the Rams. Success in the CIF Team Duals could see Gonzalez being the X-factor if the Rams are to win.
“Calvin is very aggressive and is typically in better condition than most of the other heavyweights,” Thompson said. “He was ranked No. 7 in CIF last year and broke his arm in the first match, so I’m very proud of how hard he’s worked to get back to where he is and not showing any fear.”
Gonzalez wants to win the Moore League Individual and a team CIF championship. He’s also very humbled to have wrestled at Millikan and for Marshall Thompson.
“It has been a privilege to wrestle for coach Thompson and for this school and we are very proud to be leaving on top,” Gonzalez said. “I think we’re all unique and each bring something different to this team.”
Often times it’s said that a struggle to get where you want to be makes it all the sweeter when you finally get there. And for this group of seven Millikan seniors, their blood, sweat, tears and countless hours on mat resulted in what they’ll always be remembered simply as: CHAMPIONS.
The Moore League Individuals will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday at Wilson High and the final round is expected to begin at approximately 3 p.m. The top three placers at each weight will advance to the CIF-Southern Section Central Division Individuals at Godinez High School in Santa Ana in two weeks. Next Saturday, Lakewood and Millikan will represent the Moore League at the CIF Team Duals at Ayala High School in Chino Hills.