De La Salle wrestling takes dual title, goes for sweep this weekend at NCS

De La Salle wrestling continued its impressive streak of North Coast Section championships when the Spartans of coach Jon Clark won their eighth successive Section Dual Championship Feb. 4.

DLS won the championship match 53-22 over rival Liberty of Brentwood after earlier victories over Pittsburg 81-0 and California 61-6.

Alumnus Clark has stepped into the coaching void after the shocking passing of legendary coach Mark Halvorson in 2021 and just registered the school’s 15th dual title in 16 tries.

This weekend’s NCS Championships at James Logan High in Union City will test the team against the top wrestlers in the Section for not only NCS honors but coveted places in the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield at Mechanics Bank Arena Feb. 23-25.

Based on rankings in each of the 14 weight classes earlier this month in The California Wrestler, it appears De La Salle will be odds-on favorites to grab their eighth successive NCS championship.

Senior Gavin Fernandez finished fourth at State last year and is currently ranked fifth at 152 pounds in California Wrestler projections. He was seeded ninth going into State last year after taking third at NCS. Fernandez was an NCS champ at 132 pounds as a freshman and recently committed to continue his career next year at Cal Poly SLO. There are 10 other Spartans who are currently ranked in the state including six juniors.

Manuel Martir at 106 pounds is the second highest ranked Spartan at No. 11. He was third at NCS a year ago. Classmate Caleb Tatad is 15th in the next weight class, 113. He also was third at 2022 NCS when Martir wrestled at 113 and Tatad t 106.

Other DLS juniors in the rankings are Carlos Vazquez at

126 rated No 17 in the state, TJ Arvizu 32nd at 160, Giovanni Cuevas 34th at 120 and Franklin Enkhmandakh 35th at 145 pounds.

In the three highest weight classes Roland Sanchez at 195 earned honorable mention state ranking as did 285 class Cooper Cazares. Stefan Bakiev at 220 pounds is a top 15 wrestler just getting back into action after a football injury.

On the girls side, two local sophomore wrestlers who impressed a year ago as freshmen are back as top NCS contenders.

Northgate’s Savannah Talmadge took fourth at NCS a year ago and is now ranked No. 1 in Northern California at 106 pounds. Abbi Cooper from Clayton Valley Charter won NCS at 111 pounds as a freshman and is currently rated third in NorCal in the same weight class.