Closing out the dual meet season with Ripon, the Escalon wrestlers then attended the Trans-Valley League tournament.

The varsity boys and JV boys both lost to their Ripon counterparts in the regular season finale but the girls wrapped up a perfect 5-0 league season with a victory.

“The JV boys lost 24-6, it was a tough match, we just don’t have the numbers,” said Escalon head coach Derek Scott.

The varsity Cougar boys lost by a 41-33 final.

“We gave up two weight classes by forfeit but did win a couple of nice matches,” Scott said, pointing to the efforts by Conner McDowell at 138 pounds and Ezekiel Garcia at 215 as highlights.

Both the varsity and JV boys went 3-2 in league duals.

“Our girls won the dual meet part of league, we won 42-24 and lost only one wrestled match,” Scott said of the varsity girls squaring off with Ripon.

During the team sections for girls at Lincoln High School in Stockton, Escalon fell by a 48-30 decision to Del Campo in the first round.

“We won five of seven matches wrestled, we just had too many forfeits,” Scott explained.

At Hilmar on Saturday, Feb. 7 for the TVL tournament, the JV boys had seven wrestlers take the mats, with five of them earning medals.

Second place finishers were Johnny Van Dyk at 120 pounds and German Rodriguez at heavyweight. Champions for the Escalon JV boys were Jimmy McDowell, 126 pounds; Matthew Fiori, 145; and Kevin Rocha, 175 pounds.

“For the varsity girls at the TVL tourney, we took nine wrestlers and we took first place overall,” Scott said, the girls earning the TVL title for the second year in a row.

Escalon had 201 total points, second place Hilmar had 160. All nine Lady Cougar wrestlers qualified to Divisionals, set for Feb. 13 and 14 at Central Valley High School in Ceres.

League champions for the varsity girls were Yahaira Munoz, 105 pounds; Angeline Mills, 110; Yesenia ‘YaYa’ Marsellis, 135; and Sofia Duran, 145 pounds.

A dozen varsity Cougar boys took the mats for the TVL tournament.

“Overall, we took fourth place,” Scott said.

Ten of the 12 qualified to Divisionals, scheduled in Hughson on Feb. 13 and 14.

Among the top efforts, Jacob Morales, 120 pounds; Houston Sizuela, 126; Logan Wentzell, 157; and Matthew Freitas, at 190 pounds, earned second place league honors. TVL champions were Conner McDowell at 132 pounds, Luca Cerasi at 144 pounds, winning his championship bout by pin, and Leo Carrillo at 175 pounds, taking home a TVL title in a “dominating performance,” said Scott.