San Fernando’s Evelyne Vasquez after defeating Birmingham’s Linzi Oros during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
San Fernando’s Selma Morales, left, against Birmingham’s Veronica Machian during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
San Fernando’s Viviana Garcia, left, against Birmingham’s Aliyah Rollins during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sylmar’s Leo Chevez, center, after defeating Birmingham’s Alan Aleman during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Moses Trulillo is named the winner after his match against Sylmar’s Adrian Olivares during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s bench celebrates during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sylmar’s Adrian Olivares’ headgear covers his face as he struggles underneath Birmingham’s Moses Trulillo during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Jonovan Smith, left, shakes the hand of Sylmar’s George Duran, after defeating Duran during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Jonovan Smith, center, after defeating Sylmar’s George Duran, left, during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Jonovan Smith, center, after defeating Sylmar’s George Duran, left, during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Jonovan Smith after defeating Sylmar’s George Duran during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Jonovan Smith lands on top of Sylmar’s George Duran during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sylmar’s Jose Granados, left, tries free himself from Birmingham’s Frankie Guerra during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sylmar’s Joshua Juarez, left, is caught underneath Birmingham’s Michael Erazo during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sylmar’s Jordan Cabral, center, after defeating Birmingham’s Raul Godinez, right, during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Desi Lobos defeated his opponent, Sylmar’s Abraham Gomez, during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sylmar’s Abraham Gomez, left, twists his body underneath Birmingham’s Desi Lobos during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Diego Nava, left, pulls on the arm of Sylmar’s Alvaro Nieto during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Diego Nava, left, tries to pull the Sylmar’s Alvaro Nieto down on to the mat during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sylmar’s bench gets fired-up during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sylmar’s Oscar Nieto, top, holds onto Birmingham’s Kevin Barragan during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Roque Roman, right, tries to keep the pressure on Sylmar’s Michael Morgan during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sylmar’s Michael Morgan, right, tries to break loose of Birmingham’s Roque Roman’s grip during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Sylmar huddles together before taking on Birmingham in the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham huddles together before taking on Sylmar in the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
Birmingham’s Michael Erazo, left, and Sylmar’s Joshua Juarez during the Dual Meet Wrestling Championships at Birmingham Community Charter High School in Van Nuys, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 2, 2019. (Photo by Trevor Stamp, Contributing Photographer)
VAN NUYS – Sometimes coaches have to adapt and adjust to circumstances in order to put his team in the best possible position to being success. That’s exactly what happened to Birmingham wrestling coach Jimmy Medeiros.
After seeing his team advance to the final of the CIF LA-City Section Wrestling Dual Champions, he began to prepare to meet his most probable opponent in their arch-rival San Fernando. The Tigers hold up their end of the deal as they were upset by Sylmar 37-36.
In the final, Birmingham showed their superiority as they easily defeated the Spartans, 49-22, to clinch the dual-meet championships at Birmingham.
“All week long, I was preparing myself and the team to wrestle San Fernando,” Medeiros said. “I was really surprised that they lost to Sylmar. So, I had to move my lineup around a little bit – and it all worked out in the end.”
The finals didn’t start out the way that Birmingham fans had hope for as Oscar Nieto (132) and Johnny Pena (126) pinned their opponents to help propel Sylmar to a 12-4 lead. Birmingham’s Diego Nava pinned Sylmar’s Alvaro Nieto in the second period that cut the Spartans lead to 12-10.
The Patriots regained the advantage at 15-12 when Desi Lobos easily dismantled Abraham Gomez, 15-0 in their 145-pound match. Sylmar answered back in a big way when Jordan Cabral scored a first-period pin of Birmingham’s Raul Godinez at 1152 pounds for a 18-15 advantage.
Birmingham regained the lead when Michael Erazo won by a major decision over Joshua Juarez, 12-1, at 160-pounds that gave the Patriots a 19-18 lead. Once again, Sylmar would respond as Jose Granados grinded out a 9-5 win over Frankie Guerra in their 170-pound match that gave the Spartans a 21-19 lead.
It would Birmingham that would establish their superiority by winning the last four matches of the dual. Jonovan Smith, who many consider to be the section’s best hope to win a CIF State championship in three weeks, started the Birmingham run with a first period pin over George Duran at 180 pounds.
“Everyone has worked hard to win a championship like this,” Smith said. “I did my part and a lot of other guys did what was asked of them. I feel really blessed to be part of a program like one (at Birmingham).”
Moises Trujillo clinched the dual meet championship for Birmingham with a second period pin of Sylmar’s Adrian
Olivares at 220-pounds.
In the girls dual meet final, San Fernando and Birmingham renewed their highly emotional rivalry. The Tigers won five of the last six matches to defeat the Patriots 53-21.
San Fernando’s Adeline Parra, who is considered a heavy favorite to win a state title, clinched the dual meet title with a first-period pin over Natalia Portillo at 189-pounds.
In one of the more anticipated matches of the meet, Birmingham’s Jerzie Estrada, a returning state champion that transferred to Birmingham from Selma, pinned San Fernando’s Gianna Anaya in the second-period of their 150-pound match. Anaya placed third at the state tournament last season.
One more video from the city section duals… Returning state champion Jerzie Estrada of Birmingham pins San Fernando's Gianna Anaya in the second period of their 150 pound match. @calUSAwrestlingpic.twitter.com/dTLjJbNkFn
— James Escarcega 📈🏈🏀⚾️🥎 🤼🤽🏽♂️🏊🏼♀️🏌🏻⚽️ (@James_Escarcega) February 3, 2019
