Saturday, March 4, 2017 - 12:25pm By Ed Martin, Editor
Gary Joint, shown here in a previous match, is gunning for a CIF State Championship in Bakersfield.
Gary Joint, shown here in a previous match, is gunning for a CIF State Championship in Bakersfield.
Photo by Bill Burris, Lemooresports.com

Lemoore’s best hope for a state championship, as of Saturday afternoon, was on track as 132-pound wrestler Gary Joint made it to Saturday’s finals. He appeared headed for another title bout with his nemesis Clovis Chris Deloza, but Deloza lost his semifinal match to Frontier's Elijah Ozuna.

Joint beat Gilroy’s Alex Felix 3-0 to earn a berth in the state finals.

CIF State Wrestling Results

A return bout may be in store for Lemoore’s 280-pound grappler Noah Wright, also in the semis, where he will face Delhi’s Jesus Flores to earn a return bout with Clovis two-time state champion Seth Nevils. The talented Clovis athlete beat Wright just a week ago, in the Masters.

Lemoore’s Angel Solis (182) turned in a string of solid wins before losing to Buchanan’s Antony Montalvo in the quarterfinals. Solis is still in the running for third place as he makes his way through the consolation brackets.

Joe Romero, at 138, is still alive in the consolation bracket after winning his first two matches and then losing 7-4 to Yucaipa’s Alejandro Raya. He’s won three straight matches in the consolation bracket as he too is gunning for a third-place finish.