Lemoore High School wrestlers have their collective eyes on more titles. So, what else is new?

Saturday, November 2, 2019 - 11:41am By Ed Martin, Editor

Lemoore's Wayne Joint wins another match during last year's wrestling season. Joint was a top placer at last season's state championships.

Gary Feinstein/Feinsteinfotos

It’s getting to be a routine task come November. The Leader, the community’s most loved newspaper, every year about this time, asks Lemoore High School’s varsity boys’ wrestling coach about his team’s prospects for the upcoming season. Every season, without fail, Lemoore’s coach, former state wrestling champ Marcio Botelho, says that his team’s prospects are good, and he expects the team to perform well.

Talk about an understatement.

Without fail, Botelho’s teams haven’t let him down, and this year isn’t any different. He expects a lot from his dedicated corps of grapplers, many of whom have adopted the Al Davis mantra: “Just win baby.” The Tigers win so often that other West Yosemite League teams simply don’t have much to look forward to, and except for brief respites, haven’t had much to brag about the last few decades.

This year, it appears, isn’t going to be much different. The Tigers have a new flock of wrestlers joining a returning class, one that boasted three state qualifiers from a year ago, including returning junior Wayne Joint, who as a sophomore a year ago finished fifth in the state at last spring’s state wrestling championships.

He’s back for another go at 120 pounds, as are seniors Jesse Gayton (120) and Will Kloster, an 8th place state finisher last spring. Kloster may be a little tardy to his year’s season. He and his Tiger football mates are playing in the CIF football championships. The varsity football coach’s son also has Cal Poly on the mind. The talented athlete has already accepted a scholarship to wrestle for the San Luis Obispo Mustangs.

The young Kloster might think about Cal Poly football, especially after the game he turned in against Hanford Friday night.

Botelho’s talented crew is already practicing hard for the upcoming season. He and his charges were hard at it Saturday morning in the Tigers’ practice facility preparing for the annual Lemoore Duals, scheduled for Nov. 30 in the school’s event center. Many of the top teams in the Valley make the Duals one of their priorities early in the season.

Botelho and his wrestlers will undoubtedly have their eyes on more championships. “We should be right there for another league title this year,” said a confident Botelho, who also coaches the West Hills College Lemoore wrestling team. “We’ll have a little push from Hanford and the rest of the league. It seems as though they’re all getting a little better, but we’re getting better too.”

He said his team has its collective eyes on a top 10 finish in the state rankings. “I think we’ll end up in the top 10,” he said. “We have the horsepower if these young freshmen and sophomores come out and surprise people. If they can make it to the state tournament, they will definitely pick up some points for us.“

Botelho has a pair of incoming freshmen who are expected to contribute mightily to the Tiger cause. “These guys have been wrestling since they were three of four years old. For example, 115-pound Sebastian Macedo and 195-pounder Isaiah Morales are expected to pay dividends for the Tiger cause in 2019-20.

“They’re going to come in this year and make some big noise,” said Botelho.

The list of talent continues. “There was a bunch of guys that started for us that fell just short of state last year,” said a confident Botelho. For starters, the team has high hopes for sophomore Dylan McDonald. “He’ll be a big part of our game plant this year,” said the Tiger coach.

And count on junior Ivan Arias (112) and sophomore Lucas Gonsalves, who returns at 120 pounds who Botelho says will be an essential key to the Tigers’ 2020 success. Seniors Robert Brooks (152), Artura Valdez (HWY), and junior Aidan Bryan at 220 pounds last year will take the mat this year at a slimmed-down 182 pounds. “He’s been doing cross fit every morning. He’s completely changed his body,” said Botelho.