BHS Wrestling: Aztecs open season with home tournament

BARSTOW • Barstow, Silverado and Serrano will take a significant hit as they enter the Barstow Aztec wrestling tournament today.

The three teams still have football teams in the playoffs and won’t be able to bring their full wrestling roster to the tournament.

That’s fine by Barstow coach Adam Hopkins.

Hopkins explains that when the football team is successful, it makes the rest of the school more successful.

“I’m proud of the football program,” Hopkins said. “I’m very proud of Jose Rubio and all those athletes. In this town, one thing I’ve learned in the time that I’ve been here is that if football is successful, people are happy. We’ve started the year off on the right foot.

“I think every sport feeds off that. Coaches would be crazy not to feed off that.”

The tournament begins today at 3 p.m. in the Don Bilsborough Gymnasium and will include Silverado, Serrano, Sultana, Burroughs and Centennial High School from Las Vegas. The tournament starts back up a 9 a.m. on Saturday. The Aztecs will wrestle three times on Friday and twice on Saturday.

The Aztecs will be without junior Sean Silva, junior Steven Locke and junior Jonathan McPheron among others who are still playing football. Barstow will still have enough wrestlers to fill those spots and Hopkins contends that those holes will allow others to gain valuable experience.

“We are really going to find out what we have for depth,” Hopkins said.

Captains Daniel Benavidez and Christian Salas will still be wrestling and Hopkins said he expects a strong showing from the other returning lettermen.

On Tuesday, Hopkins began the wrestling season by sending seven freshmen and sophomore wrestlers to a Novice tournament. Jeremy Santos took second and Austin Espinoza took fourth in the 103-pound division. Drew Bosco finished second in the 112-pound division.