For the first time since before COVID-19, Dos Pueblos High School’s wrestling program hosted their Alumni Night this past Wednesday. The event was held in the DPHS Sovine Gymnasium, following one-half of the dual wrestling meet against crosstown rivals, the Santa Barbara High School Dons. During that time, the DPHS Wrestling Head Coach, Matthew Bernard, called up multiple wrestling alumni and former coaches in order to celebrate them and their contributions to the wrestling program.
The night also included the addition of 35 names to the Wrestling Room Wall of Fame, which spans from 2017-2024. Bernard referred to the Alumni Night as a “very special” occasion, noting that “a great deal” was done in order to prepare for the night.
“Our parents club did a great job getting the word out, so we had a whole lot of alumni show up,” Bernard said. “[The team] did very well, and our veterans, … they delivered exactly as expected. And then, our first year wrestlers who are in the lineup, they went out there and they gave it their all, which is all we care about.”
The dual meet was a league match-up against SBHS, where both sides brought in full squads of wrestlers, representing each of the 14 different weight classes, to play against each other. The final score at the end of the night was 36-0 for girls and 45-36 for boys, with DPHS coming out on top for both.
The Girls Wrestling match-ups took place immediately after the Alumni Night ceremony. The matches featured 6 DPHS wrestlers. Four of them, Rebecca Baker (10), Estaphany Rodriguez (10), Rebecca Murillo (10), and Lesly De La Rosa (11), won their matches by forfeits. The other two, Yaretzi Arredondo (10) and Ariana Valladares (11), won against their opponents by pin, earning 6 points each.
The Boys Wrestling match-ups were next, featuring 14 total wrestlers. Brandon Valasquez (11), Ethan Ono (10), and Andrew Gilligan (11) all won their matches by pin. Brody Hansen (11) won by major decision, and Captain Seamus Fergus (11) won his match by tech fall. Two DPHS wrestlers lost by forfeit, and three — Diego Meza (10), Jason Dubbs (10), and Andrew George (9) — won by forfeit.
Bernard called attention to some “impressive” work from the matches. For example, Valasquez, who “bumped up a weight class” and took on a heavier opponent, still came out with a win. Bernard also referred to the final match of the night featuring Fergus, commending his “top work” as well as his resilience against a strong opponent.
Bernard called the night a success and said that he was very happy with how the team is doing. However, he added that there is always room for improvement.
“We have a very young team, and they’re constantly improving,” Bernard said. “So, what we look for is progress and improvement from their last performances. They’re constantly working to sharpen themselves, and so, last night, we did very well … DP wrestling has 25 league titles, 16 state placers, 244 league champions. So, it’s a program of excellence. We’re growing and we’re improving.”
