Buhach's Century Club: Guzman takes aim at 100th win, state medal

ATWATER -- Even with a puffy, purple eye, Mikey Guzman can see his next victory with HD clarity.

It begins with him in a wrestler's waltz with his opponent -- standup position, face to face, circling.

His hands are at the ready. His eyes see everything -- his opponent's footwork, hands, eyes and body language.

Then, the 125-pound Buhach Colony senior, built like a fire hydrant, stout and sturdy, makes his move.

He wraps his opponent's left arm in an overhook hold and shoots down low, grabbing a single leg with his other arm.

In a flash, his opponent is lying flat on his back, wiggling and squirming like a worm unearthed, trying desperately to avoid a pin.

The Outside Fireman.

Works every time.

"That's my bread and butter," Guzman said on Wednesday, his last hard workout before today's CIF State Championships in Bakersfield. "It worked at Masters. That's the move that got me in."

It's called visualization, a technique encouraged by Buhach Colony coach Eric Osmer in the wrestling room.

Guzman hopes this latest vision comes to pass, because his next victory may very well be the biggest in his four-year career.

One of seven Merced County wrestlers with state medal hopes this weekend, Guzman has even more incentive: he's perched at 99 career victories. With a win today or Saturday, he'll join exclusive company on the Buhach Colony Wall of Fame -- the 100-win club.

It won't be easy.

His path is lined with bullies.

Guzman opens with Chris Martinez of Clovis West, the Central Section champion. A potential showdown with San Francisco champion Andy Lam awaits in the second round of the winner's bracket.

"I want it really bad, but I'm not going to concentrate on it," Guzman said. "I need to just concentrate on the match. No. 100 will come."

Still, he can't help but think of some of the names on the black banner in the wrestling room.

Guys he grew up emulating.

Eleven wrestlers in the program's nine years have eclipsed the century mark for victories.

Daniel Osmer, who finished sixth at state in 2007, tops the chart with 175 victories -- a mark that may never be challenged.

Jewel Jackson won 141 times and Frank Flores 140. Josh Sandhaus (136), Josh Cruz (127), Dorian Lewis (121), George Gutierrez (116), Jeremy Camacho (115), Johnathan White (111), James Kelleher (109) and Adam Obad (100) round out the Century Club members.

Guzman is on deck.

"All the good wrestlers, the guys that went on to state, are in The Club," he said. "It means that 100 times you dominated your guy. It means 100 times you were better; you won the match."

It means more than just that to Osmer. One-hundred wins represents a dedication that stretches beyond game day.

"It's hard to do, that's for sure. Like any other sport, it takes commitment and dedication, honor and loyalty. All those kinds of words," Osmer said. "To get to this level you have to have superior athletic talent, abnormal drive and you got to do this year-round."

Guzman represents all of those qualities -- he just needs one more win to solidify his place among the program's all-timers.

But he's heard that before.

"One more win" was his mantra at last weekend's Masters Championships. After suffering a setback in his opening match, Guzman won his next five and found himself in the seventh-place match.

He outlasted Oak Ridge's Brandon Buroni, hanging on for a 10-9 victory to clinch the weight class' final state berth.

"He wasn't willing to give up," Osmer said. "He was on, what we call, double-death watch. Once you lose a match in these qualifying tournaments, you know you're going to be on double-death watch the whole time.

"He did the right things last weekend to accomplish his high school career goal."

Two more have surfaced: victory No. 100 and his place among the program's best; and a state medal.

Guzman knows one will take care of the other. He can see it.

"At state, everyone is good," said Guzman, his hair dyed a festive purple shade -- matching his eye.

"My strategy is to keep it close every round. Get takedowns and avoid takedowns. It's about keeping it close until the third round and hopefully my conditioning will get me out of there with a win."

A milestone win.