Golden Valley wrestlers help coach celebrate 50th birthday with win in CCC showdown.
Chopper Mello would have struggled to script his 50th birthday any better.
There are few other places the Golden Valley wrestling coach would rather be on his birthday than sitting than in his folding chair, in the corner of the mat in a dimly lit Cougar Arena with the spotlight hanging down from the ceiling.
Mello made sure the Cougars’ Central California Conference showdown with El Capitan fell on his birthday when he made out the schecule and Golden Valley celebrated with a 37-27 win over the Gauchos in a battle of CCC unbeaten teams.
The win gives the Cougars (24-4 overall, 6-0 CCC) the inside track on the program’s fourth CCC championship and first since 2014.
“We knew the last two years El Capitan had a great team,” Mello said. “We knew this year they would have to come to our place. This is something we’ve been looking forward to for a long time.
“Losing at their place last year left a bad taste in our mouth. We got embarrassed. We worked hard all summer and all season. This just didn’t happen tonight.”
With a January birthday, Mello has spent almost every birthday in a gym or wrestling room.
“We were wrestling Turlock many times for the league title on those birthdays,” Mello said. “A lot of them didn’t work out. Tonight was fun. This one will be meaningful.”
The Cougars couldn’t ask for a better place for the match to start at 147 pounds. The strength of the Golden Valley lineup is its upper weights and it showed.
The Cougars won the first eight matches, building a 37-0 lead over the Gauchos.
Enzo Hormozi started with a first-round pin to get the ball rolling for Golden Valley. Travan Moore and Clint Ward added two more pins for Golden Valley. Aristeo Prado won by forfeit.
One of the highlights for Mello had to be watching his son Jaret come back from a 5-2 deficit to defeat El Capitan’s Jose Martinez 7-5 in overtime.
“So coach Mello purposely set this match up on his birthday,” said senior Willie Ward-Williams, who picked up a major decision win in his match. “All he wanted for his birthday was for us to beat El Cap and some of my mom’s banana pudding. He loves that stuff. I’ve been bringing it to the team banquets for four years.”
El Capitan (4-1 CCC) won the final six matches, including pins from Favian Alba, Jesus Garcia and Juan Martinez, but the 37-point deficit was too big to overcome.
Mello, who has spent 23 years coaching at Golden Valley or almost half of his life, doesn’t know how many more birthday’s he’ll be sitting in the corner of the mat. The victory was No. 367 for the longtime coach.
“I look at the young kids and that’s what keeps me going,” Mello said. “But I told my wife (Amy) this morning, I don’t know how much more I’ve got.”
It would take a disaster at the CCC Tournament on Feb. 6 in Patterson for the Cougars to not at least claim a share of the CCC championship. Mello will have the Cougars focused on winning the title outright.
“I think we can score in every division at the league tournament, we’re deep,” Mello said. “That’s going to serve as motivation. We don’t want to share the title.”
Boys Soccer
El Capitan 7, Merced 1 in Merced — Diego Hernandez poured in four goals to lead the Gauchos past the Bears. Jordan Figueroa and Omar Delgado added goals for El Capitan (3-2-3 CCC).
Central Valley 2, Atwater 0 in Atwater — Alexys Jimenez and Isaac Juarez scored goals as the Hawks blanked the Falcons. Erik Martinez saved seven shots for Central Valley.
Atwater dropped to 3-4-1 in the CCC.
Buhach Colony 0, Golden Valley 0 in Merced — The Cougars and Thunder played to a scoreless draw. Andrew Sanchez finished with six saves for GV. Adrian Bracamontes had eight saves for Buhach Colony.
Girls Soccer
El Capitan 2, Merced 0 in Merced — Anaya Shelton and Haley Espinoza scored goals to help the Gauchos remain unbeaten in the CCC at 7-0-1.
Girls Basketball
Golden Valley 49, Patterson 48 (OT) in Patterson — The Cougars won a thriller on the road in overtime. as Isela Gonzalez made a free throw with 2.5 seconds left in overtime to give GV the win.
Gonzalez led the Cougars with 14 points. Rebeca Biralles chipped in with eight points.
Golden Valley improves to 14-10 overall and 4-4 in the CCC.
El Capitan 36, Buhach Colony 29 in Merced — Caly Curran and Keira Flores both scored nine points to lift the Gauchos to a win over the Thunder. El Capitan improves to 14-10 overall and 5-3 in the CCC.
