History-making season for Delhi’s Flores

There was no blueprint for Jesse Flores to follow. No game plan. The Delhi High School junior had to blaze his own trail when it came to postseason success on the mat.

The Hawks heavyweight made history by becoming the first wrestler to qualify for the CIF State Championships since the high school opened 15 years ago. He also came home with a shiny souvenir – a seventh-place medal.

“It’s a big deal for us what he did,” Delhi coach Ray Cedres said. “He’s the first kid from Delhi to qualify for state. Not only did he qualify, but he placed. That was a big deal for him. We’re all grateful for him taking us there.”

After becoming the only area wrestler to medal at state and finishing with a 27-5 record, Flores is the Merced Sun-Star Wrestler of the Year.

“Because I didn’t have anyone to follow, I looked toward my dad (also named Jesse) and my coaches,” Flores said. “I looked at all the wrestlers from bigger schools. I thought if they can make it to state, why can’t I? My dad was a big motivator. He also told me to beat the best you have to train like the best and act like the best.”

Training for Flores was difficult. Delhi only had nine wrestlers on the team, and the closest wrestler to Flores’ weight class was 170-pounder Braulio Gamino.

“He didn’t get a lot of quality mat time in practice,” Cedres said.

Instead, Flores focused a lot on conditioning. He was determined to outwork every opponent when he stepped on the mat.

“Training with a 170-pounder, basically, I had to use more technique because I knew I could overpower him at any time,” Flores said. “I focused a lot on technique and a lot on conditioning. If the other guy can’t breathe, he can’t win.”

“For a heavyweight, he’s really quick on his feet,” Cedres said. “Nobody can hold him down. He hasn’t been rode out for a whole period since he’s been with me.”

Flores proved early in the season he could compete with the big boys. He won the Clayton Valley Shootout and placed second at Pitman’s Rumble in the Jungle.

After finishing one win shy of reaching the state meet last year, Flores was determined to punch his ticket at the Sac-Joaquin Section Masters this season. He earned his berth to state on the first day with three wins to reach the semifinals.

“Coming into that third match at Masters, there was no way I was going to lose,” Flores said. “I wanted to go to state. I was determined to win no matter what. In my mind, nothing was going to stop me.”

Flores’ experience in Bakersfield at the state meet was something he’ll never forget.

“It was amazing,” he said. “Just walking in and seeing all the wrestling mats. To see how big the arena was. Even the staging area was cool. It was just a great experience.”

His performance made it even more memorable. Flores bounced back from a second-round pin by two-time state champion Seth Nevills of Clovis to win three straight consolation matches and finished the tournament with a 5-2 record.

The best part for Flores was doing it while wearing Delhi on his chest.

“I take a lot of pride being from Delhi,” Flores said. “Every other school is bigger than us. Nobody expects you to do anything when you’re from Delhi. Me doing what I did shows a lot. I love representing Delhi.”

This story was originally published April 6, 2016 at 5:08 PM with the headline "History-making season for Delhi’s Flores."