It was a golden night for three local wrestlers on Championship Saturday at the 66th annual Sam Boyd California Invitational Tournament hosted by Morro Bay High School.
Righetti's Dominic Mendez captured the 106-pound championship with an 8-0 win over Caleb Park of Calvary Chapel. Mendez secured the shutout victory with a late takedown in the third period.
Fellow Warrior Matt Rodriguez was crowned the 138-pound champion. He was involved in one of the best matches of the night. Trailing 4-0 to Servite's Josh Medina in the second period, Rodriguez turned the tables and eventually picked up two points with a reversal and spun it right into a three-point near fall. Then in the third period, Rodriguez maintained control and took down Medina while picking up yet another near fall. His 11-6 victory secured back-to-back C.I.T. championships and allowed Righetti to finish second place as a team.
Nipomo's Justin Burdick was the first area champion of the night. Burdick defeated Pitman's Tal Mahli, 4-3, to claim the 182-pound title. Burdick scored a pair of takedowns, one in each of the first two periods. It turned those points would be all he needed for the win.
