In their first competition of the season, the Cerritos College wrestling team won three of their four matches at the Bakersfield Duals on Saturday. After opening with wins over Moorpark College (46-0), West Hills-Lemoore College (38-3) and Victor Valley College (27-21), the Falcons suffered a 27-21 loss to the host Renegades. Cerritos will now compete in the West Hills Tournament in two weeks.

Cerritos picked up three forfeit wins against Moorpark and earned six team more team points for each of their two pins, which were recorded by freshman 165-pound Mateo Jaramillo (Yorba Linda HS) and 174-pound freshman Elijah Ocampo (Lakewood HS). The Falcons also received technical fall wins from freshman 133-pound Anthony Pereyra (Lakeside HS), who recorded a 16-0 victory, with sophomore 149-pound Mario De La Torre (Temescal Canyon HS) registering an 18-0 victory. The closest match came at 197 pounds, as freshman Jacob Medina (Warren HS) came away with an 8-7 win. Trailing 4-3 heading into the third period, Medina scored a late two-point takedown to come away with the win.

Five wins by pinfall led the way for the Falcons in their victory over West Hills-Lemoore. Pereyra had a big second period and was leading, 12-2 at the time of his 133-pound pin, while De La Torre finished off his 149-pound opponent in the first period. Competing in his first collegiate match, freshman Cael Garriott (South Torrance HS) scored a first period pin at 157 pounds. Garriott is the son of head coach Donny Garriott. Jaramillo moved up to 174 pounds and scored a first period pin, with sophomore Owen Ormsby (South Torrance HS) getting his 197-pound opponent on his back and scored the second period pin. Freshman 275-pound Kobe Pablo (Cypress HS) scored a 17-1 technical fall, while 125-pound freshman Diego Jasso (South Torrance HS) opened the match with a 6-0 win.

With the match against Victor Valley locked at 21-21 with one match remaining, Jasso locked down the win with a second period pin at 125 pounds. De La Torre (149 pounds) and Garriott (157 pounds) each earned pins in their matches, while Cerritos secured a 15-10 win at 133 pounds with Pereyra.

The day closed with the Falcons watching a 15-3 lead slip away against the host Renegades. De La Torre picked up a win by pin at 149 pounds and after a 157-pound win by sophomore Felix Osorio (Santa Fe HS), Jaramillo recorded a second period pin. But Bakersfield came back and won a pair of matches, scored a pin and received a forfeit victory. Trailing 21-15 with two matches remaining, Bakersfield locked down the team win when freshman Alex Bernstein (South Torrance HS) was pinned at 125 pounds, with the Falcons getting a forfeit win at 133 pounds for the 27-21 final score.