Brown takes top prize at tourney, earns MVP honor

Boulder City High School 132-pound wrestler Jimmy Brown continued his early season tear Friday and Saturday at the 53rd annual Jimmy Hamada La Costa Classic in La Costa, California, taking first place at the prestigious tournament.

Earning wrestler of the week honors for the program following his 5-0 performance, the senior earned a pin in each match, exiting as the tournament’s MVP.

“It was honestly just an honor to compete against so many tough opponents,” said Brown, who enters the week with a 14-0 record. “This is definitely something that’s going to give me more confidence moving forward. I have goals of winning a state championship. If I perform anywhere near the level I did this past weekend, I think I’ll have a good chance at achieving my goal.”

“It honestly doesn’t get any better than the Jimmy Hamada La Costa Classic, in my opinion,” head coach Jim Cox said. “Almost 600 wrestlers participate in this tournament from all over the Southwest and Northern California, making it what I think the toughest competition on our side of the country. For Jimmy to pull this one out is truly special. We expect big things for him moving forward.”

With his team placing 11th out of 58 high schools, Brown was joined atop the podium by senior Octavian Trumbo (145 pounds) and sophomore Jimmy Dunagan (152), who each took eighth place, and senior Devin Fox (220), junior D.J. Reese (126) and sophomore Michael Kaposta (285), with each taking 12th place.

“This is one of the better overall team showings we’ve had at this tournament,” Cox said. “Everyone showed a lot of heart and fight out there and we were fortunate enough to get a great team placing. The sky’s the limit for this group.”

Trumbo and Dunagan each finished with 5-3 records, while Kaposta finished with a 4-2 mark. Fox and Reese finished with 3-2 records.

“Competition is definitely better at the La Costa Classic,” Dunagan said. “This past weekend I feel is a step in the right direction for me. It helps me realize that I can compete with the tougher opponents in my weight class. I’m looking forward to seeing how the rest of this season plays out.”

Jin Takahashii, a 160-pound wrestler, finished twith a 3-2 record, despite not placing, while senior Bryan Foster (170) finished 2-2. Both freshman Curtis Brown (106) and Ladd Cox (138) ended with 2-3 records.

On the junior varsity level, sophomore 144-pounder Hayden Moore finished as the team’s wrestler of the week, after compiling a 6-0 record with four pins.

“I’ve been seeing a lot of improvement from our junior varsity guys,” assistant coach Allen Haines said. “We have a few guys, Hayden included, who could push for some varsity spots moving forward. That just makes us so much better on both levels at the end of the day.”

Coming into the week 9-0 overall, the Eagles resume their season tonight at home against 4A opponent Las Vegas. Free glow sticks will be given to each fan as the gym lights will be turned out for the night’s matches.

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.

Upcoming games

■ Today, vs. Las Vegas, 5 p.m. junior varsity; 6 p.m. varsity

■ Friday-Saturday, Dixie Desert Storm Duals in Saint George, Utah, 3 p.m.