What most people could not stop talking about was the look that the 8 Panthers brought to their finals match. It was one that brought back memories and left many in the stands wondering if just maybe…?

Saturday night the Panther wrestling team walked away with 7 individual league champions. That mark is the 2nd most in school history only to be overshadowed by the 10 league champions in 1974. What made it that much more special was the throw back uniforms the 8 finalist wore. These were not some new imitation uniforms designed to look like the originals, but rather the origianls themselves! The white singlets with two faded purple lines running across the mid-chest and branded with an equally fadded “W” showed the signs of age, but on this night of history it was a perfect match.

No less than half a dozen spectators sat in awe wondering, “is that the same one I wore some 30 plus years ago?” The answer… YES! It was a special night for all and just a little extra special for some. One spectator said, “It was so great to see something like that. I would have never believed those things still existed! It really did make me feel good, and gave me and a couple of the other guys a chance to talk about old times and some of our experiences in those singlets.” The kids were just as thrilled to be part of the experience. They were begging to wear them all week and refused to let it go until they had one in thier hand.

 This is a new young group of kids, the 2010 version, but on a night when this group of kids achieved what only a team from 1974 could match, and looked like a team from the around the same time period, we are reminded that sometimes new things really are a lot more like the old.

Congratualtions to the Undfeated 2010 NSL League Champions!

Kerman got on the board first winning the opening match at 145 pounds by tech fall and taking a 5-0 lead. That was all Kerman would see for awhile as the Panther went on a tear! When the dust finally settled the Panther had won 12 straight matches and the scoreboard read 61-5. Kerman won the final match of the night to make the official score 61-8. In a dual meet that in years past had come down to the last match, this years Panthers wanted to leave no doubt.

The win last night means the Panther closed the League season with another perfect 5-0 season and can now start looking to next weekends Individual league championships! The League Championship tournament will be held next saturday in the south gym with wrestling to begin saturday at 11:00am and individual finals to start at approximately 5:00pm. The top 3 wrestler from each weight class qualify to the Valley championships.

This match-up has been a thriller to say the least. With Union walking away with the title in two of the last three meetings. Each of those meetings has come down to the wire with the last match of the night determining the winner and this year looks to follow that trend!

Tomorrow night’s match-up may be the most complete match-up of this rivalry where neither team seems to have that big guarantee as in years past. From top to bottom the line-ups almost mirror each other in quality, and experience. This match looks to be determined within the middle weights which are where ANYTHING can happen.

The fireworks should start at 125 pounds where Kerman has a state qualifier from a year ago in Mikael Ruiz who will be favored in this match going against Union’s Michael Mendoza who is coming off a 7-2 performance that earned him a 5th place finish at the 64-man bracket California Invitational Tournament this past weekend. Mendoza comes into this match considered an honorable mention wrestler in the Central Section and could be the toughest opponent Ruiz has seen this year.

The next weight 13o pounds should be a rematch between two guys that just battled this past weekend. That is between Union’s Jaime Moreno and Kerman’s Edgar Guiterrez. Moreno and Guiterrez battled back and forth for 6 straight minutes with Guiterrez pulling the victory out with 5 seconds to go in the match! Moreno who was favored in that last match will no doubt be looking for revenge!

Next up at 135 pounds is Kerman’s Adrian Flores and Union’s Richard Hernandez. Flores is one of Kerman’s team captains and comes in as the favorite, but Hernandez has upset on his mind. Hernandez’s style never puts him out of a match and when he is out there anything can happen, and to the crowd’s amusement, it usually does!

At 140 pounds you will see Danzelle Amey versus Rayko Castro. If you like high flying acts then you’ll love this match-up! These two wrestlers were cracked from the same mold and I will guarantee someone is going for a ride in this one!

Finally 145 pounds will see a couple of youngsters. No one at this weight has proven themselves on the big stage which just means another exciting match for the fans! Union will send out sophomore Mario Marquez and Kerman will likely counter with Freshman Tony Castillo or Junior Manuel Jimenez. When you have a couple unproven up and comers and you throw them into a crazy packed gym its gut check time! This one will truly be one of those who wants it more and rises to the occasion.

The rest of the action should see Union favored in the lightweight matches and everything square between the two teams in the upper weights! Make sure to see how this FINAL SHOWDOWN unfolds tomorrow night in Kerman. Action starts at 6:00pm with the J.V.’s and Varsity to start immediately after. Be sure to get there early as with past matches it’s going to be a full house.