UKIAH, Calif. – On Saturday, Feb. 7, Clear Lake Cardinals sent four wrestlers off to one final regular season tournament, the Redwood Empire Classic, before the girls head off to the NCS Sections and the boys get ready for their CMC League Championships, where a first-, second-, or third-place finish will advance them to the Boys NCS Sections.  

At 220 pounds Clear Lake Senior Julian Lewis came in as the second-seeded wrestler, but he had different thoughts about that.  

Lewis took one match at a time, pinning his first opponent, then in his second match he was up against a competitor from Fortuna, someone he has always placed higher than, but had not wrestled head to head against.

Lewis went on to pin him and advance to the championship match.

In the finals match Lewis was up against the No. 1 seed and seventh-ranked 220-pound wrestler in the NCS, also an opponent he had previously lost a 6-8 decision to earlier in the year.  

Focused and determined Lewis went out and pinned his San Marin opponent in the first round to become the 220-pound champion at the Redwood Empire Classic, with a dominating payback victory.

Tyler Buchholz (2-1) lost his first match of the day at 160 pounds but went on to pin his remaining opponents to become the consolation champ.

In the girls division, Emily Psalmonds (2-1) placed third, wrestling in the 111- to 116-pound pooled division.

Also wrestling tough in the tournament, but coming up short, was Mariela Soto at 101 pounds.