HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING OPENS SEASON

By Paradis Jolie Fejerang

After months of waiting, the ISA/IIAAG wrestling season finally kicked off for ’25-’26 at both Tiyan and Southern High with four schools at either site. Aside from the respective home teams, the Tuninos hosted Guam High’s Panthers, the John F. Kennedy Islanders and the Okkodo Bulldogs. Meanwhile the Titans welcomed the Father Duenas/Notre Dame affiliated ‘Royal Friars’, the George Washington Geckos and the Simon Sanchez Sharks with both Tiyan and FD/ND sweeping the scores against GW and Sanchez.

It wasn’t the most exciting opening weekend — most matches went as expected and no big surprises stole the spotlight — but the meet still marked an important start for wrestlers eager to shake off the offseason rust and get back on the mat.

As usual, the girls rang in the season with the first matchup being in the 134 lb. weight class, where GW’s Laila Sablan pinned Tiyan’s Jaylene Masga in 3:04, setting the tone for an ambitious season for the females league this year.

Conversely, over in the boys division, the heavyweights closed out the day with an exciting final match as Shark Finch Bambao pinned Titan Zachariah Angoco in just :54. All 54 seconds of the match were met with intensity with the two wrestlers battling for control. The match reached its peak when Bambao adjusted mid-takedown to roll Angoco onto his back, only to get caught in a brief struggle that left Angoco momentarily suspended — legs straight up, head pressed to the mat — as coaches leapt from their chairs, anticipating the fall.

For the Friars and Royals, this meet was about picking up where they left off from last season as returning champions, securing big wins over both the Geckos and Sharks.

The Friars dominated their time on the mat with a mix of both fast and technical wins. At 126 lbs., sophomore Palo Blas earned an impressive technical fall within one period against Shark Christian Caballero while the 138 weight class saw Jake Materne outpointing Sanchez captain Kaiden Naval in a back-and-forth match that ended 15–10. At 170 lbs., Friar captain Rylan Stanley made sure to impress quickly and quietly notching two fast pins against his opponents for the day – including the fastest pin of today’s duals, ending his Sanchez match in just 11 seconds.

One of the more interesting bouts of the day came from the females at 119 lbs., where Royal Ava Ulloa defeated Shark Jazmae Cabrera by six points. Though Ulloa’s technique from the starting whistle won her the match, Cabrera’s energy and persistence nearly swung things her way several times as she left Ulloa completely drained by the end of the match.

The Sharks may not have taken home a team win today, but they certainly caught attention for a different reason. Sanchez showed up with a large roster that had the opposing teams whispering about the size of a team they underestimated. Regardless, it’s a promising sign for the school program and the sport itself; more wrestlers means more competition, more competition means more opportunities for all wrestlers on the island to improve.

Despite the start of the season, both the FD and GW boys’ lineups were missing several key wrestlers due to the football championship being held the same day, where the two schools faced each other for the title. Moving past the wrestling loss against the Friars for the day, the Geckos will return next week with champions added to the squad, while the football Friars will have to shift focus from the gridiron back to the mats, likely determined to reclaim dominance in a new arena.

While the first ISA wrestling meet of the season didn’t deliver major upsets or standout moments, it served as a much-needed warm-up and a preview of the talent and potential across all programs. The athletes have shaken off the dust — now the real competition begins. Next Saturday, GW will host Guam High, JFK and Sanchez while FD will be hosting Okkodo, Southern and Tiyan. Both sites are set to begin matches at 10 am.

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