CIF STATE WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIPS:

BAKERSFIELD — A block away from the hotel Josh George tried to sleep in before his big wrestling debut, trains roared and horns blared.

The noise woke up George five times in the middle of the night.

“Who asked for multiple wake-up calls?” a confused George said to himself.

Not his roommate, Cameron Rausch. He wasn’t wrestling.

Not George. Not before the Newport Harbor High 140-pound senior competed in the CIF State wrestling championships in Bakersfield.

The plan was to rise at 5:30 a.m. Friday, shower, change, meet with coaches, check in, and then weigh in. But at midnight, two hours into dozing off, the trains derailed things by startling George every hour.

But it was almost seven hours later when George said he actually woke up.

He had just lost his opening match. One more loss and George was headed back south like those trains passing behind Rabobank Arena.

“I just forgot about the trains,” said George after losing to El Diamante senior David Watts, 12-2. “Man, I got beat up! I was scared out of my mind.”

Oh, no, not again.

This time George collected himself, reassuring Newport Harbor Coach Dominic Bulone. George wanted to stay and wrestle, a reversal of sorts during last week’s CIF Southern Section Masters Meet, the precursor to state.

George turned it around, winning his next four matches in the consolation round to advance to today’s consolation quarterfinal match against Scotts Valley senior Dane Stevens at 9 a.m. A win in that round and George secures a top eight finish at state and continues to wrestle for possibly a third-place showing.

It has been do or die since that first match for George (48-7). And in the last one of the day, coming against California junior Matthew Melendrez, George battled back from a six-point deficit to win, 15-9, and advance.

No better way for the Newport-Mesa Unified School District’s lone representative in Bakersfield to cap an impressive day grappling.

“It’s a long road through consolation and a lot of people don’t want to wrestle,” said Bulone of fighting to survive and wrestle another day. “He wanted this badly. So it’s a great spot for him.”

The first match immediately taught George that state is a different beast. He had to wait until almost noon to wrestle on one of the 10 mats on the floor under the bright lights, a jumbotron, and in front of an arena-sized crowd. Afterward deal with reporters, most of whom he’s never seen before or heard of their newspaper.

“[Some] reporter was going to ask me something and I didn’t even bother to look at him,” George said. “I didn’t want to say anything.”

George had little to talk about after experiencing state action for the first time.

Watts controlled the match from the start, keeping George at bay. A takedown, followed by a near fall, a reversal, and George trailed, 6-0. A big second-period deficit, especially against someone with state experience, Watts was a fourth-place finisher last year as a 135-pounder.

This wasn’t the same Watts that George faced at the prestigious Five Counties Invitational at Fountain Valley High in January. The final 20 seconds of that match, George, down one, still stood a chance to improve to 29-0 before allowing Watts, ranked No. 1 in the state by The California Wrestler Newsletter at the time, to record a reversal for a three-point win.

“When you get in that situation, you’re behind by too many points, and then it changes the way you wrestle,” Bulone said of George’s second go around with Watts. “Now it’s desperation time.”

Bulone didn’t fret. George didn’t panic either, even though the 140-pound class boasted four state placers, making it arguably the toughest of the 14 classes at state.

Unlike last year, when Bulone guided heavyweight Brian Beaudette to the state championships as a senior, the first wrestler to go during his nine years as coach at Newport Harbor, George stayed within himself after the opening loss.

“You couldn’t talk to [Beaudette] after the [first] match. You just had to let him come back to you,” Bulone said. “He was upset. He went off the mat and then he showed up about an hour later and he was going to wrestle in about 20 minutes. You saw it in his face. He was angry. He’s not interested. He still wanted to win.

“It really affected him. With Josh, that’s not really the case.”

George showed his resolve, not wanting to go home 0-2 like Beaudette did.

The first loss, George blamed it on nervousness. Or maybe he said it was watching a former teammate and Newport Beach friend in Zane O’Bourke, who now wrestles for Calvary Chapel, lose his first 112-pound match to Liberty junior David Klingsheim, 11-3.

Whatever it was, both seniors were in trouble in their respective consolation rounds. Their first trips to the state championships closer to getting cut than extended.

“I went out there like too much thinking of what [my opponent] was going to do,” O’Bourke said.

Now O’Bourke and George had to concentrate on themselves. Win four straight matches and each is in the consolation quarterfinals today, a chance to place.

O’Bourke tried his best. He won his next three, beating Central Catholic freshman David Ferry, 7-2, pinning Lincoln senior Bacilio Monterroso at the 4:48 mark, and beating Benito sophomore Junior Davilla, 16-13, before being eliminated by Oakdale freshman Shane Tate, 13-8.

George continued on. He opened with San Fernando senior Mike Solis and tattooed him after a scoreless first period. George left his mark on the already tatted Solis. This time on the shoulders, as George tilted Solis and recorded a fall with 3:44 left.

Bulone gave George praise, saying, “you’re the first Sailor to win a state match since 1998” when Rigo Pinon went on to finish sixth at 119 pounds.

“How does it feel?” Bulone said.

George licked his lips and told Bulone, “Great because I just ate some gummy bears.”

In dismay, Bulone stared George down. George just kept at it, never breaking.

The next guy lasted the distance and even led at one point. But George scored 10 straight points, four in the first period and six in the final. The last points came when George executed two three-point near falls 14 seconds apart to give him a 12-3 major decision.

Now this was the George that Bulone expected to show up at state. Fearless, relentless, he was all of that against Oakmont senior Cody Fitzgerald.

Fitzgerald had dropped to the consolation round after losing out on a berth to the quarterfinals. George knew of this and time and time again he reverted back to his favorite move, the Grandby, to pick up a 13-8 win.

“I had to get him while he’s down,” said George, who twice in crucial moments perfected the Grandby.

George raised his hips, threw his arm underneath his own body and flipped across his shoulders, catching Fitzgerald on his back. Bulone said it’s George’s bread and butter.

As are those four energy bars he ate in between matches.

“Mmmmmmm ... energy bars,” George said. “They’ve been good.”

Now George said he’s looking forward to getting some rest before today’s big day. He’s still alive, even if he’s solo, as Clovis led in the team aspect of the tournament with 82.5 points, ahead of Poway (78), Gilroy (70), Selma (67.5) and Central Catholic (64).

George walked out among wrestlers from those schools, standing tall. He couldn’t hear the trains when he exited the arena just past 9:30 Friday night.

In time they’ll be screeching by to awaken him with their horns.

This time George will be ready.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].