Torrance Proves Might by Pinning West, 32-25

Torrance High won its 11th consecutive Pioneer League wrestling championship with a 32-25 victory over previously unbeaten West Torrance on Thursday night at West.

Coach Mike Liebig has yet to lose a dual meet since taking the Tartar job in 1987.

Torrance (20-5, 4-0 in league) clinched the title when Raphael Davis pinned Doug Lee with 53 seconds remaining in the third period of their 189-pound match.

West, which was ranked third in Southern Section Division II, is 9-1 and 3-1.

Coach Kent Wyatt said that in order to win the meet the Warriors would have to take advantage of their strength in the lower weights. Wyatt felt that West needed to win six of the first eight weight divisions.

But West could only win four of the matches and led, 19-13, after the 145-pound match.

The Warriors looked strong in the first two matches in taking a 9-0 lead.

Mark Tsuruta won the 103-pound match over Larry Bonsall, 13-2, and West’s Sung Oh won by a technical fall over Edmond Lee in the 112-pound division.

Torrance won the next two matches to close to 9-6 before West 130-pounder Lance Kaneoka pinned Torrance’s Kendrick Washington to increase the Warrior lead to 15-6.

Torrance took a 20-19 lead when Gerald Fazis defeated Jae Chung, 9-2, in the 160-pound match.

West’s John Kim won the heavyweight match by forfeit after Torrance’s Robert Allen injured a knee in the first period.