JANUARY 10 - CLOVIS, CA - Often called The Round of 12, or at the DocB, The Round of 8 #2, this round in a wrestling tournament determines whether a wrestler will place or is eliminated from the tournament and not earn a medal.  As a result, it is a very emotional round as everyone knows what is on the line, especially the wrestlers, parents and families.
     The Doc B tournament boasts 10 mats of wrestling in three gymnasiums on Day 1.  Six mats are located in the South Gym, three in North Gym and one in the wrestling room.  As the tournament proceeded into the blood rounds and medal rounds, three of the mats in South Gym were removed and every bout was much more intense.  It is a challenging event to coach as teammates could be competing simultaneously in different locations.  The event is extremely well-planned and executed with virtually no down time on any mat.
SOUTH GYM:  Matthew Mulligan, 129 pounds, versus an opponent from Bixby, Oklahoma.  After an abbreviated one-minute first round, neither wrestler gained an advantage.  After and escape and takedown, Mulligan found himself down 4-0 before he earned an escape.  The wrestlers entered the third period Mulligan taking bottom and losing 4-1.  He escaped within 3 seconds and cut the lead in half 4-2.  Wrestling resumed with 1:53 remaining, Matt needing a takedown (now worth 3 points) to grab the lead. 
SOUTH GYM:  Lucas Reeves, 135 pounds, versus a junior from Sultana, California.  Lucas wrestled tough through the first period, but was taken down with just 4 seconds remaining in the period, putting him in a 3-0 hole after one.  His opponent earned a reversal to take a 5-0 lead, but Lucas escaped with 1:12 remaining in the second to cut the lead to 5-1.  The two went to the third period with Lucas choosing bottom.  He earned an escape with 23 seconds remaining in the bout, now losing 5-2 and in need of a quick takedown.  His aggressiveness led to vulnerability as he was taken down with just six seconds remaining, falling 8-2.
NORTH GYM:  Mason Marck, 218 pounds, versus a wrestler from Gilroy, California.  Mason had a scoreless first period and entered the second period on top.  After being reversed 45 seconds into the second period, he quickly escaped to close the gap to 2-1.  Mason attacked from his feet for the majority of the remaining 60 seconds, but was unable to score.  He selected bottom position for the third period and got to his feet within 4 seconds.  After an aggressive sing leg, his opponent was called for fleeing the mat, giving Mason a 3-2 lead.  With 54 seconds, Mason received a warning for stalling.  His opponent earned a takedown with just 21 seconds left to flip the lead, handing Mason a 5-3 defeat.
SOUTH GYM:  Gideon Gonzalez, 147 pounds vs an opponent from Granite Hills-El Cajon HS, California.  After a scoreless first, Gideon rode his opponent for two minutes, using a spiral ride against a series of acrobatic rolls which made for an exciting, but score-free period.  Triple G quickly reversed his opponent, grabbing a 2-0 lead which lasted a mere second or two before he was reversed.  As the wrestlers left the circle and returned for a restart, the CA wrestler chose neutral, giving Gideon a 3-2 lead.