Davis High’s Bobby Rico and Scott Derby made it to championship matches on Day 2 of the Lou Bronzan Invitational, each taking second place, and Adrian LoBuono-Gonzalez finished seventh at 120 pounds as the Blue Devils wrestlers wrapped up a strong performance at the event Thursday.

At 145 pounds, Derby went 4-1 overall, losing only to Xavier Johnson from host Liberty High School in the finals. The DHS senior won an exciting overtime match, scoring a takedown in the sudden-death extra period, to reach the title bout. Derby then fell in the championship match to Johnson, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Wrestler.

Rico upset the second-seeded wrestler to reach the heavyweight finals, where he fell to the top seed, Andrew Fuimaono of Armijo High.

Two victories by pin helped LoBuono-Gonzalez go 4-2 at the tournament, including an exciting overtime win that vaulted him into the seventh-place match. The Devil grappler then topped Wesley Passman of American High school to take seventh.

“For those three to come to this tournament, with more than 40 teams competing, and have that kind of showing, says something about what kind of competitors they are,” said Davis coach Ty Brown. “Bobby had the Armijo kid on his back, just couldn’t finish him. Adrian is closing quickly and Derby is our rock.”

The veteran mentor added that he was especially happy to see his athletes in such good shape.

“My assistants have done a great job with our boys; our conditioning is the difference,” Brown said. “We were 3-0 over two days in OT matches. It’s about having the gas to finish.”

Based on their strong performances, Derby and Rico earned invitations to compete at The Dream tournament on Jan. 16 at San Rafael High. According to Brown, about 40 percent of the wrestlers who competed in last year’s event went on to reach the 2011 CIF state championships.

In results from last week, the Blue Devils traveled to meet Valley in a dual meet, winning six of 12 matches behind the strong wrestling of LoBuono-Gonzalez and Derby. Brown said the squad “was out of synch from the start” of that contest.

“We are moving fast, which is good, but we need to move with control,” Brown added.

DHS bounced back a few days later, going 48-18 as a team in a Saturday tournament at Whitney High. In all, the Devils won six gold medals, one silver and one bronze.

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DHS wrestler Scott Derby, top, gets into a strong position during an early-season match. Derby took second place in the 145-pound division of the recent Lou Bronzan Invitational. Fred Gladdis/Enterprise file photo

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