Under coach Scott Weidemier, the wrestlers of Healdsburg High—in all classes, both boys and girls—continue to “punch above their weight” in the competitive 11-team North Bay League. Two key tournaments on recent weekends demonstrate the capabilities and growing respect the team is gaining in the region.
On the last day of January, the NCS Division 3 Dual Team Championships were held at Lower Lake High. Recounted Weidemier, “We began the tournament as the #5 seed and in our first match defeated #4 seed Justin-Siena, 54-30, in a very inspired and dominating performance.”
He went on, “We then faced Willits HS, the #1 seed and a perennial small school power, in the semifinals. This was very likely a match of the two best teams in the tournament, and the winner had the inside track for the title.”
The Hounds efforts were led by Eli Zepeda who won at 287 pounds. Although Willits moved up their 217-pound wrestler (currently ranked sixth in the NCS) to try and gain an advantage, Zepeda prevailed in a physical and hard-fought match, winning by a score of 7-4.
With Healdsburg ahead by 4 points with two matches remaining, Willits was able to secure a fall in each to end up winning by a score of 41-33. “After falling to Willits in a physical and exasperating match, the air was let out of the sails and we just weren’t able to get mentally ready for the next match,” Weidemier said.
A week later, the Feb. 7 league tournament combined both the Oak and Redwood divisions. Weidemier said, “The Oak division may be the deepest in the North Coast Section (NCS) this year with the likes of Ukiah, Windsor, Montgomery and Maria Carrillo.”
The Healdsburg teams, both boys and girls, each finished fifth, which placed them immediately behind those top four. “After a great week of practice, the kids really stepped up once again,” the coach reported. “We had nine boys competing at the varsity level, four at the JV level and six girls. We placed fifth as a team in both the boys and girls divisions out of 11 schools. This was quite an impressive finish for the Hounds wrestlers.”
This coming weekend the teams travel to Clear Lake for the 2026 NCS D3 Divisional Championships, a new tournament in the post-season structure. The top four in each weight at the divisional will qualify for the NCS Championships (Masters) on Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20-21 at James Logan High School in Union City.
Even though Alex Diaz Cano and Milo Timmsen-Miller both went 3-0 on the day, the team lost to Middletown by a score of 42-36 to get knocked out of a chance for third place.
