LEMOORE -- All the weaponry is in place for a team that has set its sights beyond simply winning another state wrestling title.
Clovis High kept all 14 of its wrestlers alive while producing a meet-best seven individual champions en route to a dominating team victory at the Yosemite Divisionals on Saturday.
Behind individual champs Jonas Gaytan (113 pounds), Daniel Gaytan (120), Matt Gay (132), Adrian Salas (160), Zach Nevills (170), Dakota Gordon (195) and Nick Nevills (285), the Cougars piled up 361 points -- well ahead of Bakersfield's 237.5 and Clovis West's 177.5
The Drillers, who advanced nine to next Saturday's Masters tournament at East Bakersfield with two alternates, are viewed as the biggest obstacle between Clovis and a second straight state title.
But the Cougars not only want to add to their own record with a 10th state crown, they want to do so with more points than have ever been scored in an event that will be held for the 40th time March 2-3 at Bakersfield's Rabobank Arena. Bakersfield set the scoring record with 226.5 points in 2002.
"The entire year we've been confident in winning state," said senior and state No. 2 Zach Nevills, who rallied from a 3-1 deficit to upset No. 1-ranked Silas Nacita of Bakersfield 6-3 in the 170-pound final. "We've set our goals past that, and the biggest goal is to score the most points to show we're the best team California has ever seen."
Clovis' confidence is riding high after also placing Julian Gaytan (third, 106), Vicente Hernandez (second, 126), Jason Ladd (third, 138), Dominic Kincaid (seventh, 145), Colby Thompson (fourth, 152), Ryan Davies (second, 182) and Matt Weiss (fifth, 220) into the Masters.
"We feel that the only way we can lose is if we beat ourselves," Gay said after beating Porterville's Martin Sandoval 11-5 in the 132-pound final. "This team is really getting it together. We're working hard for our goal to win that state title."
Individually, a quartet of defending state individual champions from the area picked up divisional gold in their quests to repeat: Clovis West's Nikko Reyes (182), Lemoore's Isaiah Martinez (152), and Clovis' Daniel Gaytan and Nick Nevills.
Illinois-bound Reyes, who has not given up an offensive point to a wrestler from California this season, emerged a bit frustrated after a 2-1 win over Clovis' Stanford-bound Davies in the final.
"That match opened my eyes to how people will wrestle me [at state]," said Reyes of a match that was wrestled often at the edge of the circle. "If we wrestle that match in the center, I get five takedowns. It makes it look close when it's not that close. I need to keep working on stuff at the edge of the mat and try to keep it in the middle."
Martinez offered a critique of himself after he was pushed hard for most of the final by Clovis East's Kyle Perreault before pulling away for a 12-5 win.
"I'm not totally pleased with myself; I wanted a bigger score," Martinez said. "The guy had a good game plan, but I think I was a little too passive. That will change next week. I want to dominate everyone."
Also winning titles were Madera's Miguel Martinez (106), Clovis West's Michael Knoblauch (126) and Cortes Morales (220), and Bakersfield's Natrelle Demison (138) and Maxx Ramirez (145).
Morales, not ranked among the state's top 40 220-pounders by thecaliforniawrestler.com, went through wrestlers ranked eighth (Fresno's Arnold Salinas 5-2 in the final) and ninth (Madera's Eric Mendoza 2-1 in the semis) on his way to an unexpected title.
The reporter can be reachedat nickg@fresnobee.com or (559)441-6103. Follow him on Twitter: @NickG_FB.