2006 St. Augustine team awards banquet:
Western League champion Saintsmen receive their due rewards

By Phillip Brents
Posted March 22, 2006

Head coach Frank Unpingco remarked at Monday’s St. Augustine High School wrestling awards banquet that there were a lot of good things that happened in South County high school wrestling this past season, most notably Hilltop’s team championship in the San Diego Section Division II tournament.

A Chula Vista resident, Unpingco knows a little more about the Hilltop wrestling program than the average guy on the street, having watched his son Anthony wrestle for the Lancers while in high school. But Unpingco’s heart also belongs to the Saints, for whom he has been involved with for the past 19 years either as an assistant coach or head coach.

Monday he had the honor of handing out awards to a deserving group of student-athletes while at the same time reflecting on St. Augustine’s Western League championship season.

The last time the Saints won the league title was in 2002. Last season, Mission Bay won the league title; before that it was University City in both 2003 and 2004. Even in defeat, Unpingco’s team figured as a challenger for the title.

But the 2005-06 campaign was special, mainly because Unpingco called winning the title “very unexpected.”

For that, he said, he owes his senior captains a lot of gratitude.

“My seniors helped me put the team together,” Unpingco said. “They positioned the wrestlers and helped create our lineup. Our lineup was never the same each wee. We had to keep moving up JV wrestlers. I coordinated with out senior captions. Together we positioned kids where we needed them.”

The team’s senior captains this past season included Peter Bongard, Matt Barajas and Eric Kareh.

St. Augustine draws its student body from all across the county. Bongard and Barajas are both Chula Vista residents. Kareh is from East County.

Barajas, the team’s only four-year wrestler, shared this year’s team Most Valuable Wrestler award with Kareh, a third-year grappler like Bongard. Bongard came home with the most dedicated award.

The Saints finished 5-0 in Western League dual meets, defeating Madison (45-36), Mission Bay (54-33), La Jolla (60-13), Cathedral Catholic (39-37) and University City (42-36).

St. Augustine prevailed despite suffering one of its worst seasons fighting illness.

Barajas and Kareh were among four Saintsmen who finished undefeated in league competition, joining teammates Armando Martinez and Andy Shen.

Martinez earned honors as the varsity team’s most improved wrestler along with Taylor Muller, an East County resident. Blade Olson received the team’s most inspirational award while Jesse Alvernaz was called to the podium twice to receive individual awards as the freshman team’s outstanding wrestler as well as receiving the coach’s award.

Alvernaz, who was presented with his awards by assistant coach Leo Castleberry, finished the season as the freshman county champion in his weight class while also winning the City Conference junior varsity title and finishing third at the JV county championships.

Junior varsity awards went to Brett Davey (most inspirational), Michael Romero (most dedicated) and Justin Butler (most dedicated), Antoni Czerniewski (most improved) and Chris Harris (most valuable).

The Saints had three wrestlers earn place-finishes at this year’s City Conference championship tournament: Shen (fifth, 160), Olson (sixth, 119) and Kareh (sixth 135).

Kareh (135) qualified as an alternate for this year’s San Diego Masters state qualifying tournament held at Otay Ranch High School after finishing fifth at the preceding Division IV finals at San Marcos High School. Barajas was sixth in his 130-pound weight class at the Division IV finals.

Another South County Saintsman, Mario Sales earned a second-year varsity letter.

Unpingco noted there were 60 student-athletes who initially came out for the team. Thirty-five certificates and letter awards were presented at Monday’s awards banquet.

To steal a line from Poway’s 2005 state championship team: “Those who stayed became champions.”

Said Bongard: “At the beginning of the season we didn’t think we had a chance, honestly. But coach pushed us hard.”

The Saints look to contend next season, judging by what Unpingco saw gathered in the audience. “I see a lot of wrestlers coming back next year,” he said while addressing opening remarks.

For those who will not be coming back next season, they helped leave a legacy for the team’s underclassmen to strive to maintain.

St. Augustine High School
2005-06 Wrestling Awards

Freshmen certificates: Jesse Alvernaz, Brady Cascio, Jeremy Armstrong, Brett Davey, Justin Butler, Michael Romero.

Junior varsity letters: Patrick Cooke, Luke Rubalcava, Jeremy Armstrong, Brett Davey, Antoni Czerniewski, Trevor Goncalves, Justin Butler, Michael Romero, Justin DeWit, Chris Harris, Brady Cascio, Paul Ventura.

First-year letter-winners: Amanda Shinsky, Greg Kelly (manager), Jesse Alvernaz, Taylor Muller, Andy Shen.

Second-year letter-winners: Maegan Badham, Kellen Crisman, Blade Olson, Anna Kareh, Greg Hansen, Mario Sales, Justin Bodie, Armando Martinez.

Third-year letter-winners: Peter Bongard, Eric Kareh, Ryan Altringer.

Fourth-year letter-winner: Matthew Barajas.