Grossmont Conference Profile:
Monte Vista's Tim Pugsley has goals to be #1

By Phillip Brents
Posted Feb. 7, 2006

When Monte Vista’s Tim Pugsley walks into a wrestling room, heads turn. The Monarch grappler weighs the same — 215 pounds — but that weight has been redistributed, reinforced by muscle. The result is a leaner, tougher wrestler who has the potential this season, according to Monte Vista head coach Steve Bulette, to battle for a trip to this year’s state championship meet.

Pugsley, who placed sixth at last year’s San Diego Section Division III finals (second at the Grossmont Conference championships), opened the season with a fifth-place finish at the prestigious El Dorado Holiday Invitational. He followed that with a 5-1 performance at the ultra-elite Clovis West Shootout.

The junior ran into some tough competition at the 2005 San Diego Holiday Invitational, placing fifth after a overtime loss in the semifinals to Granite Hills’ Jesse Alexander and a subsequent loss to San Marcos’ Dovydas Kasradze in the consolation semifinals. However, the Monarch mat man came back strong with a 38-second pin of Central Union’s Angel Romero in the fifth-place match. Pugsley finished the tournament with four pins, advancing to the semifinals on the strength of falls of 15 and 17 seconds and another of 1:33.

Most recently, he finished third in his weight class in January’s Monte Vista Invitational, considered one of the toughest in recent years with defending state champion Poway and San Diego Masters runner-up Vista both participating. He opened the tournament with pins of 29 and 42 seconds before suffering his only loss in the tournament to Poway’s Matt Lewellen in the semifinals.

Pugsley once again bounced back strong with an 11-2 major decision against Sweetwater’s Daniel Robledo and a 2:02 pin against Escondido’s Kellen Desmond in the third-place bout.

This is Pugsley’s third season at the varsity level. He finished undefeated as a freshman at 215 pounds.

His goals this season include securing first-place finishes at upcoming league and divisional tournaments, as well as a top three place-finish at Masters. Should he accomplish those, he said he would re-set his goals for the state meet.

“I feel stronger and a lot better technically. My goal is to be a lot smarter on the mat. I’m more calm and relaxed now before I go out, more sound. I also think about what I’m going to do now before I do it,” Pugsley said.