Over the next two days, three Wildcat wrestlers will compete for a chance to advance to the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield.

North Hills League boys’ wrestling champions Bradley Espinoza (‘26) and Josiah Moreira (‘26), and girls’ league champion Mikayla Brent (’25), will represent BOHS at the CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet at Sonora High School Feb. 21 and 22.

The top five wrestlers in each 16-competitor bracket advance to State.

Moreira enters the competition unseeded in the 150-pound division and will face Noah Velasquez (‘25) of Eastvale’s Eleanor Roosevelt High School in his first match. Velasquez is currently ranked 40th in his weight class in California. 

Espinoza, seeded third, will compete in the 157-pound division. In his first match he competes against 26th-ranked Maddox Herrera (‘25) of Esperanza High School. 

Given Espinoza’s success this season — league champion, first place in the Mann Classic Dec. 15, and second place (in a 64-man bracket) in the Ed Spring Holiday Classic at BOHS Dec. 20-21 — head coach Feargus McTeggart believes Espinoza “has a great chance at qualifying, and winning a state championship.”

The 13th-ranked Espinoza has additional motivation going into the weekend: Despite advancing to Masters in 2023 and 2024, he failed to qualify for the state tournament. This time, however, Espinoza believes he will “live up to expectations” and advance due to his off-season conditioning, diet management, and a “better mentality.”

But the wrestler acknowledged the challenge that awaits. “You can’t think of Masters as a stepping stone to State because everyone [at Masters] is really good, and it only gets harder,” Espinoza said.

Moreira beat three state-ranked competitors when competing in the CIF Boys Individual Championships Feb. 14-15 at Great Oak High School. Moreira finished with a record of 5-2 in the 150-pound division and earned a spot at Masters. 

Although he was unseeded going into CIF, and again at Masters, McTeggart often reminds Moreira that rankings are irrelevant when two wrestlers face off on the mat. 

“[McTeggart] always tells me to not worry about the brackets or the seeding and to just do my best,” Moreira said.

Espinoza won his weight class at the CIF Boys Individual Championships with a 4-0 record. He won his first match, 7-2, with a technical superiority (earning a victory by a wide margin of points); pinned his opponent in the quarterfinals; dominated semifinals with a 13-0 victory; and secured his finals win by nine points, which advanced him to Masters. 

Espinoza is the Wildcats’ first CIF Champion since Brett Lite (’20) won the title in the 160-pound division in 2020. 

“All the hard work I’ve put in has paid off and I’ve seen improvement from last season,” Espinoza said of his accomplishment.

Espinoza’s and Moreira’s confidence this season was bolstered by McTeggart’s conditioning regimen, skills camps at BOHS that featured national champion wrestlers, and the application of their training on the mat. 

“I’m wrestling at my potential now that I’m more confident in my ability,” Moreira said.

Although not advancing to Masters, BOHS had two other wrestlers place in CIF: Nathan Aceves (‘25) placed seventh in the 165-pound division, and Joshua Gomez (‘26) finished eighth in the 113-pound division.

On the girls’ side, Brent also returns to Masters by placing fifth in the 120-pound weight class. Last season, Brent made BOHS history by becoming the first female wrestler to advance to the state tournament.

“Mikayla has worked hard in the off-season to improve her chances of winning a state championship,” McTeggart said.

Moreira is committed to making his first appearance at Masters count. The junior plans on “leaving everything on the mat and having no regrets…in one of the hardest tournaments.” 

Like his teammate, Espinoza is ready for the next challenge in his accolade-filled season. 

“Making it to Masters is a testament to the work we’ve been putting in as a team, and individually,” Espinoza said.