Redwood Wrestling | Preseason Recap

Rangers Finish Preseason Strong and Build Momentum for 2026–27

Redwood Wrestling wrapped up an impressive preseason with strong performances at the World Challenge at Clovis West (October 10) and the RMN Freakshow in Las Vegas (October 24–25). With depth throughout the lineup and standout performances from freshmen to seniors, the Rangers enter the 2026–27 season with tremendous momentum and high expectations.

This season is especially meaningful as Hall of Fame Coach and Redwood legend Dave Watts enters his final year of teaching at Redwood High School. The Rangers are determined to make this one last ride a season to remember!

World Challenge | Clovis West

The Rangers delivered an outstanding team performance, finishing 3rd overall, including our youth club athletes, while the Frosh/Soph division earned 2nd place with 88.5 points, trailing only Daniel Cormier Wrestling Academy (Gilroy). The varsity boys finished 10th, while the girls placed 12th with just one wrestler competing.

Frosh/Soph Highlights

• Ray Leon (150 lbs) – Champion! The sophomore went 3–0, winning every match by major decision.

• Kevin Camarillo (132 lbs) – The freshman placed 4th with a 3–2 record and led the division with 15.5 team points.

• Anthony Gamboa (157 lbs) – Freshman runner-up, finishing 2–1.

• Maximiliano Flores Gueantes (132 lbs) – Freshman placed 6th, finishing 3–3.

Varsity Boys Highlights

• Jordan Maldonado – Sophomore placed 3rd with an impressive 4–1 record.

• Angel Bombela (126 lbs) – Senior went 5–2, finishing just one match shy of placing.

• Coleman Smith (150 lbs) – Senior battled to a 4–2 record, narrowly missing the podium.

• Brayden Hankins (120 lbs) – Freshman reached the quarterfinals and went 2–2, with one loss coming by decision to returning CIF State medalist Eli Mendoza of Gilroy.

• Alessandro Barrios (126 lbs) – Junior made a strong varsity debut, going 2–2 with both losses decided by just one point.

Girls Highlight

Freshman Rio Rening (123 lbs) led the girls with a 3rd-place finish and an outstanding 7–1 record. After a tough early loss, Rio responded with five consecutive bonus-point victories to battle back onto the podium.

RMN Freakshow | Las Vegas

Redwood closed out the preseason with a statement performance at one of the nation's major preseason tournaments.

WWA captured the 18U Elite Team Championship with 126 points and finished 5th overall in the combined 18U and 18U Elite standings with 214.5 points, competing against top clubs from across the country.

Top Performers

• Emily Carvalho (Senior) – Champion! Dominated her bracket, pinning both opponents in the first period.

• Rio Rening (Freshman, 116 lbs) – Champion! Finished 4–0 with bonus-point victories in three of her four matches.

• Kobe Negrete (Senior, 132 lbs) – 3rd place in a loaded 18U Elite bracket. After an early loss, Kobe battled back to finish 7–1, scoring 25 team points with an impressive series of bonus-point victories.

• Izaak Reyes (Senior) – Breakout performance! Competing two weight classes up, Izaak finished 4th in the 18U Elite division with a 3–2 record.

• Osiel Perez (Senior, 126 lbs) –  With a 3-2 record finsihsing one match shy of placing in the 18U Elite division, proving he can compete with top-level opponents.

• Ray Leon (Sophomore, 150 lbs) – Continued his strong preseason with a 4–2 record in the 18U division.

• Angel Bombela (Senior, 120 lbs) – Battled through a massive 128-man bracket, finishing 3–2.

• Benedetta Waddell (Sophomore, 136 lbs) – Put together a solid 3–2 performance in the 18U division.

Looking Ahead | The 2026–27 Season

The preseason is officially behind us, and the Rangers are ready to put their hard work to the test. From an exciting freshman class to experienced senior leaders, this team has the depth, talent, and determination to accomplish something special.

Upcoming Events

• November 7: Boys & Girls Scrimmage at Liberty High School, Bakersfield

• November 21: Boys – Clovis West Shootout

• November 21: Girls – Ranger Shootout at Redwood High School

With Coach Watts entering his final year in the classroom, this season is about more than wins and losses. It's about honoring a legacy, competing for each other, and continuing to raise the standard of Redwood Wrestling.

Redwood Wrestling Fall Update

Redwood Wrestling opened the fall with strong performances at two highly competitive tournaments.

D-Day at Liberty Station – San Diego 8/8-9/2026
The Rangers finished 14th as a team, led by 138lbs Johnny Benítez, who went 5–1, placed 2nd, and defeated a returning CIF State placer en route to the finals (Elias Castenada).

Other placers included:

• Brayden Hankins – 6th 15U 116

• Kobe Negrete – 5th 18U 126

• Maceson Vásquez – 5th 18U 165

• Jordan Moldano – 3rd 18U 157

• Isaac Wilder – 3rd 18U 190

• Ellie Hernandez – 2nd 15U 101

Gilroy Super 32 Early Entry 9/5-6/2026
Redwood followed with another impressive showing, finishing 5th overall as a program, with the girls placing 5th and boys 8th. 

🏆 Emily Carvalho – Champion, 170 lbs
🥈 Rio Rening – 2nd, 125 lbs
Kobe Negrete – 6th, 132 lbs*
Maceson Vásquez – 5th, 165 lbs
Johnny Benítez – Top 8, 138 lbs
Ellie Hernandez – Top 6, 105 lbs
Benedetta Waddell – Top 6, 135 lbs

Kobe reached the semifinals and battled eventual champion Elizar Valdez of Central Catholic in a back-and-forth match before an injury ended his tournament.

A strong start to the fall as the Rangers continue building toward the 2026–27 season. 

Next up... October World Challenge 8/10-11 at Clovis West and 8/17-18 Freakshow In Las Vegas.

The first national rankings of the 2026–2027 season are out!

⭐ Freshman Rio Rening — 18 @ 120

⭐ Senior Emily Carvalho — 30 @ 170

Rio breaks into the national rankings as a freshman, while Emily continues to establish herself as a mainstay in the national rankings.

Excited to watch both of these Rangers climb throughout the season! 📈🔥🆙

Summer update! 

Summer was highlighted by 2 Fargo qualifiers: Kobe Negrete and Rio Rening; and 1 All-American finish by incoming freshman Rio Rening. 

We had our annual All-American Camp second week of June featuring Stanfords Tyler Knox, Minnesota Andrew Sparks, and University of Wyoming Joey Novak.  

We also hosted the  Cal Poly clinic with Nelson Brands and Chris Chionuma and great social with Cal Poly donors local to Tulare county and Head Coach of Cal Poly Wrestling  Coach Sioredas.  

We finished the offseason camp of 6 week training cycle to lead us into preseason kicking off with D-Day in San Diego 

We now have an 8 week training cycle of preseason kicking off in August that will end October 25th with Freak Show in Vegas leading into our regular CIF season. Excited for another great season! 

🇺🇸Rio Rening - FARGO ALL-AMERICAN!

Congratulations to Rio Rening on earning 7th Place at the 2026 USMC Junior & 16U National Championships, with an 8-2 record she became a Fargo All-American at 120 lbs! 💪⭐

Fargo is the toughest wrestling tournament in the country, bringing together the best athletes from every state. Earning All-American honors is an achievement reserved for the nation’s elite, and Rio has proved she belongs among them.

Incoming Freshman Rio Rening went 5-1 at USA Women's Nationals in Spokane, Washington. Rio did not give up a single point until the finals. This was her second Freestyle tournament EVER!

Emily is one of the nation’s top recruits, ranked No. 15 in the country at 190 pounds in the 2025–2026 Sports Illustrated Girls High School National Rankings. She finished as the 2026 CIF State runner-up and is a two-time high school All-American, placing 6th at the 2024 Fargo Nationals and 7th at the 2025 U17 Women’s Nationals in Spokane. Emily recently received her first Division I offer from Mercyhurst University, her recruitment is just starting to heat up!

Emily Carvalho went a perfect 6-0

Gabriel Quintana went 6-3 

Ramon Leon 4-3

Kobe Negrete 3-2

Cloey Castro 4-5 

At the California USA Folkstyle State Championships, the program produced several podium finishers led by:

• Rio Rening— 1st Place

• Ellie Hernandez —3rd Place

• Annaliah Flores— 6th Place

• Benny Waddell — 3rd Place

• Eli Archuleta — 3rd Place

• Jordan Maldonado — 3rd Place

• Cloey Castro — 5th Place

• Kobe Negrete — 6th Place

• Max Mendoza — 7th Place

• Camilo Yepez — 8th Place

At California USA Freestyle State Championships the Rangers had 3 girl placers:

• Rio Rening — 1st Place

• Ellie Hernandez — 4th Place

• Emily Carvalho — 6th Place

At California USA Greco State Championships the Rangers had 1 placer:

Kobe Negrette — 4th Place