They say it’s not the destination, but the journey.  That proved the case for Millikan wrestling yesterday.

It wasn’t just winning the CIF-Southern Section Division III Team Duals that Millikan High’s wrestling program will remember most, it was the drama it took just to get there.  Millikan (30-0) beat top-seeded La Quinta, 44-24, to win the CIF team title.  But before that, they trailed No. 2 seed Santa Fe, 23-0, after five matches in the semifinal round and trailed by six points heading into the last match of the night at 119 pounds.

Junior James Potter, with the pressure of his entire school on his back, won via pin fall to give the Rams the six points they needed to tie Santa Fe.  Millikan won on criteria (28-28) because Santa Fe coach Sal Garcia earlier in the dual had been deducted a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct and the Rams moved on.

Thanks to six pins in the finals by Jake Wallace (135), Jaime Reyes (145), Nick Pena (152), Zack Woodruff (189), Sam Taylor (215) and heavyweight Calvin Gonzalez, Millikan took all the drama out of the finals round.  Ben Bermudez (112) won a 23-8 technical fall over La Quinta’s Marcus Dille to clinch the Rams’ first CIF team title since 2003.

“I didn’t realize I had just clinched the CIF title until Coach Thompson said ‘Ben, you just did it,’ and I was speechless,” Bermudez, who went 2-2 on the day said. “I am so happy to have done my part, because this is a team that has counted on everyone all year to win the Moore League and now a CIF championship.”

Oddly enough, Millikan trailed Northview 25-0 in the finals in 2003 as well, before pinning six in a row to knock off the powerhouse Vikings for Rams legend Marshall Thompson.

“I knew it didn’t look good, but I honestly never lost hope when we trailed Santa Fe (23-0), because I knew we had an advantage at our heavier weights,” Thompson said. “I couldn’t be more proud of James Potter and all my kids for never giving up and finishing this off like champions.”

On a team with studs like Jake Wallace, Nick Pena, Jaime Reyes, Nick Arroyo, Zack Woodruff and Sam Taylor, it was extra sweet for Rams fans to see James Potter and Ben Bermudez come up so big when needed most.

“I was very nervous, but there was no way I was going to let my brothers down and went out there knowing I had to get a pin or our season was over,” Potter said. “It is an incredible feeling to know I did my part to help us win a CIF title. This is awesome!”

Said Thompson: “If not for James Potter, we’d have been at home wondering who won between La Quinta and Santa Fe.”

Senior captain Nick Pena (152) went 4-0 on the day to improve to 43-2 with 36 pins and his pin fall victory over Roman Simmons was his 97th-career pin and set a new Millikan school record.

“It is a great feeling to have won CIF and I don’t know whether to cry or to go outside and scream,” Pena said. “This was in every way a team victory, because every single guy contributed from day one all the way through the final match.”

Wallace went 3-1 with three pins, including an early pin over La Quinta’s Calvin Jones to give Millikan its first team lead at 6-3, and the Rams never looked back.  He has been a stud all season and is pound-for-pound as strong and odd as anyone in wrestling.

“I think with what we had to go through to beat Santa Fe, there wasn’t any way we were going to lose to anyone tonight,” Wallace said. “This is a great feeling for all of us and to go out as seniors on top is awesome.”

Zack Woodruff was 4-0 with four pins and couldn’t have been more clutch on Saturday. The senior (37-7, 32 pins) finally broke into tears after seeing his teammates get emotional when the CIF trophy was presented to Marshall Thomspon.

“It finally hit me that everything we went through from our first practice as freshman to now paid off with not only a Moore League championship, but a CIF Team Dual as well,” Woodruff said. “If I had to choose between winning next week at CIF Individuals or now, I would choose to win as a team without hesitation because we’re so close and have worked so hard to achieve all of this. I think we’re Coach Thompson’s first undefeated team he’s coached.”

Sam Taylor (215) pinned Mark Ahrens to give Millikan a 30-15 team lead and the junior was incredible with four victories on Saturday, including three via pin fall.  Heavyweight Calvin Gonzalez came up clutch with four wins to help Millikan close out their team crown.

Nick Arroyo (160) and Jaime Reyes (145) both went 3-1 on Saturday at Ayala.

James Kuwata (103), Ben Bermudez (112), James Potter (119) and 125-pound junior James Antony went 2-2 for the Rams.

Bermudez (30-15) should have gone 3-1, but three times the ref failed to call Bermudez’ Santa Fe opponent pinned in the semifinal round.  Oscar Jessie (171) won a 5-4 decision over Santa Fe to keep Millikan alive in the semifinal round.  Orlando Jessie (130) and  Julian Gandarilla (140) also played pivotal roles for the Rams.

Lakewood lost in the first round to Torrance, 39-32, despite winning seven of 14 matches.  Kimo Napohaku (135) won a 17-1 decision as the area’s best 135-pounder continues to get better, and other Lancers winners included Travis Cardwell (119), Cody Gurule (130), Nathan Batres (140), Tim Preuss (189), Trevor Coward (215) and heavyweight Alex Barillas.

If you needed one more reason that wrestling has arguably the best kids in sports, Lakewood’s Napohaku was in contact with us all afternoon and evening to cheer on his rivals at Millikan, because the Lancers captain has that much class and equally as much respect for the Rams.

In other area wrestling, Downey defeated Quartz Hill, 28-24, to avenge last year’s title defeat to take the CIF-Southern Section Division V Team Dual.  Downey and Millikan have been a level above the rest of the area wrestling programs during this 2009-10 season.

All involved agree, a CIF title is always an overwhelming experience, but to have to overcome a 23-0 deficit in the semifinals and to need a pin in the final match just to move on will make this an experience that no Millikan wrestler, coach or parent with ever forget.

The victories Saturday over Colony, Ayala, Santa Fe and La Quinta happened for two reasons; Millikan wrestlers bought into its coaches philosophy and it got contributions from every member of its squad.

And for that, they will forever be remembered as Moore League and CIF champions in the Rams gymnasium.