San Fernando hosts wrestling tournament

The top City Section team and the top local Southern Section team get a chance to compete for area supremacy as well as a tournament title when they participate in the 13th annual Sam De John wrestling tournament Saturday at San Fernando High.
The host Tigers are expected to contend for a third consecutive City championship this year, but they are seeking their first tournament title of the season. One of their leading threats at this weekend's 15-team event will be Royal of Simi Valley, the area's highest-ranked Southern Section team at No. 3 in Div. II.
Although San Fernando coach Fernando Gonzalez says he will rest three of his starters, the Tigers should be closer to full strength than they were last at last month's North Torrance Tournament of Champions, where Royal placed fourth and San Fernando was 21st.
Royal's Marmonte League rivals Newbury Park and Simi Valley are also slated to compete at the Sam De John tournament. Other contenders include Lancaster and Ventura, both ranked in the top 10 in their respective Southern Section divisions, and California of Whittier, which is coming off a second-place finish at last weekend's Chaminade Best in the Valley tournament. St. John Bosco returns as the defending champion.
Wrestling is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. with finals projected to start between 3 and 4 p.m.
For those interested in events outside the San Fernando Valley, the busy weekend of wrestling also features the Five Counties tournament in Fountain Valley and the CIF girls' regional tournament at Channel Islands.