Wrestling: Masterful Day for Big Five
Twenty-one area wrestlers qualify for State
By Steve Ramirez, Staff Writer
RIALTO - Area wrestlers proved to be the masters of the mat Saturday - the CIF-Southern Section Masters Meet to be more specific.
Defending CIF State champion Thomas Williams of South Hills High School led a group of five local competitors to secure individual titles in their respective weight classes at the CIF-SS Masters Meet at Carter High School in Rialto.
Northview's Steven Salinas (112 pounds), San Dimas' Angel Garcia (125) and Adrian Marquez (130) and Schurr's Julian (215) also won titles.
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Williams, reigning state champion at 112, won Saturday at 119.
The area had six finalists - Santa Fe's Nikolai Crouch lost to Temecula Valley's Jake Merideth in the 171 final - and will send 21 to next weekend's state meet.
Williams was the only area competitor to win a state title last year and is a good bet to repeat after a solid performance this weekend, which he capped with a 1-0 victory over Mayfair's Richard Alarcon in the 119 final.
"This is huge to me because this will set me up for a better draw at state," Williams said. "I wrestled a lot of tough guys to win here, so I'm really ready for next week."
But Marquez also made a statement by winning Saturday since he wasn't ranked coming into the tournament.
"It's a good feeling," said Marquez, who defeated Irvine's Scott Chene in the 130 final. "Last year, I was two and out. It was great to come back this year and win."
Garcia, meanwhile, continued the solid performances. He won Masters after being the first area wrestler to win four divisional titles, accomplishing that feat last week.
"It's nice to win divisional titles," said Garcia, who beat Hesperia's Daniel Gudino, 11-7. "But now, I'm the best of the Southern Section."
Salinas, who beat Santa Ana Calvary Chapel's Zane O'Bourke 11-5, also is pointed toward next weekend.
"This is not my goal," he said. "State is. I'm glad I won, but this really doesn't mean anything to me."
It's the same for Zuniga, who fought back for a 6-4 victory in the 215 final.
"This is just a step," he said. "I'm more concerned about next week."
Other qualifiers for the state championships included West Covina's Jeremy Dizon (119); Northview's Jacob Delgado (103), Frank Martinez (130), Jesse Cruz (145), Matt Lopez (189) and Robert Alcantar (215); South Hills' Joel Camacho (130) and Josh Pearson (171); Bishop Amat's Andrew Ortega (125) and Julian Silva (215); Bonita's David Stupplebean (145); Santa Fe's Marcus Orona (119), Daniel Couts (145) and Crouch (171); California's Matt Melendrez (140); and La Habra's Aaron La Farge (103).
Comments
To all of you jumping on the Northview bandwagon, how many illegal players do you have on your roster?
Most of the kids on your roster come to you by way of the Monterey Park Angels travel team coached by one of your coaches!!!!
Posted by: ragingviking | March 12, 2008 10:16 AM
Horrible News ...
Rosemead High School Wrestling LEGEND Passed Away this evening . For those of you that did not know him he was a CHAMPION .He will be dearly missed by many . This is a GREAT LOSS to High School Wrestling.
RIP
Coach Madrigal
Posted by: Trojan Man | February 28, 2008 8:22 PM
nacho libre:: WHAT HAPPENED? YOU SAID THAT SILVA FROM BISHOP WOULD NOT ONLY WIN HIM, BUT HE WOULD PIN HIM... DO YOU KNOW WHO ALCANTAR IS NOW???? HE IS THE ONE THAT PINNED SILVA IN THE 2ND ROUND AT LEMOORE. GREAT JOB TO ALL THE SGV WRESTLERS!!!
Posted by: viking | December 31, 2007 7:23 AM
Now who's talking Viking. Payback baby, scoreboard.1 Silva beat him whats up with that?
Posted by: Nacho Libre | February 25, 2008 4:55 PM
Outsider,
I agree with you, but the fact is he didn't get the call. Andrew had the match won. Nothing we can do about it now though.
Posted by: Shoot, Pin, Win!! | February 25, 2008 12:48 PM
Shoot, pin, win: my opinion, Ortega won Garcia. the 2pts that Garcia received the last seconds of the match: NO GOOD.. they were out of bounds. Angel is a great wrestler, BUT i say Ortega beat him.
Posted by: outsider | February 25, 2008 11:05 AM
Congrats to all the area wrestlers qualifying for the state tourney! Silva and Ortega both had a good tournament. Ortega lost a super close one to the San Dimas kid. Great match. Silva also looked good pinning everyone into the quarters. Silva's match against Alcantar was also a nail biter. Both these young men left it on the mat. Good Luck in bakersfield!!! GO LANCERS!!
Posted by: Shoot, Pin, Win!! | February 25, 2008 10:38 AM
MM,
+1 on Joe Amat's post. You are a credit to the community.
Don
Posted by: Don | February 25, 2008 10:25 AM
Another good match was the 215 one for 1st place. it was Zuniga against Knowles from Clavery. Knowles is only a freshman and he did very well. The final score was 6-5... only lost by 1 pt
Posted by: viking fan | February 25, 2008 9:37 AM
Silva beat alcantar by a couple of points. it was a good match. i heard the one at five counties was better, because they went into overtime..
Posted by: outsider | February 25, 2008 9:31 AM
Did Silva Face Alcatar and if they did who won? After all the exchange on the last wrestling title just was wondering?
Posted by: Amat Grad | February 25, 2008 9:03 AM
i believe these results are from Masters at Carter HS. Tribune was there to cover it. Congrats to NV VIKINGS.. Also to the others that will be heading to Bakersfield next weekend. Silva from Bishop Amat : finally saw you wrestle and you did a fine job. Was told that you are an all around good kid. Good luck in whatever you do!
Posted by: outsider | February 25, 2008 8:07 AM
Why didnt they put Frank Ayala from Wilson he made it to state and he is the only wrestler to make it from wilson this yr, also the only heavy weight to do it in the valley this yr!!!!!!
Great wrestler and great to watch
Posted by: Big Wilson | February 24, 2008 6:21 PM
Mean Machine,
Knowing that you are a wrestling fan I'm hoping that you read this thread.
Props to you!!!
You're a bigger man than most, and you know why!
Usually people that are the most passionate are the ones that take some heat, and not everyone takes the time to get to know what's behind that passion.
Your "good deed shall be repaid tenfold".
But you know that
God Bless
Posted by: Joe Amat | February 24, 2008 10:46 AM