2006-07 San Diego Section
Wrestlers to Watch

California State Championships

San Diego Section honor roll:
Two champions, three finalists, nine medalists

BAKERSFIELD, March 2-3, 2007 -- For the elite programs, the state championship tournament remains a team tournament. For all others, the tournament spotlights elite individuals.

San Diego Section Masters champion Poway qualified all 14 of its wrestlers to this year’s state tournament, advancing six to the second day of competition and finishing with four medalists, including one champion.

Photo: Vista's Anthony Meza is proclaimed 145-pound champion.

The Titans’ 14 qualifiers stands a state record. Poway finished second in the team standings with 116 points, trailing team champion Vacaville by eight points. Buchanan, which won last year’s team title, finished third with 113 points. Clovis was fourth with 97.5 points.

Vacaville, 10-time Sac-Joaquin Section champions, qualified nine wrestlers for this year’s state tourney while Buchanan had 11 entrants and Clovis had nine qualifiers.

Vista and Brawley, the San Diego Section’s next ranking powerhouses, each sent six wrestlers to Bakersfield. Vista finished with one finalist, two medalists and a top 20 team finish.

Overall, the San Diego Section won nine medals – with La Costa Canyon, Rancho Bernardo and Carlsbad each contributing one medalist. While the medal count may not be particularly impressive – matching last year’s total and just one more than that garnered two years ago – area grapplers made up for that by securing three finals berths, and nearly snared a fourth.

This year’s San Diego Section honor roll will be highlighted by championship performances by Poway senior Joe Boone (130 pounds) and Vista junior Anthony Meza (145 pounds) and runner-up finish by La Costa Canyon senior Elliott Dennis (135 pounds).

The section’s other medalists included Poway junior Anthony Almanza (fourth, 152), Carlsbad senior Jordan Taghvai (fifth, 215), Poway sophomore Henry Yorba (sixth, 112), Poway junior Mike Hernandez (sixth, 119), Vista junior Kasey Cowan (seventh, 285) and Rancho Bernardo senior Scotty Mahon (eighth, 119).

That two San Diego wrestlers medaled in the 119-pound division was a season-ending showcase. That five are underclassmen showed promise for potentially greater things to come next year.

Of the section’s nine medalists, eight were ranked prior to the state finals: Poway’s Boone (second), LCC’s Dennis (third), Poway’s Yorba (fourth), Carlsbad’s Taghvai (fifth), Vista’s Meza (fifth), Poway’s Almanza (fifth) and Poway’s Hernandez (sixth).

The section had four other wrestlers ranked prior to the state finals who did not medal: Poway’s Brad Robinson (third, 140) and Hawk Ruis (sixth, 145), Mountain Empire’s Robin Peak (sixth, 189) and Poway’s Sean Hill (seventh, 189).

Peak earned the lofty ranking after upsetting the field to win this year’s San Diego Masters state qualifying tournament but failed to win at match at the state meet, dropping a first-round 8-2 decision against Calvary Chapel junior Caleb Gerl, the sixth-place finisher from the Southern Section, and then bowing out of competition with a 3-1 consolation-round setback against Marysville sophomore James Chandless, the Sac-Joaquin Section’s fourth-place finisher.

Mahon, the runner-up finisher in the San Diego Section Masters, called his state medal-winning performance “a realization of my dreams for four years.”

“This tournament is a little tougher than the easier tournaments I went to all season but it’s also like any other tournament. You’ve got to be prepared to have success,” said Mahon, who finished 4-3 with victories against the Northern Section champion, the Northern Section No. 2 placer, the Central Section No. 7 placer and the Sac-Joaquin Section No. 5 placer.

Mahon dropped an 8-2 decision against Poway’s Hernandez in the consolation quarterfinals to drop to the seventh place match while Hernandez lost in the consolation semifinals to drop to the fifth place match.

Four other East County mat men tried their fortunes in this year’s field, though only one – Valhalla senior Landon Holmes – won a match.

Holmes pinned College Park senior Rick Erlec, the fourth-place finisher from the North Coast Section, in 2:54 to jump-start the tournament but dropped two subsequent matches to end his senior season. Holmes lost 11-4 in the next round to Del Oro sophomore Connor Morgan, the Sac-Joaquin Section champion, who entered the tournament ranked eighth in the state. The Valhalla grappler gave up a takedown in the final 15 seconds against Temecula Valley sophomore Dillon Barrales, the Southern Section’s No. 2 placers, in his ensuing consolation match.

Granite Hills sophomore Zach McClanahan (103), Helix senior Stephen Alvarez (135) and Monte Vista senior Chris Eade (171) all finished 0-2.

For McClanahan, this year’s trip to the state meet will be a learning experience, a chance to get over the jitters and awe that accompany stepping out onto the mat for the first time at this level. For the others, it will be remembered as the chance to step out onto the mat in the state’s “big show.”

McClanahan, the San Diego Section’s No. 4 placer, lost to the second-and fifth-place finishers from the Sac-Joaquin Section, both by pin. McClanahan’s first loss came against Livingston sophomore Edgar Perez, the eventual eighth-place medalist.

Alvarez, the second-place finisher in the San Diego Section, encountered a couple of tough draws: The Helix standout dropped a 12-6 decision to Sac-Joaquin Section champion Billy Strmiska in his out-bracket match and then ended his tournament run with a 5-1 loss to Central Coast Section Dominic Kastl. Neither Strmiska or Kastl went on to place in the tournament.

Eade lost 5-0 to Lutheran senior Kelan Bragg, the sixth-place finisher from the Southern Section and then dropped a 10-2 major decision to Buchanan senior Eric Smith, the Central Section champion.

Monte Vista coach Steve Bulette applauded Eade's development over his career to become one of the section's better 171-pounders. Among Eade's accomplishments this season are a Grossmont Conference weight class title and a runner-up finish in the San Diego Section Division III finals.

"Like many, I know that he could have done better. However, I know that he, as well as I, are proud of the progress he made during the season," Bulette said. "He finished as one on the top wrestlers in our section. For a guy who never saw a wrestling mat before his freshman year ... not bad."

In the spotlight
The section advanced five wrestlers to the semifinals: Joe Boone, Dennis, Almanza, Meza and Taghvai. All but Almanza and Taghvai won to move on to finals matches.

Boone, the San Diego Section champion and Outstanding Lower Weight wrestler at Masters, decisioned Barstow senior Donavan Barela, 5-1, to draw Lemoore senior Sean Roman-Marin in the championship match. Barela qualified as the No. 2 placer from the Southern Section while Roman-Marin won the Central Section championship.

Dennis, the San Diego Section champion, captured an 5-4 overtime thriller from El Diamante junior David Watts, the Central Coast Section’s No. 3 placer, to advance to the championship round against Edison senior Garrett Drucker, the Southern Section’s No. 3 finisher. Interestingly, both Dennis and Drucker began their odyssey to the finals by winning an out-bracket match to start the tournament.

Meza, the San Diego Section champion and Outstanding Upper Weight wrestler at the Division I finals, defeated hometown favorite Travis Rasmussen, a junior from Bakersfield and the No. 2 placer from the historically-strong Central Section, by a come-from-behind 6-4 decision. Meza drew Selma senior Joe Cisneros, the Central Section champion, in the championship round.

Almanza, the San Diego Section champion, suffered a surprise 1:14 pin administered by Yucca Valley junior Vinny Maraj, the runner-up from the Southern Section. The Poway wrestler then dropped to the consolation semifinals, with a victory sending him onto the third-place match and a loss dropping him to the fifth-place match. Almanza defeated West Covina senior George Munoz (No. 5 from the Southern Section) by a 9-1 major decision to battle for third place in the 38-person draw. However, Almanza finished fourth following a 3-2 loss to Half Moon bay senior Joey Wilson (Central Coast Section champion).

Taghvai, the reigning San Diego Section and Outstanding Upper Weight wrestler at Masters, lost a tight 6-5 semifinal matchup against Vacaville senior Bo Lukehart, the Sac-Joaquin champion. Taghvai then dropped a 5-3 decision to Sultana senior Zac Sweeney, the No. 3 placer from the Southern Section who had earlier dispatched Poway senior Matt Lewellen, Taghvai’s Masters finals opponent, to the consolation wrestle-backs. Taghvai closed out his appearance this year’s state finals with a 4-2 victory against Anderson senior Zack Gibbins, the Northern Section’s No. 2 finisher.

The Final Conflict
Boone (pictured at left) upped his record to 40-3 with a nail-biting 9-8 decision against Lemore senior Sean Roman-Marin, the Central Section Masters champion. Boone led early 5-0 on a throw and near-fall and looked to get a pin before the buzzer beat him to the punch. Given renewed life, Roman-Marin (48-8) made the most of it in the battle of 17-year-old wrestlers. The Lemore grappler closed in during the final minute, causing Boone to issue a sigh of relief when the six minutes were finally over. He was a state champion — but perhaps not in the fashion he would like the highlight reels to show.

Boone entered the finals match ranked second in the state after placing second in 2005 and third in 2006; Roman-Marin was ranked sixth. The two had wrestled before, with Boone noting it was a close match “but I won.” Roman-Marin listed the score as 4-2 on his finalist sheet.

Boone’s resume: three-time San Diego Masters champion, three-time San Diego Section Division I champion and a fourth-place finish at the Junior Folkstyle Nationals. With a 3.8 GPA, the Poway wrestler is also an Academic All-American.

Boone bested Barstow senior Donavan Barela, the Southern Section’s No. 2 placer, by a 5-1 score in the semifinals while Roman-Marin pinned Oak Ridge sophomore Kyle West in 4:43. West, the Sac-Joaquin Section’s No. 2 placer and No. 5 grappler in the state, upended eighth-ranked Scott Chene of Irvine, 5-4, in the second round and then bested state honorable mention Sid Gutierrez, a junior from Buchanan, 15-12 in the quarterfinals.

Roman-Marin earned his semifinal berth with a dramatic 1:50 fall against No. 1-ranked Bobby Scofield, a senior from Dana Hills and the reigning Southern Section champion, in the quarterfinals.

Boone, meanwhile, dispatched fourth-ranked Daniel Osmer, a senior from Buhach Colony and 2007 Sac-Joaquin champion, by a 6-0 score in the quarterfinals. The Titan grappler opened the tourney with a 3-1 win against Rancho Cucamonga senior Ryan Eagleson, the No. 3 Southern Section placer, thus staving off an upset in the opening round.

Boone’s next stop could be the upcoming high school nationals March 29-April 1 in Virginia Beach, Va.

Meza qualified for last year’s tournament as a sophomore and all the butterflies were gone as a junior as the Vista mat man built on his sixth-place finish of a year ago with a championship showing as a junior.

Meza did it in style, as well, by hanging an 11-8 defeat on No. 1-ranked Joe Cisneros, a senior from Selma, in the finals to conclude the season with a 46-4 record. Cisneros, the Central Section champion, finished 50-5.

Cisneros, who placed eighth at the prestigious Reno Tournament of Champions and eighth at Five Counties (both at 152 pounds), won the 103-pound state title in 2004 and was fourth at 140 pounds last year.

Meza competed at 152 pounds last season but dropped to 145 pounds this year. A two-time San Diego Masters champion, Meza finished third at the Dvorak tournament in Illinois in midseason in a display of his prowess on the mat. Meza, who also takes great pride in his stature as a two-time all-league baseball player, entered this year’s tournament ranked fifth in the state.

The Panther mat man scored major prestige points at this year’s tournament by defeating the top-three ranked wrestlers in the state. Meza stung No. 2 ranked Max Baker of Elk Grove, the Sac-Joaquin Section champion with a 3-2 victory in the quarterfinals and then recorded a 6-4 semifinal victory against Bakersfield junior Travis Rasmussen, the Central Section’s No. 2 placer. Rasmussen entered the tournament ranked third in the state.

The arena erupted with applause at the sight of Meza’s upset win in the semifinals, with the crowd always seeming to pull for the underdog. By the way Meza wrestled, one had to wonder if he really was the underdog.

LCC’s Dennis (46-5) had a wild ride at this year’s state meet, entering the tournament ranked third in the state and finishing second by a 9-7 decision to previously seventh-ranked Garrett Drucker, a senior from Edison.

Dennis, who followed older brother David onto the mat, placed third at this year’s Five Counties meet after qualifying for last year’s state tournament. A member of the National Honors Society, Eagle Scout and junior class president, Dennis represented himself well by keeping his composure and maintaining his focus in a gritty 7-5 overtime win against El Diamante junior David Watts, the Central Section’s No. 3 man and a state honorable mention. Dennis had two points taken away from him in the overtime, reversing an apparent victory, and had to continue with the overtime procedures, eventually prevailing to finish off Watts a second time.

Photo: La Costa Canyon's Elliott Dennis battles in the 135-pound state finals match. He becomes the third La Costa Canyon wrestler to advance to the championship round since the tournament moved to Bakersfield, joining alumni Ryan Williams (first) and Jeff May (second). Dennis is the program's fourth state placer, also joining Leo Perez (eighth).

The LCC grappler topped West Covina senior (and state honorable mention) A.J. Guardado, 4-3, in the quarterfinals after dropping Clovis East junior Alex Rodriguez, the Central Section’s No. 2 placer and ranked fifth in the state, by a 3-2 decision in the second round.

Drucker defeated fourth-ranked Johny Rios, a senior from Madera and the Central Section champion by an 8-5 decision in the quarterfinals but otherwise did not seem to face the same quality of competition that Dennis did in the bracket. Drucker downed Bakersfield sophomore Jonah Cruz, the Central Section’s No. 5 placer, by a 12-2 major decision in the semifinals. Cruz entered the tournament as a state honorable mention.

Watts upset No. 2-ranked Tommy Wipfli, a senior from Foothill and the North Coast Section’s No. 2 place-finisher, by a 7-4 decision in the second round and edged sixth-ranked Vincent Pisani, a junior from El Modena and the Southern Section champion by a 7-5 score in the quarterfinals.

Cruz topped Watts, 6-3, for third place while Pisani scored a 3-1 victory against Rios for fifth place and Guardado finished seventh.

Medal rounds
Just one of the remaining four section medalists advanced as far as the quarterfinals before losing their first match. Poway’s Hernandez won his opening two matches before running into returning state champion Nikko Triggas, a senior from Campolindo and reigning North Coast Section champion. Triggas, who went on to finish second after an 11-5 upset loss to Calvary Chapel senior Jason Lara, pinned Hernandez in 1:46 after opening the tourney with pins of 33 and 44 seconds. Triggas’ pinning parade continued with a 3:40 fall in the semifinals against Santa Fe junior Marcus Orona, the Southern Section champion.

Yorba and Mahon both lost in the second round which necessitated them winning three consecutive single-elimination matches in order to earn a medal. Yorba finished 5-3 with four consecutive wins in the consolation bracket while Mahon finished 4-3, inclusive of an 8-2 loss in the consolation quarterfinals against Poway’s Hernandez.

Cowan, the San Diego Masters runnere-up, lost his out-bracket match against Western senior Andrew Iuptai (Southern Section No. 5) by a 3-2 decision to face a mammoth struggle over the remaining two days of competition that saw him win six of his last seven matches to place seventh (five consecutive wins of which were required just to guarantee himself of a medal). Along the way, Cowan (44-13 for the season) eliminated Poway senior Nick Wood (San Diego Section No. 4) by a 5-2 score in overtime to close out the first day of competition. Cowan finished 6-2 overall at the state meet.


Honorable mention
Three section wrestlers finished among the top 12 in their respective weight classes (one victory away from earning a state medal): Poway junior Tim Boone (125), Santa Fe Christian junior John Mossy (135) and Poway junior Brad Robinson (140).

Boone, the San Diego Section champion, lost to eventual seventh-placer Justin Arredondo, a junior from Buchanan and Central Section No. 2 finisher. Boone’s first setback came against Fremont senior Boris Novachkov, last year’s 103-pound state champion in a quarterfinal-round battle of returning state medalists. Novachkov, who went on to claim the weight class title, defeated Boone by a 12-2 major decision.

Mossy, the third-place finisher at San Diego Masters, lost by 4:42 fall against El Modena junior Vinny Pisani (Southern Section champion), the state’s No. 5 placer. Mossy (3-2 overall) had won twice in the wrestle-backs before being eliminated. Mossy’s first lost came against Madera senior Johny Rios, the Central Section champion, who finished sixth following a 3-1 loss to Pasini.

Robinson, the San Diego Masters champion, won his opening two matches to make it to the quarterfinals but dropped his opening consolation match by a 3-2 decision to Clovis sophomore Scott Sakaguchi, the eventual fifth-place finisher and reigning Central Section champion. Robinson played it close all tournament, winning by scores of 6-5 and 5-2 en route to a 2-2 overall finish.

Of the section’s 56state qualifiers, 12 advanced to the second day of competition. LCC freshman Bryan Grubbs tied for 16th by falling two wins short of the medal round.

Most productive weight class?
The 145-pound weight class may have been the most successful, from top to bottom, for the San Diego Section as all four section qualifiers won at least won match and two won at least two matches for a composite 9-6 win-loss record. The 285-pound division featured a composite 11-8 win-loss record, though one qualifier -- San Diego Masters champion Trent Smith of RBV -- went 0-2.

Poway senior Hawk Ruis, the section's No. 2 placer, went 2-2 while Hilltop junior Javier Martinez and RBV junior Cody Fanning, the section's No. 3 and No. 4 placers, both went 1-2. All three grapplers exited competition in the same round among the top remaining 24 wrestlers in the weight class.

A total of 44 of the 56 San Diego Section qualifiers also failed to extend their time at the state meet another day. It could be different next year for both Martinez and Fanning..

A total of 38 wrestlers from throughout the state qualified to compete in each of the 14 weight classes, yielding a total of 532 participants in the state field.

Only the top eight finishers in each weight class medal — or only the top 21 percent of the field.

Martinez, despite battling a height disadvantage against many of his opponents all season, finished 1-2 with a 2-1 consolation-round victory against Granada junior John Banke, the North Coast Section’s No. 4 placer. The Hilltop wrestler was among the weight class bracket’s remaining 24 wrestlers — something to build on next season.

Martinez lost his opening-round match by a 7-0 decision to Foothill senior Jason Post, the Northern Section champion. Martinez dropped a 6-2 decision to Rim of the World senior Isaac Whisner, the Southern Section’s No. 2 placer.

Post went on to place seventh in the weight class while Whisner lasted one more round, finishing among the top 16 wrestlers in the bracket.

Vista's Meza, the San Diego Section champion, won the weight class with a stunning 11-8 defeat of Selma senior Joe Cisneros, the state’s No. 1-ranked wrestler, in the championship finals. Meza, the Outstanding Upper Weight wrestler at the Division I finals, had entered the state tourney ranked fifth while Cisneros, the reigning Central Section champion, had placed fourth at 140 pounds the previous year.

Bakersfield junior Travis Rasmusen, ranked third in the state entering the tournament, finished third ahead of Santa Ana senior Jose Navarro, who had wrestled back with seven consecutive victories to qualify for the third-place match after losing his opening-round match.

Watsonville senior Matthew Martinez, the Central Coast Section champion, finished fifth ahead of Healdsburg senior Mitch Arrequin, the North Coast Section champion. Post defeated Natomas senior Calvin Miller, the Sac-Joaquin Section’s No. 2 placer, in the battle for seventh place.

Fanning lost his opening-round match by a 1:07 fall to Arreguin and topped Red Bluff junior Dustin Reid, the Northern Section's No. 2 qualifier, by a 6-3 score in the consolation round to draw Tulare Union senior Mitch Moralez, the Central Section's No. 4 placer, in the next consolation round. Moralez eliminated Fanning by a 6-0 decision.

Morales lost to Natomas' Miller, 7-5, in the next consolation round.

Of the top eight finishers in the weight class, six were seniors and five were section champions and two more placed second in their respective section championships.

Of the San Diego Section’s 56 state qualifiers, 22 (39 percent) failed to win a match, including one non-entry. Martinez and Fanning were among 12 section wrestlers who went 1-2.

Thirty-four section qualifiers won at least one match at this year’s state tournament, with 22 (39 percent) winning at least two matches and 13 (23 percent) winning at least three matches. Twelve section wrestlers (21 percent) qualified for the second day of competition.

Hilltop coach Thomas Juarez knows what it takes to earn a medal in what is undoubtedly California’s toughest high school wrestling tournament. He placed fourth at 135 pounds in 1997 while competing for Montgomery High School, and went on to earn All-American status at the senior nationals championship tournament.

Juarez holds the section record for most career victories at 181 (1994-97).

Martinez finished the season 39-9.

What’s in a name?
Joseph Mount, the grandson of the late Joe Mount, a San Diego County wrestling icon, won seven consecutive matches to place third in his 160-pound weight class. His only loss in the tournament was to Vacaville senior Zach Sesar, the Sac-Joaquin Section champion and runner-up in the weight class. Mount, a senior from Chico and the son of former Mt. Miguel standout Tommy Mount, qualified as the Northern Section champion. Mount finished 7-2 overall at this year’s state tournament, with victories over the No. 4, No. 6 and No. 8 medalists. He bested Calvary Chapel senior Nick Knowles, the Southern Section champion, by a 3-0 score in the third-place match. Knowles had entered the tournament ranked second in the state. Mount upheld his No. 3 ranking.

Notepad
Four of the top seven teams were from the Central Section. Bakersfield, with three medal-winners, was fifth while Selma, with two finalists, was sixth.

2007 San Diego Section State Honor Roll

Photo: State runner-up Poway Titans

First Place
130: Joe Boone, 12, Poway (San Diego Section #1)
145: Anthony Meza, 11, Vista (San Diego Section #1)

Second Place
135: Elliott Dennis, 12, La Costa Canyon (San Diego Section #1)

Fourth Place
152: Anthony Almanza, 11, Poway (San Diego Section #1)

Fifth Place 215: Jordan Taghvai, 12, Carlsbad (San Diego Section #1)

Sixth Place
112: Henry Yorba, 10, Poway (San Diego Section #1)
119: Mike Hernandez, 11, Poway (San Diego Section #1)

Seventh Place
285: Kasey Cowan, 11, Vista (San Diego Section #2)

Eighth Place
119: Scotty Mahon, 12, Rancho Bernardo (San Diego Section #2)

Top teams
1. Vacaville - 124 points
2. Poway - 116 points
3. Buchanan - 113 points
4. Clovis - 97.5 points