2007-08 San Diego Section
Wrestlers to Watch

Grossmont Conference
Foothillers, Eagles look to surprise this season

Posted Dec. 10, 2007
Todd Bell produced some exciting moments on the mat during his wresting career at Grossmont High School by winning three individual San Diego Masters weight class championships from 1991-93 and placing second at the 1992 state championship tournament 91t 140 pounds) and fourth at the 1993 state finals (at 145 pounds). As a coach now at his alma mater, Bell might be in for some more excitement this season.

“We’re looking to win league,” Bell said matter of factly. “I don’t think that Grossmont has ever won a league title. But that’s our No. 1 team goal this season – and to show well at CIF with the guys we have.”

The Foothillers are indeed off to a relatively strong start this season as evidenced by a seventh-place team finish at the season opening Carlsbad Invitational with three top three finishers and one weight class champion and an eighth-place showing at the Marauder Invitational Dec. 8 at Mira Mesa High School. Grossmont finished the 31-team Marauder Invitational with two finalists and six medalists. The Mira Mesa tourney was inarguably the toughest local invitational wrestling event so far this season, with Fresno’s Washington Union edging Mt. Carmel for the team championship and Poway’s B varsity team finishing third ahead of a strong Westview squad.

The Foothillers finished 11.5 points behind seventh place Orange Glen and 8.5 points ahead of ninth place Valley Center.

Valentin Cuevas placed runner-up in his 130-pound weight class while Danny Demas (pictured at right) was second at heavyweight. Demas recorded a 10-second pin in finishing 3-1 on the day with three pins while Cuevas also went 3-1 with three pins.

Demas was seeded third in his weight class but pinned second-seeded Eric Oatis of Washington Union in the semifinals. Demas appeared to have the upper hand against his finals opponent, John Downey of Mt. Carmel, before the Sundevil grappler executed a surprise change of position and pinned the Foothiller heavyweight in 1:51.

Demas won the heavyweight class at the Carlsbad Invitational over Brawley's Marvin Centeno.

Cuevas was seeded second in his weight class and pinned his way to the finals, recording a 57-second fall in his opening match, before dropping a hotly contested 7-5 overtime decision against Orange Glen’s Andrew Natividad.

Cuevas placed third behind Natividad and Santana's Tim Sherlock at the Carlsbad Invitational.

Other Foothillers to finish the Marauder Invitational on the award stand included Ryan Taylor (fifth, 135), Nick Lins (third, 140), Alex Yoder (fifth, 145) and Will Keys (fifth, 189). Keys was third at Carlsbad.

Also for Grossmont, Jack Brault advanced to the fifth-place match at 215 pounds but lost his medal match-up at the Mira Mesa mat fest.

Bell remains optimistic about the Foothillers’ championship fortunes despite watching his team drop a 48-27 dual encounter against Grossmont South League power Monte Vista on Dec. 6. The Foothillers forfeited three weight classes but won six of the 11 contested matches, Bell was quick to note.

Granite Hills Eagles
Granite Hills co-head coaches Jeremiah Larson and bart Hartley call this year’s squad a “a good looking young team this year.” The starting line-up is as follows: freshmen Ryan McClanahan and Danny Neff at 103 pounds; junior Zach McClanahan at 112; freshman Steve Martin at 119; senior John Elliot at 125; freshman Victor Castro and junior Wes Fulkerson at 130; sophomore Dustin Smithson at 135; sophomore Dylan Rubio at 140; junior Brent Harkins at 145; sophomore Johnny Valencia at 152; junior Willy Horner at 160; senior Jacob Castillo at 171; and senior Jason Ladnier at 189.

Despite forfeiting the 215 and 285 weight classes, the Eagles have opened the season with a pair of non-league dual victories, defeating El Capitan (50-30) and West Hills (48-30).

Granite Hills most recently competed in the La Quinta duals over the Dec. 7-8 weekend. Larson said the team “wrestled very well while giving up two forfeits in every dual.”

The Ealges lost in the opening round to Perris, then defeated Newbury Park, La Quinta "B," Hemet and Bonita Vista. “Bonita Vista was a good test of San Diego Section teams for us and we pulled out a close 40-39 win,” Larson said.

Expect Zach McClanahan to follow up last season’s breakthrough state qualifying performance by again advancing to the state championship meet in Bakersfield, according to the team’s coaching staff. The Granite Hills coaches also said they expect “good things” from Castillo and Ladnier as senior leaders in the line-up.

“We have a strong contingent of underclassmen who are improving every week, and we should get better as the season progresses,” Larson said. “All of the teams in the Grossmont South League look strong this year, but I expect us to compete well with all of them and, of course, our goal is to win league.”

Larson said another one of the team’s goals is to place among the top five teams at the division finals.

“Every one of the guys on the team this year has established personal goals and team goals. If each of them achieves their personal goals, Granite Hills will have several league and CIF medal-winners, along with several Masters' placers and state qualifiers,” Larson said. “If the individuals reach their goals, the team should also meet its goals.”

This is Larson’s second year back at Granite Hills since being an assistant coach under Jake Gaeir from 1998-2002. The co-head coaches, and the rest of the team’s coaching staff, believes the Eagles are on the way to approaching the championship status they enjoyed during the mid-1990s when Granite Hills won three consecutive league titles, twice finished as division runners-up and won the 1994 Masters team title.

The Eagles have scheduled a Dec. 11 non-league dual meet at La Costa Canyon in an effort to offer their wrestlers a taste of top-notch competition outside of East County gyms.

“In order to be the best, you need to compete with the best, and right now, they (the Mavericks) are one of the best teams in the section,” Larson said. “After that we are on a break until the Monte Vista tourney in January. We hope to compete well and go into the break strong.”

Helix Highlanders
Head coach Ken Jenkins outlined the team's goals for 2007-08 as follows: "We hope to improve with every practice, and realize our potential and students and athletes."

The Scotties could make some noise on the mat this season if their season opening 46-30 dual meet victory over West Hills is any indicator. Top returners include seniors Victor Richmond, A.J. Agusitn, Patrick Phalen, Michael Converse, Vince Krupa and sophomore Alex Franco.

Richmond finished second at last season's Division II finals while Agustin was fourth, Phalen was fifth, Converse was seventh and Franco was eighth.

Impact newcomers inlcude junior Daniel Adams, seniors Robert Leon and Karlis Thorpe, sophomores Deshawun Tatum and Ejay Perkins.

Richmond (140), Converse (145) and Leon (189) opened the season by all placing third at the Mar Vista Battle by the Beach tournament while Agustin (119) and Thorpe (285) were fifth.

City Conference
Cathedral Catholic Dons
The Dons return four divisional place-winners from last season as well as five returning Western League champions.

Chase Hardage (189) took first place at last season’s Division IV finals while Josh Salmeron (112) was fourth after placing third as a sophomore. Thomas Green (112) placed fifth as a freshman while Jay Aguirre (140) placed fifth as a sophomore and fourth as a junior. Returning league champions include sophomore Green, Salmeron, Aguirre, Hardage and Christian Chavez (119). Aguirre and Hardage and both seniors this season while Salmeron is a junior and Green is a sophomore.

Newcomers include Paul Head (119) and Lauren Thompson (125), a transfer from Torrey Pines.

Buttressed by five returning league champions and five divisional place-winners, Cathedral Catholic is looking to repeat as Western League champions.

North CountyConference
Valley Center Jaguars
The Jaguars, according to head coach Clay Clifford, may be fielding its best team in the last 10 years. “If we are going to do anything, the time is now,” Clifford said.

Top returners include seniors Wyatt Castner (130), Justin Macovichuk (14), Anthony Wollstencroft (145), Tony Sudak (171), Nick Stehly (191) and Jason Klingerman (285), junior Filiberto Ordos (112) and sophomore William DeYoung (125).

Macovichuk was the Jags highest place-finishers at last season's San Diego Masters state qualifying tournament with a fifth iplace sshowing at 125 pounds after placing runner-up at the Division IV finals.

Castner was fifth at last season's Division IV tournament, Wollstencroft was third, Sudak was fourth, Stehly was third, Klingerman was second and DeYoung was fifth. As as team, Valley Center claimed the team championship. The Jags have won three Division IV and one Division III title in the program's 10-year history.

Impact newcomers include sophomores Kyle Vexler (103) and Alec Morgan (152) and senior Marco Gonzalez (215).

Macovichuk advanced to the championship finals of the 2007-08 season opening Mar Vista Battle by the Beach tournament. He dropped a 15-9 finals match to Brawley's Alex Trinidad, who was named the tournament's outstanding middle weight wrestler. Other place-finishers included DeYoung (third, 130), Vexler (fifth, 103) and Castner (fifth, 135).

The Jaguars, feeling the effects of the school's football team having advanced to the Division IV championship game on Dec. 8, dropped a 48-29 dual meet decision to Torrey Pines on Dec. 6. Valley Center forfeied three weight classes because of the fall-winters sports season conflict.

The race for this year's Valley League title looks to be competitive. San Pasqual, Ramona and Valley Center all look to challenge for the league dual title. "But you can never count out Escondido High School," Clifford said. "The Valley League has been such a competitive league over the past 10 years. It's been a great league. No one has dominated."

Orange Glen, Escondido, Ramona and Valley Center have all won titles in the past 10 years. "San Pasqual has never won the league title but could this year," Clifford said. "It should be another barnburner this year."

Metro Conference
Mar Vista Mariners
Team captains include seniors Tommy McLaughlin, Allan Delos Reyes and Hugo Medrano. McLaughlin and Delos Reyes were both Metro Conference finalists last season, with McLaughlin winning his 215-pound weight class and Delos Reyes placing runner-up at 119 pounds. McLaughlin went on to place second at the Division III championships while Delos Reyes was third. At Masters, McLaughlin finished fifth while Delos Reyes posted a top eight place-finish. Medrano was injured last season but placed sixth at the division finals as a sophomore.

Other top returners include juniors Joe Rilatt, Chris Barnett, Danny Medrano, Joseph Westby, Angelo Pilatto and Mathew Tyson. Medrano (112) was fourth at the Metro finals.

Impact newcomers include freshmen Max Uribe, Carter Barnett, Rommell Cooper, Thomas Castillo and Eric Ludwig, sophomore Rowan Guyton and juniors Paul Evans, Izzy Covarrubias and Dustin “Buzz” Breding.

A lot of potential describes this year’s MV squad, according to team members.

“We’re a young team but the younger kids have a lot of potential,” Delos Reyes said.

“I feel like we have a very good team this year,” McLaughlin said. “I believe we can do great things and maybe win a banner.”

Said Hugo Medrano: “Our team has a lot of potential this year. I expect great things next year.”

The Mariners faced off the season with a 48-36 non-league dual loss to defending Mesa League champion Bonita Vista and placed sixth in the 23-team Battle by the Beach tournament the following weekend.

Montgomery Aztecs
The Aztecs look to build as the season progresses, according to coach Jay Coffey. “We are young, so there is a lot of improvement needed. We expect to do well by the end of the season,” he said.

Top returners include senior Hector Hernandez and sophomore Joseph Kent. Hernandez did not wrestle last season but placed sixth at the Division II finals and second at the Metro finals for Castle Park in 2005-06.

Other returners include senior Karleen Ronsairo, juniors Armando Viramontes, Michael Vera, David Valenzuela and sophomore Vincent Hemesath.

Newcomers looking to develop as the season progresses include seniors Jesus Villegas, Jonathan Villanueva and Stephen Enriquez, who will fill in the upper weights. Freshmen starting their mat careers include Manny Quiambao, Scott Baker, Alan Coats, Kevin Custeau, Juan Mattioli. Sophomore Matthew Real also is counted among the team’s newcomers.

Kent finished second in his 152-pound division at the season opening at Battle at the Beach.