By Phillip Brents

Posted July 23, 2005

Even before Otay Ranch High School opened its doors, it had acquired the designation as an official regional training center for USA Wrestling, the domestic governing body of the sport. The school’s gymnasium was only half finished. Yellow caution tape zoned off hard hat-only areas. But campus pride soared.

Photo: Bryan Scambler, right, demonstrates a move to Ben Schaufele of the Ohio All-Stars during the team's July 20 stopover at Otay Ranch High School. (Photo by James Brammer)

The mats now have been down for a while but the high-profile wrestling talent has, for the most part, yet to arrive. That could change with the arrival of new wrestling coaches Mike Morales and Jerry Matsumoto and the South County’s largest youth wrestling club, the Chula Vista Badgers.

In the near future, the high-caliber talent practicing in the school’s state-of-the-art wrestling room may be homegrown Mustangs rather than outsiders.

An increase in numbers of participating student-athletes and a back-to-the-basics approach are the two things that Matsumoto, a USA Wrestling official and longtime assistant coach at Hilltop High School, said he would like to help stress at the school. Success should follow.

Matsumoto, who has officiated at national championship tournaments as well as at the international level, will don the official title of head junior varsity coach under new head varsity coach Mike Morales. Regardless of titles, the Mustang wrestling program has received a much-needed shot in the arm.

It comes at the right time. The Mustangs had numbers problems throughout the 2004-05 campaign and Ron Abston stepped in on an emergency basis as head coach so the school could field a team. The Mustangs competed at the junior varsity level at the Metro Conference championship tournament, placing second in the team standings (behind team champion Hilltop and ahead of third-place Eastlake). The Mustangs left the mat with four JV individual champions: Mike Pacheco (135 pounds), Ricky Daniels (140), Sonny Garcia (145) and Mike Murguia (152). Otay Ranch finished the JV finals with eight place-finishers overall. Joining the four individual champions were Jon Bagube (third, 112), Josh Jeffrey (third, 130), Miguel Navarez (third, 215) and Mark Cannizzaro (second, 275).

Otay Ranch finished the season by competing at the varsity level. The Mustangs participated in the Division III championships at Westview High School. Cory Meza placed fourth in his 103-pound weight class to earn a trip to the San Diego Masters state qualifying tournament while Shawn Shaw qualified for the Masters tournament for the second consecutive year as an alternate (seventh place) in his 160-pound division.

Abston, who went undefeated in high school competition in his native Arkansas as well as in the U.S. Navy, will continue to be a member of the 2005-06 coaching staff.

"We’ll have seniors this year. We will have to be a varsity program," Matsumoto said.

A graduate of Castle Park High School, Matsumoto competed on the mat in high school and beyond into adulthood. He coached at Marian Catholic High School, guiding J.J. Gracio to the 178-pound CIF championship in 1977. He has been involved with youth wrestling for more than two decades and had coached at Hilltop High — winners of the last three South Bay League championships — since 1996. He had a hand in helping coach wrestlers on Hilltop’s 1995, 1997 and 1999 CIF championship squads.

Matsumoto sees potential in both the raw talent and the under-used facility on campus. The Mustangs plan to hold their own freshmen and junior varsity team tournaments as well as host the conference varsity and JV championships.

Offseason work has already begun in placing some structure — and experience — into the program. The Badgers brought a team laden with both Hilltop and Otay Ranch wrestlers to this year’s California State Games wrestling championships, placing fourth in the team standings. A free summer wrestling camp is being offered after school on campus through the third week of August.

"I think we’re a little behind on the learning curve as far as technique is concerned," Matsumoto assessed. "We’re gong to focus on fundamentals. Hopefully, we’ll get the numbers. We’re going to freshmen and junior varsity tournaments this year as well as varsity tournaments and duals, so everyone in the program will get a chance to wrestle."

As for the that high-profile talent that was promised to arrive? Matsumoto has taken care of that as well. The touring Ohio All-Star team made a stop on July 20 in the Mustangs wrestling room for a scrimmage against several youth grapplers as well as a workout and impromptu clinic.

The wrestlers on tour range in age from 11 to 15 and represent some of the nation’s up-and-coming talent. Past Ohio All-Star team members have gone on to win five NCAA championship titles, 15 individual national high school championships, 25 USA Wrestling Cadet and Junior Nationals titles and more than 100 state high school championships.

Ryan Bertin, a member of the 1994 Ohio All-Star team, is a two-time NCAA champion for the University of Michigan.

The Ohio All-Star squad (which includes wrestlers from other eastern states) began its cross-country trek in New York City and promptly moved to Washington state, then to Vancouver, Canada, then to Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and Chula Vista. The team was to complete its six-week tour with stops in Covina, Bakersfield, Las Vegas and Wyoming.

The Chula Vista stop has been hosted by Matsumoto in recent years, including a post-match barbecue at his house.

Besides exposing the easterners to different styles of wrestling (Ohio is a traditional hotbed for high school, or folkstyle, wrestling), the tour also affords wrestlers the chance to see the natural splendor of the western United States. The tour also has its cultural aspect. In the past, the tour has included such varied activities as a trip to a Broadway show and white water rafting.

"It’s a chance to see the country. To get an introduction to freestyle wrestling and an opportunity to experience cultural differences across the country and doing little things along the way they’d never get an opportunity to do otherwise, and how to get along with others," said Ohio All-Star team chairman Bart Freidenberg, who has been involved with the team for 23 years.

The Ohio All-Stars entered their Otay Ranch stop with a 5-1 dual meet record, having lost only in Denver. Freidenberg noted the Ohio All-Stars had defeated Salt Lake City "for the first time in a long time."

In what has become an annual stop, the Ohio All-Stars participated in this year’s AAU Grand Nationals where entrants can compete in freestyle, Greco-Roman and Sombo competition. Matsumoto made regular pilgrimages to the AAU Grands, taking a San Diego County contingent as well as officiating the various styles. Matsumoto made Sombo (self defense without arms) one of his special projects.

This year’s Ohio All-Stars’ royal court included 2005 three-style AAU Grand Nationals champions Todd Preston (Hampton, New Jersey), Nick LeForce (Franklin, Ohio) and Benny Schaufele (Laurel, Md.). Preston’s older brother is a national high school champion.

Pictured: Three-style AAU Grand Nationals champions Todd Preston (Hampton, New Jersey), Benny Schaufele (Laurel, Md.) and Nick LeForce (Franklin, Ohio).

Of the 18 wrestlers on this year’s tour, eight won at least one championship title at the 2005 AAU Grand Nationals and six won two or more national AAU titles. Nine wrestlers finished second in their weight classes.

Alex Dronzek (Beachwood, Ohio) and Michael Valania (Newark, Del.) finished second in all three styles at this year’s AAU Grands.

The local squad involved in this year’s scrimmage at Otay Ranch included top age-group wrestlers from El Centro, Poway, Bonita Vista, Montgomery and San Diego, thus turning the Otay Ranch High wrestling room into a true den of top-notch talent for one evening.

"It’s a great opportunity for us to wrestle them. Our problem is that we don't always have enough people (at this time of the year because of vacations). It also showcases the facilities here at Otay Ranch," Matsumoto said.

Matsumoto’s stepson, Hilltop High graduate Bryan Scambler, and Eastlake High graduate Jennifer Germany, one of the top female wrestlers in San Diego County, both added an impromptu technique training session during the workout to further elevate the knowledge level in the room. Scambler, a three-time Metro Conference and two-time San Diego Section divisional champion who recently completed his freshman year at Dana College in Blair, Neb., received an invitation to this year’s World Team Trials. His credentials also include appearances at the USA Wrestling Nationals, as well as elite place-finishes at state and regional tournaments.

Germany recently captured second place in her weight class at the California USA Wrestling state championships. She has received a women’s wrestling scholarship to Missouri Valley College.