Wrestling: Fountain Valley’s Ayres on top at CIF again
BREA – Promoters spend months creating interest for a title match.
The 145s flight of the CIF Southern Section Southern Division Wrestling Finals was one that required no introduction.
Since the wrestling season began in November, the Sunset League had been hyped as the gold standard in the weight class. That forecast came to fruition on championship Saturday.
Fountain Valley High’s Karson Ayres earned his second divisional crown, edging Marina’s John McCoy, 5-4, in a spirited final at Brea Olinda High.
Just over two weeks ago, the two had battled for Sunset League supremacy. Both tilts were tight, with McCoy improving by one point in the CIF rematch.
Ayres had set his sights on a possible lower weight MVP of the tournament, but his candidacy for the honor took a hit when he was unable to pin Newport Harbor’s Xander Moreno in the semifinals.
McCoy’s competitiveness in the title bout was the final nail in the coffin.
“It was a little closer than I wanted it to be,” Ayres said. “I wasn’t fully satisfied with my performance. It’s definitely more memorable when it’s close like that, but that’s not always what I’m looking for.”
Ayres’ muted celebration upon victory spoke volumes. The two-time champion, who won at 138 pounds last year, had expected to win as the division’s top seed.
McCoy, a junior for the Vikings, surpassed his own expectations in reaching the final.
“It was a goal for me to place in CIF,” he said. “To get into the final, I knew it was within my reach, but I wanted to place in Finals.”
The Sunset League completed the trifecta, as Moreno pinned Villa Park’s Caleb Reynolds in the third-place match.
In order to extend their seasons, wrestlers had to place in the top five of their respective weight class. Selected divisions at each location were allowed to send their top six placers.
The reason was because there are six divisional tournaments. The Masters Meet needs to fill out a 32-person championship bracket.
Fountain Valley’s George Sykes was the beneficiary of this scenario, as he lost his fifth-place match in the 195s to Victorville Excelsior’s Jake Jakubek.
All of the area’s wrestlers agreed in concert that they must approach things one step at a time. The next task that awaits them is to make their required weight, something that cut Moreno’s postseason short last year with Clovis North.
“Of course I’m going to make weight,” Moreno said when reminded of the occurrence. “If you don’t make weight, what was all that work for?”
Fountain Valley topped the local schools at the Southern Division Finals, earning eighth place with 99.5 points. The Barons did so on the backs of their two finalists.
Ayres was joined by senior Merrick O’Donnell, who took second in the 182s. He said a dominant league season helped him keep his head in the right place.
“It definitely gave me some confidence,” O’Donnell said. “My mental game has been great. I feel like if I can master my mental game, I’ll be unstoppable.”
Marina, which placed 13th with 81 points, will be sending an additional wrestler to the Masters Meet, as Wyatt Been placed fifth in the 170s.
Huntington Beach’s Jackson Oehling pinned San Bernardino Pacific’s Raziel Jordan at the second-period horn of his third-place match.
The senior became the first Oiler to advance to the Masters Meet since 2009. Oehling gave great credit to the coaching staff, which is in its second season at the school.
“It feels great,” Oehling said of qualifying for Masters. “Huntington itself hasn’t had anything [to celebrate in wrestling] for a decade.”
“We’ve got a new era with head coach Johnny [Morgan], Wes [Jarrell], and Chase [Ridenour]. That’s a great start. We’re paving the way.”
Reaching the postseason means the end is drawing nearer. Edison’s Garrett Weichmann was able to go out on good terms, as he beat Marina’s Daniel Escamilla in the final match of his career.
“This last match, I was happy that I got the pin,” Weichmann said. “It was my third time facing him. The first time, I beat him by one point. The second time, it was double overtime, so I’m happy that I got the pin on that one.”
Wrestling
CIF-SS Southern Division Finals
At Brea Olinda High
Team Results
- Victor Valley 211; 2. Dos Pueblos 158; 3. Esperanza 148; 4. West Torrance 134; 5. Canyon 126.5; 6. Buena 109; 7. Villa Park 103.5; 8. Fountain Valley 99.5; 9. Canyon Springs 90.5; 10. Yorba Linda 90.5; 13. Marina 81; 14. Los Alamitos 73; 22. Newport Harbor 50.5; 31. Huntington Beach 32; Edison 20.
Medal Round Matches
106
Championship – Aaron Nagao (Esperanza) pins Andy Rodriguez (Oxnard Pacifica), 3:20.
Third Place – Joshua Trumbull (Canyon Springs) dec. Malik Isterbadi (Yorba Linda), 3-2.
Fifth Place – Noah Padilla (Victor Valley) pins Travis Miller (Valley View), 3:27.
Seventh Place – Jacob Corkins (West Torrance) pins Alex Cardoza (Excelsior), 1:28.
113
Championship – Juan Gutierrez (Buena) dec. Omar Alvarez (Victor Valley), 11-4.
Third Place – Salvador Vargas (JW North) dec. Ty Silva (Barstow), 5-2.
Fifth Place – Kade Uyesaka (Dos Pueblos) pins Antonio Lomeli (Oxnard Pacifica), 1:47.
Seventh Place – Jacob Dito (Rancho Verde) pins Joshua Herrera (Marina), 2:53.
120
Championship – Sunny Luna (Victor Valley) pins Braylon Seaman (El Dorado), 0:35.
Third Place – Isaiah Ramirez (Barstow) maj. Cameron Calhoun (Canyon), 13-0.
Fifth Place – Cameron Sorrell (Villa Park) dec. Issac Ruiz (Oxnard Pacifica), 5-2.
Seventh Place – Joey Mora (Esperanza) dec. Kanoa Servino (West Torrance), 4-3.
126
Championship – Jeremy Trinh (Oxnard) dec. Jose Rubio (Barstow), 14-7.
Third Place – Ethan Diaz (Canyon Springs) maj. Robert Ornelas (San Bernardino), 14-5.
Fifth Place – Angelo Camacho (Victor Valley) dec. Tomas Maya (El Dorado), 5-3.
Seventh Place – Jack O’Donnell (Fountain Valley) dec. Cristian Pimental (Rancho Verde), 13-7.
132
Championship – Aaron Diaz (Canyon Springs) dec. Josh Brown (Esperanza), 8-4.
Third Place – Sean Amberry (Los Alamitos) dec. Kyle Hackett (Foothill), 5-2.
Fifth Place – Ricky Anaya (Rio Mesa) dec. Niko Cambado (Victor Valley), 9-8.
Seventh Place – Aiden Yamasaki (Dos Pueblos) dec. Joel Lopez (Ventura), 5-4.
138
Championship – Isaiah Mora (Esperanza) dec. Julian Mercado (Victor Valley), 8-2.
Third Place – Ryan Fidel (Dos Pueblos) dec. Jarred Fukawa (West Torrance), 5-3.
Fifth Place – Noah Luna (Villa Park) dec. Diego Gonzalez (Moreno Valley), 3-1.
Seventh Place – Brian Geiger (Riverside Poly) def. Joseph Pedregon (Los Alamitos).
145
Championship – Karson Ayres (Fountain Valley) dec. John McCoy (Marina), 5-4.
Third Place – Xander Moreno (Newport Harbor) pins Caleb Reynolds (Villa Park), 2:18.
Fifth Place – Connor Lee (Dos Pueblos) pins Ben Komsa (South Torrance), 4:53.
Seventh Place – Luke Lussier (Victor Valley) pins Noah Cervantes (Oxnard), 1:47.
152
Championship – Mina Morkoa (Bunea) maj. Joaquin Garcia (Villa Park), 14-3.
Third Place – Dean Dalmen (Brea Olinda) maj. Jacob Carmona (Lucerne Valley), 15-5.
Fifth Place – Dajae Gaut (El Modena) dec. Zen Clark (West Torrance), 4-0.
Seventh Place – Gustavo Ancona (Huntington Beach) def. Trenton Ching (Fountain Valley).
160
Championship – Alex Tang (Yorba Linda) dec. Noam Dessibourg (Dos Pueblos), 7-5.
Third Place – Jackson Oehling (Huntington Beach) pins Raziel Jordan (Pacific), 2:59.
Fifth Place – Oscar James (Victor Valley) dec. Arthur Lam (Villa Park), 12-6.
Seventh Place – Fernando Felix (Arlington) dec. Bryce Perry (Canyon), 10-6.
170
Championship – Jared Fernandez (Canyon) pins Troy Good (Esperanza), 1:26.
Third Place – Will Yamasaki (Dos Pueblos) dec. Jimmy Medina (El Modena), 6-4.
Fifth Place – Wyatt Been (Marina) dec. Elvis Ramirez (Oxnard Pacifica), 6-4.
Seventh Place –Tanner Cheetwood (Big Bear) pins Joseph Flores (Moreno Valley), 2:26.
182
Championship – Kevin Ayala (Moreno Valley) dec. Merrick O’Donnell (Fountain Valley), 7-2.
Third Place – Colby Allen (Rio Mesa) pins Rupert Ramos (Ventura), 0:45.
Fifth Place – Conor Banks (Canyon) pins Ryan Price (West Torrance), 2:18.
Seventh Place – DJ Van Oostendorp (Newport Harbor) def. Christopher Newman (Vista Del Lago).
195
Championship – Cameron Coates (West Torrance) dec. Ryan Tuong (Victor Valley), 7-6.
Third Place – Michael Hamilton (Esperanza) maj. Brandon Khamenian (Foothill), 9-0.
Fifth Place – Jake Jakubek (Excelsior) pins George Sykes (Fountain Valley), 3:35.
Seventh Place – Callum Bisping (Canyon) pins Joel Garcia (Dos Pueblos), 4:59.
220
Championship – Ethan Bakker (Los Alamitos) maj. Alejandro Elias (Arlington), 9-1.
Third Place – Garrett Bethel (Rancho Verde) dec. Jaden Soto (Excelsior), 7-6.
Fifth Place – Angel Solorio (Channel Islands) def. Brandon Turner (El Modena).
Seventh Place – Amanaki Fahina (Lawndale) pins Jose Herrera (Santa Barbara), 2:27.
285
Championship – Elijah Clark (Buena) dec. Tony DaCosta (Torrance), 6-1.
Third Place – Josh Tarango (Canyon) def. Gerardo Nava (Channel Islands).
Fifth Place – Anthony Jimenez (Victor Valley) dec. Will Fader (Dos Pueblos), 2-1.
Seventh Place – Garrett Weichmann (Edison) pins Daniel Escamilla (Marina), 4:47.
Twitter: @ProfessorTurner
