SOUTHERN SECTION MASTERS WRESTLING MEET : Garden Grove’s Ioja, Four From Canyon Advance to State Meet

Surprises, some good and some not so good, highlighted the Masters Meet wrestling tournament Saturday at Fountain Valley High School.

First the good.

--Adrian Ioja of Garden Grove, a junior who sometimes is confused with his brother Bob, a football and basketball player for the Argonauts, came out of the pack to finish second in the heavyweight division.

--Canyon placed four wrestlers in next week’s State meet at Stockton.

But enthusiasm in the Comanches’ ranks was dampened when Matt Padgett suffered what was believed to be a sprained ankle in his 160-pound fifth-place match. Padgett’s ankle later was X-rayed as a precautionary measure.

--Savanna had three qualifiers, including defending champion Tony Okada, who pinned Pat Wheat of Torrance in 3 minutes 57 seconds in the 135-pound final.

The top six wrestlers in 13 weight divisions advanced to the State meet, which begins Friday at the University of the Pacific. In all, 22 Orange County wrestlers advanced.

Ioja is the first wrestler from Garden Grove to make it to a Masters Meet final, according to Argonaut Coach Jose Orozco.

A one-point penalty for stalling late in his match with defending State champion Josh Gormley of West Torrance, prevented Ioja from winning. The penalty forced the match into overtime tied, 4-4.

Gormley eventually overpowered a tiring Ioja, 10-1, in the extra period.

“We need to work on his endurance next week,” Orozco said. “I think he’ll be more prepared for next Saturday.”

The State meet starts Friday, somebody reminded Orozco. The finals are Saturday.

“Right,” he said with a smile. “He has the potential to be the first State placer from Garden Grove.”

Ioja’s only two losses this season have come against Gormley.

Jason Mitchell led four Canyon qualifiers, winning the 140-pound final, 9-2, over Scott Chapman of Rim of the World.

Alan Holmes at 152 pounds and heavyweight Matt Webber each finished third. Padgett was sixth after defaulting his fifth-place match to Jeremiah Miller of South Hills.

Okada, who won the State 132-pound title last year and is a national-class judo competitor, had two pins and a technical fall in four matches Saturday. He won his other match in a breeze, 14-3, over Tim Yoshitake of Schurr in the quarterfinals.

“He’s got to turn it up one more notch,” Savanna Coach Tom Caspari said of Okada. “He’s biding his time right now.”

Brad Belanger and Jim Pezina also qualified at 130 and 140 pounds, respectively.

Danny Santana of El Modena, who last week won the Southern Section 4-A title at 145 pounds, won impressively Saturday. Santana, a senior, was simply too strong for Nick Rios of Arroyo, winning, 12-5.

Jason Nerio of Esperanza lost in the 152-pound final, 6-4, to Rod Ludington of Victor Valley.