Channel Islands Poised for Run at 3rd Place in State Wrestling

There is not a Valley wrestler remaining in the hunt for an individual state wrestling title, but Channel Islands High emerged from Friday’s first day of the two-day state championships still in contention for a third-place trophy in the team race.

Valo Barajas of Channel Islands moved into the 112-pound consolation quarterfinals and teammate T.R. Merickel advanced to the consolation quarterfinals at 119 pounds.

At 145 pounds, Heda Kuwata won his first two matches before losing in the quarterfinals. He, too, moved to today’s consolation quarterfinals for Channel Islands.

At 140 pounds, Jeremy Pratt of Newbury Park also advanced to the consolation quarterfinals.

Two 189-pounders, Todd Hoult of Agoura and Scott Adams of Ventura, lost in the earlier consolation-round matches.

Hoult won the Southern Section 4-A Division championship two weeks ago, then finished third at the Masters Meet last week.

In today’s semifinals, Barajas will meet Brett Castillo of San Diego San Pasqual and Merickel faces Keith Muraoka of Rowland.

Kuwata will wrestle Bryon Campbell of Poway, and Pratt will go against Steve Hilas of Vacaville.

The team championships are shaping up as a battle between four-time champion Clovis and top-ranked Poway of San Diego.

In the early-round matches, Clovis lived up to its billing as a favorite, but Poway slipped. Valhalla, meanwhile, fared better than expected and was poised to make a run at stealing the title.

Clovis, winner of state titles in 1974, 1975, 1976 and 1990, led Valhalla, 53 1/2 to 46, and Poway was third with 35 points.

Clovis and Valhalla each had three wrestlers qualify for today’s semifinals. Poway had two qualifiers.

For Clovis, Jimmy Aguirre is trying for his third consecutive state title. He won at 105 pounds as a sophomore, at 119 pounds last year and is wrestling at 125 pounds this season.

Friday, he overpowered Dennis Cummings of Cabrillo, 7-0, in the quarterfinals to advance. Aguirre figures to meet Detran Gant of Fresno Roosevelt, last year’s 112-pound champion, in today’s final. Gant has beaten Aguirre three times in five meetings this season, including in the Central Section final last week.

Two other defending champions advanced to the semifinals.

Tony Okada of Anaheim Savanna, who won the 132-pound title last year, faces Tim Yoshitake of Schurr in the 135-pound semifinal today.

Josh Gormley of West Torrance, the state heavyweight champion in 1990, advanced to meet Darin Preisendorf of American.