‘92-’93 PREP PREVIEW: WRESTLING : Twins Inspire Calvary Chapel’s ‘Church Boyz’

The nickname wasn’t meant to be flattering, but the Calvary Chapel wrestling team took it and ran with it anyway.

Church Boyz.

Nice concept. Looks good on T-shirts. Sounds good, too, especially when it’s used to describe the original Church Boyz, twins Dane and Shane Valdez.

Dane is older by 21 minutes, about 1 1/2 inches taller and seven pounds heavier than Shane. They’re not identical twins, but unless you know them well it’s tough to tell them apart. More often than not, they finish each other’s sentences. And when somebody asks, “Hey, which one of you is tougher on the mat,” they let you know it’s the all-time dumb question.

“We always say . . . ,” Dane said.

“Why don’t you wrestle both of us . . . ,” Shane said.

“And find out for yourself,” Dane said.

At a tournament late last season, Shane--or was it Dane?--overheard the following conversation:

“So who do you wrestle next?” opponent No. 1 said.

“Some church boy,” opponent No. 2 answered.

Dane--or was it Shane?--went on to whip opponent No. 2, and the twins later shared the story with the rest of their teammates. Since then it’s become a rallying cry for the wrestling team at the tiny Santa Ana school (enrollment 500).

Last season, few wrestling followers outside Orange County knew of Calvary Chapel and respect was hard to come by for the Eagles.

“I don’t think we should have a problem with that this year,” Shane Valdez said.

As sophomores, the twins led the Eagles to the Southern Section 1-A dual meet tournament championship where they lost to Yucca Valley, 30-29. Each went on to qualify for the CIF State meet. Dane finished eighth at 119 pounds and Shane was second at 112. Dane had a 41-10 record in 1991-92; Shane was 54-3. Each were Times’ All-Orange County first-team selections.

They are the main reasons Calvary Chapel was selected as Orange County’s No. 1 team in a preseason poll of county coaches. Add seniors Joey Coughran (125 pounds), Matt Kellogg (145) and Greg Smith (130) to the mix and the Eagles might rank as one of the top teams in the state this season.

Calvary Chapel’s rise to the top is directly tied to the twins, though.

“I’ve coached in college and these two guys will be two of the top recruits in the country,” said John Azevedo, a member of the 1980 Olympic team now in his fourth season as Calvary Chapel coach.

“It’s just a matter of showing them stuff and refining things. They’re so focused, so intent on learning. It’s not just their talent that makes them good, it’s their work ethic.”

Wrestling came naturally to the twins, who took their rough-housing from the family living room to age-group competition when they were in seventh grade.

Azevedo’s presence attracted the twins to Calvary Chapel, where Azevedo had landed after serving as an assistant coach at Notre Dame and Wisconsin. A former All-American at Cal State Bakersfield, Azevedo made the ’80 team that boycotted the Moscow Games and missed the ’84 Olympic trials because he was sidelined by a damaged knee ligament.

When Azevedo started coaching at Calvary Chapel, he began to gain a reputation as a maker of champions. Coughran, Kellogg and Smith got in on the ground floor and when the Valdez brothers joined up, the framework for success was cemented in place.

The twins have wrestled so well that the spotlight has shifted to their mats, however.

“They’re a great example to the other guys,” Azevedo said. “They tell the younger guys, ‘Go out and compete.’ ”

With all the attention thrust their way, the twins have found they’ve become targets of the underdogs they wrestle. After all, everybody wants to knock off No. 1; it can make a season for some.

For now, the twins say they’ll try to put the rankings out of mind.

“I’d rather start out fourth or something and prove myself,” Shane Valdez said. “I know I used to gun for people. That (knocking off a highly ranked opponent) was the biggest thing for me.”

Said Dane: “The key is not to let the rankings affect you. You still have to prove you’re No. 1 on the mat.”

By the end of the season, there should be no doubt that the Church Boyz are the best.

Wrestling at a Glance

Top wrestlers: Ken Allen, Canyon, Sr., 112; Dondi Balisalisa, Huntington Beach, Sr., 112; Sean Billings, Irvine, Sr., 112; Randy Bowers, Savanna, Jr., 103; Todd Cameron, El Modena, Sr., 140; Joe Coughran, Calvary Chapel, Sr., 125; Eric Escobedo, Huntington Beach, Jr., 171; David Gayer, Canyon, Sr., 140; Josh Holiday, Calvary Chapel, So., 103; Matt Kellogg, Calvary Chapel, Sr., 140; Ryan Hughes, El Modena, Sr., 160; Ron Maddox, Laguna Hills, Sr., 152; Roger Martinez, El Modena, Sr., 152; Chris Niez, El Modena, Sr., heavyweight; Tito Ortiz, Huntington Beach, Sr., 160; Loc Pham, Irvine, Sr., 119; Jim Provencio, Valencia, Sr., 112; Richard Ramos, Savanna, Jr., 112; Jeff Rodriguez, Savanna, Sr., 145; David Rosales, Savanna, Jr., 152; Mark Saba, Savanna, Sr., 189; Roger Santiago, Santa Ana, Jr., 103; Teak Sato, Savanna, Jr., 125; Wali Sibrie, Buena Park, Jr., heavyweight; Greg Smith, Calvary Chapel, Sr., 130; Zac Tapia, San Clemente, Sr., 130; Cesar Trejo, Canyon, Jr., 119; Dane Valdez, Calvary Chapel, Jr., 119; Shane Valdez, Calvary Chapel, Jr., 112; Vince Virgen, Buena Park, Jr., 119; Josh Wagner, El Modena, Jr., 112 pounds; David Wells, El Modena, Jr., 135; Ty Wynn, El Modena, Sr., 145.

League favorites: Century: Canyon; Empire: El Dorado; Freeway: Buena Park; Garden Grove: Garden Grove; Olympic: Calvary Chapel; Orange: Savanna; Pacific Coast: Laguna Hills; Sea View: Irvine; South Coast: San Clemente; Sunset: Huntington Beach.

1992 preseason poll: 1. Calvary Chapel; 2. Savanna; 3. Canyon; 4. El Modena; 5. Huntington Beach; 6. Buena Park; 7. El Dorado; 8. San Clemente; 9. Santa Ana; 10. Laguna Hills.

Key dates: Five Counties Invitational, Fountain Valley, Jan. 15-16; Southern Section dual meet preliminaries, Feb. 17; Southern Section individual finals, Feb. 20; Southern Section dual meet finals, Feb. 25; Masters Meet, Feb. 27; CIF State meet, Stockton, March 5-6.

Notes: The move of the season happened before school started. That’s when longtime Canyon Coach Gary Bowden resigned to take a job in Springfield, Ore. But co-Coaches Steve Marshall and Harris Oishi have taken over, and Canyon figures to be just as good without Bowden. Tiny Calvary Chapel has been ranked No. 1 by Orange County coaches in a preseason poll. The only thing more difficult than telling the Valdez twins, Dane and Shane, apart is defeating them. Loc Pham of Irvine and Zac Tapia of San Clemente are two of the county’s best, most experienced wrestlers. Each was a State meet qualifier and a member of The Times’ all-county team.