Ventura Retains Its Potency : Prep wrestling: Three Southern Section qualifiers return for Cougars, who should vie for title in newly aligned Division I.

Four area wrestlers are listed among the top five in their respective weight divisions in the Southern Section coaches’ preseason individual rankings.

They are: Justin Jackson (135 pounds) and Matt Jones (140) of Ventura, Willie Arreola of Alemany (152) and Sean Burns of Agoura (171).

However, only three will be competing locally. Jones, a 3-A Division champion last season, recently moved to Utah. His departure further depletes the Cougars, who lost to graduation state finalists Scott Adams (189) and John Jimenez (119). Last season Ventura won its third consecutive Channel League title and claimed both the section’s team and dual-meet championships.

Still, Ventura, with three Southern Section qualifiers returning, should remain a force in the Southern Section’s newly aligned Division I, which will include the Marmonte (formerly 4-A) and Channel (formerly 3-A) leagues.

A look at the area’s top teams:

SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION I

Agoura: Senior Sean Burns, a two-time Marmonte League champion at 171 pounds, is ranked third in the Southern Section preseason poll, which includes wrestlers in all divisions.

Burns, a strong safety on the football team, battled knee and ankle injuries most of last season and did not wrestle until the final dual meet of the regular season. From there, Burns went 13-3 and finished third in the section finals. “I think he can really go far this year,” Coach Steve Smith said.

Smith said junior Chad Payne (119 pounds), a varsity returnee, and senior John Williams (189), a newcomer, are improving rapidly. Junior Dave Forman (160) joined the varsity late last season.

Camarillo--Ron Wilson, longtime coach at Oxnard, begins his first season at Camarillo, where he graduated in 1971. He inherits a team that was 2-9 in dual meets last season and finished seventh in the Marmonte League.

Senior McKay Barlow (140) and junior Richie Hergenreder (119) finished second in the league last season at 135 and 112 pounds. Darren Hatch, a running back on the football team, returns at 171 pounds. Senior Donny Lynch (135) returns. Freshman Wayne Hatch (112), Darren’s brother, has been impressive.

Channel Islands--A perennial power, the Raiders (23-4) last season missed winning a fifth consecutive Marmonte title by virtue of a three-point loss to eventual champion Thousand Oaks. The school’s junior varsity has won 12 consecutive league titles and has not lost a league meet since 1984.

The team’s best wrestler is senior Ray Estrada (103), a defending league champion who placed third in the Southern Section finals. “The way he’s wrestling right now, he’ll be a state placer,” Coach Rob Vieira said. Senior co-captains Chad Lewis (130) and Joe Chavoya (140) are returning league champions. Seniors Temo Ochoa (145) and Jerry Escoto (112), who is off to an 8-0 start, return. Junior Josh Brown (135) is a two-time junior varsity league champion. Junior Darrell Gwinn (103) also moves up from the junior varsity. Senior Cesar Puga (152), also a wide receiver and pitcher, might be the school’s best athlete.

Oxnard--Chuck Cordes, coach at Hueneme for the past five years, begins his first season at Oxnard, where he graduated in 1969.

Brothers Bobby, Mike and Gabe Roman will lead the Yellowjackets, who finished third in the Channel League last season behind Ventura and Dos Pueblos. Bobby (125), entering his fourth varsity season, finished second in the league. He placed sixth as a freshman in the 3-A finals. Mike (103) finished third in the league last season. Gabe (130) also is a varsity returnee. Senior Mario Corona (171) finished fifth in the section finals last season. “I’m looking for all four of these guys to win league,” Cordes said.

Rio Mesa--The traditionally strong Spartans (12-14) finished sixth in the Channel League last season and are coming off “our worst season ever,” eighth-year Coach Todd Stoke said. “We had no one place in the (Southern Section) finals.” Stoke said. “That’s unusual for us.”

Senior Joe Rodriguez (135) was 31-8-1 last season and finished second in the league. Senior heavyweight Jim Starr, an all-league offensive tackle, did not wrestle last season after finishing fourth in league as a sophomore. Junior Andy Ferrari (189) was 12-10 last season and senior Bill Seldeen (130) was 10-8. Sophomores Tom Nelford (160) and Randy Legaspi, return and are much improved, Stoke said.

Thousand Oaks--The Lancers surprised many observers last season by going 18-1 and winning their first Marmonte title in 30 years. However, gone is Southern Section 140-pound champion Jack Artman, now at Stanford. Artman was 38-0 last season before losing in the state final. With only two returnees, this season might be difficult.

Juniors Parry Wu (125), 21-12 last season, and Fred Birckheard (135), 14-12, finished third in the league. Junior Tim Bonebright (140) was 24-3 on last season’s junior varsity. Senior Keith Peters (189) is better than last season’s 9-14 varsity record indicates. “He won the big ones, but lost the ones he should have won,” Coach Larry Mortensen said.

Senior heavyweight Manfred Wagner, an all-league linebacker, has pinned five opponents in his first six matches this season.

Ventura--Despite the loss of Adams, Jimenez and Jones, many coaches figure Ventura to be among the area’s toughest teams. Coach Paul Clementi begins his 16th season and is in pursuit of a fourth consecutive Channel League title. A good group moves up from a junior varsity that was 16-0 and “could have beaten many varsity teams,” Clementi said.

Three returnees were Southern Section qualifiers last season. Senior Justin Jackson, 43-11 and league champion at 135 pounds, moves to 145. Senior Jason Carmody (135), a two-time league champion at 125 and 130 pounds, was 30-8. Both finished fifth in the section finals. Junior Ryan Atherton (112) was 25-17, qualified for the section finals as an alternate and placed sixth.

Seniors Joe Harper (160) and Chris Tumamait (152) also return. Senior Robert Wartenbe (140) qualified for the section finals as a sophomore but spent most of last season wrestling behind Jones. Middleweights Chris Karlowsky and Sean Burdick were junior varsity league champions.

SOUTHERN SECTION DIVISION IV

Alemany--Three league champions and three runners-up return for the Indians, who were 9-2 in dual meets and finished second in the Mission League last season.

Senior Willie Arreola (152) is ranked second in the Southern Section preseason poll after going 46-4 last season and winning a league title. Arreola finished second in the section finals and advanced to the second round of the state finals. Sophomore James Castenda was 32-4 and league champion last season at 103 pounds.

Junior Sal Castillo (135) was 24-6 and also a league champion. Senior Tim DeCourtes (145) and juniors Russell Ladwig (119) and Todd Johnson (130) all finished second in the league. “We have a lot back,” Coach Dennis Henderson said. Freshman Joey Guardado (112) is the best of a good group of newcomers, Henderson said.

Chaminade--The Eagles, third in the Mission League last season, have improved steadily during the three-year tenure of Coach Greg Behrens. Chaminade was 9-12 two years ago and 24-9 last season. “We have the best crop of freshmen I’ve had,” Behrens said. “I’ve never had a group so hungry.”

Senior Tom Hyung (145), who was 44-4 last season and finished fourth in the section finals, is among the area’s best middleweights. Hyung was eliminated in an overtime loss in last season’s semifinals. “He’ll be very strong,” Behrens said.

Junior Dave Rauser (119) was 18-12 last season and reached the third round of the section finals. Junior Albert Vaca (130) was 25-9 last season at 119 pounds. Senior Mher Filmardirossian (171), a three-year varsity member, was 34-5 last season.

Harvard-Westlake--Harvard wrestled to a fourth consecutive Mission League title last season, and a solid group of returnees make the Wolverines favorites to repeat. Seniors Cameron Riley (145), a two-time league champion at 130 pounds who was 23-5 last season, and Josh Minuto, 27-6 and the league’s defending heavyweight champion, finished fifth in the section finals.

Sophomore Brandon Roth (112) won the league championship as a freshman and narrowly missed qualifying for the 1-A finals. Senior Greg Brown (171) has finished second in the league the past three years and senior Tim Triche (160) finished second last season.

Quartz Hill--A longtime high-desert power, the Rebels have won the Golden League championship 18 of the past 19 years. Last season, Quartz Hill went 23-5, losing to Calvary Chapel in the 1-A individual finals and reaching the semifinals of the dual-meet tournament.

Juniors Jimmy Walker (130), who lost in the first round of the 1-A finals, and Brad Breckenridge (152) finished second in the league last season. Sophomore Jason Kamminga (145), a transfer from Arizona, is the son of Tony Kamminga, Quartz Hill’s first Southern Section champion in 1969. Junior Lee Hansen (140) was a junior varsity league champion last season. Talented newcomers include sophomore Brian Pereira (171) and junior heavyweight Chad Reed.

CITY SECTION

Birmingham--The Braves finished 0-6 in the Valley League last season, so Coach Peter Dhanes is looking for improvement. Clarence Williams (112 pounds), who enters his fourth varsity season, is the team’s best wrestler.

Senior Seth Tillmon (103) and junior Devin Tate (160) return. Seniors Mario Garcia (152) and Martin Alva are talented newcomers. Junior Scott Schwartz, another newcomer, is the team’s best heavyweight in years, according to Dhanes.

Canoga Park--The Hunters finished second in the City last season. Senior heavyweight Keith Jardine, who qualified for the state finals as a sophomore, was 25-1 last season, losing only to San Fernando’s Manuel Anaya in the City final in overtime. Junior Phil Duffield returns as the City 189-pound champion. Senior Rafael Palacios was the City 135-pound champion. “They’re my top guys,” Coach Rudy Lugo said.

Senior Derek Odama (140) finished fourth in the City last season and senior Mario Acosta (119) was a City finalist. Senior Terry Harsha (130) is another varsity returnee.

El Camino Real--Last season, the Conquistadores rewarded first-year Coach Terry Fischer by winning the Valley League title and claiming their fifth City title in the past seven years. This season, with only three seniors and injuries to several key wrestlers, the going should prove tougher. “It’s bleak,” Fischer said.

Senior David Duran (125) is a two-time City champion at 103 and 112 pounds. Junior Eduardo Nochez (130) finished second in the Valley League and third in the City last season. Junior Efrain Perez (189) placed fourth in the City at 171 pounds. Senior Josh Ziskind (135) sat out last season but took second in the City as a freshman at 98 pounds and third as a sophomore at 112. Freshman Nathan Burke (6-foot-2, 220 pounds), a transfer from Arkansas, is talented.

San Fernando--The Tigers finished fourth in the City finals last season after winning the title in 1991. Senior Ruben Martinez, who will wrestle at either 119 or 125, finished second in the City as a sophomore but did not qualify last season. Junior Joe Martinez was second in the City at 103 pounds.

Junior Ben Katz (125) finished third in the City at 112 last season and senior Paul Escalera (160) finished third in the Valley League. “We don’t have any outstanding individuals,” Coach Mike Castillo said. “But we have good overall strength.”