PREP WRESTLING ‘93-’94: SEASON PREVIEW : Hard Work Has Put Capistrano Valley Seniors on Top

The conversation starts with Terry Tuzzolino. It was one of the rare moments he would get a word in edgewise.

It’s near dusk in the weight room on the Capistrano Valley High campus. Cougar teammates Tuzzolino and Alec Laidlaw, sweaty and tired from a long practice, have gathered to discuss how they stumbled into this thing called wrestling.

“I always thought I wanted to play football,” Tuzzolino said. “After my sophomore year, I had nothing else to do when football ended, so I started wrestling. The coaches said I should wrestle to keep in shape in the off-season.”

Laidlaw, whose family tree includes uncle Scott Laidlaw, a running back for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1970s, shoots his buddy a surprised glance.

They fell into the sport by falling for the same line, and the similarities in their athletic progression follow suit.

Seniors Tuzzolino and Laidlaw help form the backbone of the Capistrano Valley wrestling team, which tied San Clemente for the South Coast League title last year--the Cougars finished the season ranked 10th in the county. Capistrano Valley is considered by many to be a contender come Southern Section tournament time, and if everything falls together as planned, for State championships in March.

In many ways, their wrestling resumes are identical. They’re football players--running backs--who were reluctant wrestlers until early success shifted their loyalties. Before Laidlaw dropped a weight class, both wrestled in the same division. Both have natural talent for the sport.

They’re hard workers. They’re driven. They’re fierce competitors.

And both got their first big break last year in the Orange Glen tournament in Escondido.

“They both made the final,” Cougar Coach Joe Zeller said. “It helped their confidence. From then on, their expectations were greater.”

Both went on to become individual league champions, Tuzzolino at 171 pounds and Laidlaw at 160. Currently, Laidlaw is the top-ranked wrestler in his class, Tuzzolino is second ranked in his.

Everything points in the direction of a successful 1993-94 season, and Zeller is convinced good things will happen.

“They both should do well in CIF and qualify for the State tournament,” he said.

Last year, Laidlaw’s season ended after Tuzzolino’s, who was fourth in the section and sixth in Masters. Laidlaw was beaten by two-time section champion Eric Escobedo of Huntington Beach at the section meet, where he finished sixth and failed to advance to Masters or State.

“I was so mad,” Laidlaw said. “This year, I have to make up for what I didn’t get last year.”

Tuzzolino, who was affected by his friend’s failure to qualify beyond the section meet, would agree.

“When he lost, it brought me down,” he said.

It wasn’t the first time. In 1991, Tuzzolino and Laidlaw met in the finals of a freestyle tournament in San Diego County, when Laidlaw was attending Ramona High. Laidlaw, yapping from start to finish, defeated Tuzzolino.

“I let him win,” Tuzzolino said with a laugh. “I couldn’t believe it, he talked the whole time.”

In the end, Laidlaw got the victory; Tuzzolino a new friend. The wrestlers stayed in contact after the tournament, and when Laidlaw’s father transferred to Orange County, the Laidlaw family moved so Alec could attend Capistrano Valley.

Since their San Diego County showdown, Laidlaw would consistently lose to Tuzzolino in intrasquad wrestle-offs. To stay a starter, Laidlaw dropped a weight class.

Backgrounds aside, Tuzzolino and Laidlaw are on opposite ends of the earth when it comes to wrestling styles and personality traits.

Tuzzolino is strong as an ox, Laidlaw is crafty as a cheetah.

“Terry’s strong, he pushes people around,” Laidlaw said. “I’m more on the defensive side.”

Yet Laidlaw has the more forceful personality. Tuzzolino is quiet and reserved, in contrast to Laidlaw being the team jester.

Over the summer, they were the only Cougars to attend one of Dan Gable’s two-week wrestling camps in Iowa, a grueling but rewarding experience. They learned technique, they learned the importance of conditioning, but most of all, they learned to never say never.

Said Laidlaw: “Your mind gets tired faster than your body. No matter how tired you are, your mind has to tell your body you can do it.”

Wrestling at a Glance

Top wrestlers: Darin Beard, Sunny Hills, Sr., 189; Bob Celmer, Brea-Olinda, Sr., 189; Josh Cramer, Sunny Hills, Sr., 145; Ahid Diab, Los Amigos, Sr., 119; Eric Escobedo, Huntington Beach, Sr., 160; Jerome Espinoza, Kennedy, Sr., 130; Aaron Greco, San Clemente, Jr., 145; Rich Harvey, El Dorado, Sr., 112; Rob Harvey, El Dorado, Sr., 103; Mike Jarrett, Sunny Hills, Sr., 119; Mike Lee, Sunny Hills, Sr., 140; Lambert Lo, Irvine, Sr. 135; Broc Loza, Trabuco Hills, Sr., 171; Lance McBride, Brea-Olinda, Jr., 119; Steve Martinez, Garden Grove, Jr., 145; Justin Meier, Irvine, Jr., 135; Bryan Neal, Savanna, Jr., 145; Dylan Newman, San Clemente, Sr., 160; Tim Nienstedt, Trabuco Hills, Sr., 160; Brian Olsen, Brea-Olinda, Sr., 135; John Pickens, Ocean View, Sr., 152; Teak Sato, Savanna, Sr., 125; Wali Sibrie, Buena Park, Sr., Hwt.; Loi Vo, Brea-Olinda, Sr., 145; Andy Von der Ahe, Santa Margarita, Jr., 135.

League favorites: Century: El Modena; Empire: El Dorado; Freeway: Sunny Hills; Garden Grove: Kennedy; Olympic: Calvary Chapel; Orange: Brea-Olinda; Pacific Coast: Laguna Hills; Sea View: University; South Coast: Capistrano Valley; Sunset: Santa Ana.

1992 final poll: 1. Calvary Chapel; 2. El Modena; 3. Savanna; 4. Irvine; 5. San Clemente; 6. Santa Ana; 7. El Dorado; 8. Canyon; 9. University; 10. Capistrano Valley.

1993 preseason poll: 1. Calvary Chapel; 2. El Modena; 3. Laguna Hills; 4. Capistrano Valley; 5. Santa Ana; 6. Canyon; 7. Irvine; 8. Savanna; 9. University; 10. Brea-Olinda.

Key dates: Five Counties Invitational, Jan. 14-15 at Fountain Valley; Orange County Holiday Classic, Dec. 21-22 at University; CIF preliminaries and finals, Feb. 18-19 at Downey; CIF Masters meet, Feb. 26 at Fountain Valley; State meet, March 4-5 at Stockton.

Notes: Brotherly love sprinkled at Calvary Chapel, El Dorado, Kennedy, Laguna Hills and Sunny Hills, which feature twins, and siblings Tung, Toan and Tai Nguyen (brother Johnny is a sixth grader) at Troy. . . . Orange Lutheran Coach Craig Swanson has 186 career victories. . . . Mission Viejo, 0-15 in 1991-92 and 20-8-1 last season, looks improved. . . . Brea-Olinda has 12 returning starters off a team that qualified 11 for the section meet and outpointed Orange League champion Savanna in its league meet. . . . Garden Grove, league champions in ’89 and ‘90, struggled from ‘91-93, but appears strong with 12 returners. . . . Loara senior Ken Smith (130) is the drum major for the Saxon band. . . . San Clemente assistant John Owens’ 32 years of coaching--17 as the Tritons’ head--spans the junior high, high school and college levels; as a guard, he started a prison program.