SOUTHERN SECTION WRESTLING : Calvary Chapel, El Modena Attempt to Add to Their Collection of Titles

Calvary Chapel and El Modena, two wrestling teams on a roll, will attempt to pick up their second Southern Section championships in six days tonight.

The Division I and III dual meet wrestling finals will be contested at El Modena and Calvary Chapel, on the heels of the Vanguards’ and Eagles’ titles in the individual championships Saturday. It was the fourth consecutive team title for Calvary Chapel and the first for El Modena, the top two teams in the county all season.

Century League champion El Modena, which finished second in the individual meet and dual Division I championships last year, will meet Channel League champion Ventura, runner-up to the Vanguards at Saturday’s meet.

Last year, before losing to Indio in the final, El Modena defeated Ventura, 39-18, in the dual quarterfinals.

Ventura, strongest at the lighter and heavier weights, has an individual champion in heavyweight Sean Burdick, and a runner-up in Ryan Atherton at 103 pounds.

El Modena is packed with talent in the middle classes. Teak Sato (130) and Juan Alvarez (135) won championships and David Wells (140) was a finalist. At 140, the match between Wells and Ventura’s Chris Karlowsky should be a highlight of the meet.

Laguna Hills, recent winner of its seventh consecutive Pacific Coast League title, meets defending State champion Calvary Chapel. The Eagles’ feature five two-time Division III section champions in Shane Valdez, Dane Valdez, Mauricio Mor, Josh Holiday and Ed Mosely and runner-ups Joe Calavitta, Danny Robinson and Matt Van Hook.