SOUTHERN SECTION MASTERS WRESTLING MEET : Calvary Chapel, El Modena Excel

In the middle of the mass confusion called Masters, you couldn’t find anyone pressed for time more than Calvary Chapel’s John Azevedo and El Modena’s Alan Clinton.

Served them right. You qualify that many wrestlers into this tournament, you can expect to watch your fair share of matches.

And watch they did. Between them, the coaches saw their wrestlers square off 51 times throughout the day-long Southern Section Masters meet at Fountain Valley High on Saturday. More then once, Azevedo and Clinton would have to position themselves on the side of the mat so they could watch two matches simultaneously.

It was time well spent. Four-time section Division III team champion and defending State champion Calvary Chapel, which had qualified eight wrestlers for this meet, had four tournament winners and advanced all eight to the State championships Friday and Saturday in Stockton.

Joining Dane Valdez (125 pounds), who won his second consecutive meet title, were Calvary Chapel teammates Shane Valdez (119), Josh Holiday (145) and Ed Mosley (152). Freshman Joe Calavitta was second at 103, Mauricio Mora took third at 135 and Danny Robinson (140) and Matt Van Hook (171) finished sixth.

The Eagles outdid their 1993 output, when six wrestlers qualified for State.

“We wanted to get eight to state, and we did,” Azevedo said. “We would have liked to have Mora win, but overall, everyone wrestled real well.”

Division I team champion El Modena didn’t have such lofty numbers, but it was a successful day for the Vanguards. Like last season, El Modena qualified four wrestlers for State, but this season, the four qualifiers placed higher at Masters. Senior Juan Alvarez won the 135-pound division, Teak Sato was upset at 130 and took second. Defending Masters champion David Wells made it to the 140-pound final before he forfeited because of a bruised back, and Chris Jaime finished fifth at 145.

“The boys did a great job,” Clinton said. “We’ve been peaking this last month.”

Calvary Chapel and El Modena boasted the numbers, but other area athletes won championships or had finishes that will help their seeding for the State meet.

In the 130-pound final, Buena Park’s Vince Virgen was shocked when he upset Sato, the State runner-up in 1993, 12-8. Virgen has been wrestling at 135 all season but dropped down a weight at the league meet and has been undefeated in the new class since.

“I was so nervous,” Virgen said. “I knew what a good wrestler he was. I don’t know what happened. Something clicked.”

As it did with Canyon’s Darryl Christian, the section champion at 140. He added the Masters title to his resume when Wells forfeited.

Individual section champion Terry Tuzzolino of Capistrano Valley was the winner in the 171-pound class by forfeit.

Defending Masters champion Wali Sibrie of Buena Park finished third at heavyweight and Huntington Beach’s Eric Escobedo was third at 189. Santa Ana’s Ronald Hernandez (130) was third and Roger Santiago (103) was fourth.

Fifty-nine county wrestlers qualified for Masters, and more than half--31--advanced to State. At 130, 140 and 171 pounds, half the section’s eight representatives were from the county.