PREP WRESTLING / FIVE COUNTIES TOURNAMENT : Calvary Chapel Continues Its Domination

Calvary Chapel not only defended its title Saturday at the Five Counties wrestling tournament, but gave a vivid demonstration as to why it is the best team in the state.

Calvary Chapel (13-0), ranked first in the state and county and third in the nation by USA Today, scored 207 1/2 points, a comfortable 49 1/2 points ahead of second-place Poway.

The Eagles fell short of the record 214.5 points they set last year, but they still were able to take the lead early in the tournament by placing four wrestlers into the championship finals and consolations.

While Calvary Chapel had some expected victories, the Eagles also had some pleasant surprises in the lower weights, including Tino Archuleta taking third at 105 pounds, Burt Pierson (114), who took sixth place, and Phil Wozniak (132), who also finished sixth.

“Last year we placed six in the finals, but this year we were counting more on our consolation placements,” Calvary Coach John Azevedo said. “I’m really pleased with Pierson and Wozniak.”

Joe Calavitta, who is ranked fourth in the state and was Five Counties 103-pound champion last year, was the first to win a title for the Eagles after winning by injury default in the 127-pound match. His opponent, Luis Blanca of Canyon Springs, who is ranked third in state, had to forfeit the match because he had to have six stitches to his head after he was hit in an earlier semifinal match.

Josh Holiday continued his dominance, breezing through his 152-pound class, where he finally met Demetrio Duran of Poway in the finals and beat him, 25-9.

Mosley also won, but not as easily as Holiday, beating Lionel Halsey of Rancho Buena Vista, 10-5.

In the 173-pound match, Mike Aguirre of Calvary Chapel, who is ranked second in state, lost in the last 10 seconds of his match when Larry Silva of Grace Davis, who is ranked No. 1 in state, earned an escape.

Calvary Chapel’s 192-pounder Matt Van Hook did not wrestle because of a pulled hamstring.

Five Counties, which attracted the state’s top 14 teams, is seen by many wrestling coaches as probably the second-toughest tournament next to State championships.

“Now that this is over, we can start concentrating on division finals, Masters and State championships,” Azevedo said.

Though Calvary Chapel might have stolen the show, Laguna Hills, which finished 10th, certainly surprised many by placing three wrestlers in the consolation finals. Casey Elliott (154) took fourth, heavyweight Mark Zolikoff took fourth and Mike Greco was fifth at 147.

Justin Meier of Irvine beat Wozniak of Calvary Chapel, 8-5, to take fifth at 132 pounds.