SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS : DIVISION I WRESTLING CHAMPIONSHIP : Calvary Chapel Keeps Rolling On

It wasn’t a question of whether Calvary Chapel would win the Division I Southern Section Dual Meet Championships Thursday night, but rather by how many points.

Like a rerun on Nickelodeon, where everyone knows the outcome, Calvary Chapel won yet another division title. And though the opponents are different--this time, Moreno Valley Canyon Springs--the outcome was inevitable.

Taking 10 of the 13 matches, the Eagles won handily, 44-10.

This was Calvary Chapel’s third consecutive dual-meet division championship. Last week, the Eagles powered through El Modena, the county’s fifth-ranked team, in the semifinals, 62-6.

Saturday, the Eagles (22-0), ranked first in the county and state and second in the nation, won their fourth consecutive Southern Section division title.

“I mean, what exactly can you do but try your best?” said Canyon Springs Coach Ray Rodi, whose Cougars last week defeated the county’s fourth-ranked team, Anaheim, 47-17, in the other semifinal. “We look at this match as a way to prepare for Masters this Saturday. And you can’t prepare better than wrestling the top team in the state.”

The Eagles still performed exceptionally despite their primary focus, too, being on the Masters Meet, which determines the State qualifiers.

“We are more concerned about Masters, which is a much more important meet,” Calvary Chapel Coach John Azevedo said. “But you don’t want to lose, and all the guys wanted to wrestle. Anyway, this meet was like a live practice. And we do need to practice.”

Tito Archuleta started the rout with a technical fall over Tony Molina at 105 pounds. And though Canyon Springs won the next two matches, the Eagles came back to win the next nine.

Josh Holiday (154 pounds), who hasn’t lost a match in two years with a record of 43-0, and Ed Mosley (162), both ranked first in the state, won their matches. Holiday recorded a technical fall over Nataka White, and Mosley pinned Mike Allbee in 49 seconds.

Joe Calavitta, who won the 127-pound Southern Section Division I championship, pinned Ruben Vasquez in 1:59.

One match, however, did provide some drama.

Matt Van Hook, who is the the county’s top-ranked 191-pounder, trailed Canyon Springs’ Ramon Vega in the third period. Van Hook was able to take down Vega to send the match into overtime. After both mixed it up for 1:45, Van Hook took down Vega again for the 12-10 victory.