Five Counties Features Top Trio, Bakersfield

Jeff Bristol of Temecula Valley, Joe Williams of Santa Ana Calvary Chapel and Arturo Basulto of Arroyo Grande are the top-seeded wrestlers in their weight classes for the Five Counties championships, which begin today at Fountain Valley High.

Bristol, who wrestles at 140 pounds, won the Reno Tournament of Champions last month. Williams, the top-ranked wrestler in the state at 171 pounds, is returning from a shoulder injury. Basulto, a heavyweight, was runner-up at Five Counties last year.

Bakersfield, widely considered the favorite for a state title, has five top-seeded wrestlers and is favored for the team title. Bakersfield has wrestlers seeded in 10 of the 14 weight classes.

The tournament begins at 1 p.m. today and resumes at 9 a.m. Saturday, with the finals scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Five Counties tournament, with most of the top teams in California represented, is among the most prestigious tournaments in the nation and offers a preview of the state championships, though many Southland coaches view it as more important than the state tournament.

“I don’t know if it’s tougher than state, but it’s a better indication of your team strength,” said Arnold Alpert, coach at Temecula Valley.

The biggest difference between Five Counties and the state tournament is that Five Counties has a 64-man bracket instead of a 32-man bracket.

“At state, a lot of the guys are eliminated in their section championships,” Villa Park Coach Steve Stewart said. “You have to travel a much tougher road to win at Five Counties.”

Peter Yoon