Four locals win titles at CIF Southern Division finals

Fountain Valley High’s wrestling program expects excellence.

The Barons, winners of seven consecutive Sunset League dual meet crowns, regularly decline their invitation to the CIF Dual Championships.

That’s because Fountain Valley turns its focus to the individual CIF postseason. It has been the view of Barons coach Brad Woodbury that it is imprudent to risk injury when several of his wrestlers are looking to make a run to the state championship meet.

Fountain Valley turned up at the CIF Southern Section Southern Division Wrestling Championships with a pair of top-seeded wrestlers, and both delivered with individual titles at Brea Olinda High on Saturday.

Senior 160-pounder Trenton Ching and freshman 145-pounder Max Wilner won their weight classes.

Ching (four pins, one decision) threw his hands up in celebration when the referee slapped the mat to indicate that he had pinned Oxnard Pacifica’s Tim Brown in the second period of his final.

“It’s one of the most satisfying days of my life because you go to practice almost every day,” Ching said. “We wake up at 5:30, go to practice after school, lifting after that. I’m just so happy.”

Ching had never extended his season past the CIF finals and into the Masters meet. In order to advance, wrestlers must finish in the top five of their weight class.

Wilner (three pins, one major, one decision) was a well-known wrestler before he arrived in high school. Some in attendance said they had watched him wrestle since he was 8 years old, so it came as no surprise that the Barons freshman was up to the task at the section finals.

In the 145 final, Wilner scored a narrow 7-6 decision over Marina’s John McCoy. It was Wilner’s fifth win of the season over McCoy, who finished as the runner-up in his weight class for the second straight year.

“I want to thank John, personally,” Wilner said. “He pushed me the hardest out of anyone this year, five times. Congratulations to him.”

There were 18 locals alive for the second day of the tournament, with Fountain Valley supplying half of the area’s remaining competitors.

Freshman Dylan Zotea (126) took third and senior Jacob Taub (170) placed fifth to advance to Masters, which will be held Friday and Saturday at Temecula Valley High.

Edison served as the greatest challenge in league for Fountain Valley this season. A big reason was the arrival of senior transfers Jared Williams and Elijah Palacio.

Williams (three technical falls, one pin) was stingy with points allowed, and he scored at will. The eighth-ranked 152-pounder in the state never doubted his ability to get through the draw.

“All the kids knew that I was better than them,” Williams said. “The other kids were tough to keep on their backs so I decided to take the tech [fall].”

Palacio, ranked fourth in the state for 132-pounders, earned his third section title of his career in defeating Moreno Valley Canyon Springs’ Aaron Diaz 5-2.

The Chargers senior, who transferred from Calvary Chapel, said that he was proud of the way the Sunset League represented at CIF.

“I’m really proud of them,” Palacio said. “I feel like we represented the Sunset League really well. I know that this is just one tournament, but I feel like we can represent really well at the state meet.”

Marina heavyweight Danny Escamilla placed fifth to join McCoy as a Masters qualifier.

CIF Southern Section Southern Division Wrestling Championships

At Brea Olinda High

Top five advance to Masters (Top six in the 113, 145, 170, 220 weight classes)

106

Final – Alvarez (Victor Valley) pins Saucedo (Riverside Poly), 1:20.

Third-place match – Ulloa (Canyon Springs) dec. Hernandez (Villa Park), 8-1.

Fifth-place match – Mirzaei (Torrance) pins Grajeda (El Dorado), 4:49.

Seventh-place match – Salas (Brea Olinda) dec. Silva (Rio Mesa), 10-7.

113

Final – Nagao (Esperanza) pins Yamasaki (Dos Pueblos), 0:46.

Third-place match – Aholelei (Yorba Linda) dec. Lomeli (Oxnard Pacifica), 8-1.

Fifth-place match – Corkins (West Torrance) dec. Diaz (Hueneme), 8-7.

Seventh-place match – Hallili (Brea Olinda) dec. M. McCoy (Marina), 6-4.

120

Final – Holiday (Esperanza) dec. Uyesaka (Dos Pueblos), 8-6.

Third-place match – Sorrell (Villa Park) def. Molina (Canyon Springs)

Fifth-place match – Rodriguez (Oxnard Pacifica) dec. Guevara (Brea Olinda), 5-0.

Seventh-place match – Barry (South Torrance) dec. Valenzuela (Victor Valley), 11-7.

126

Final – Gould (Esperanza) dec. Ramirez (Barstow), 9-2.

Third-place match – Zotea (Fountain Valley) pins Gutierrez (Buena), 4:35.

Fifth-place match – Luna (Victor Valley) pins Lopez (Villa Park), 0:29.

Seventh-place match – Hernandez (Rio Mesa) dec. Robles (Valley View), 5-1.

132

Final – Palacio (Edison) dec. Diaz (Canyon Springs), 5-2.

Third-place match – Pimentel (Rancho Verde) pins Bracamontes (Villa Park), 4:28.

Fifth-place match – Velasquez (Victor Valley) dec. Coronado (Dos Pueblos), 5-3.

Seventh-place match – Gomez (Yorba Linda) pins Lee (South Torrance), 3:30.

138

Final – Combado (Victor Valley) pins Sparks (El Dorado), 1:27.

Third-place match – Yamasaki (Dos Pueblos) dec. Kowelewski (Los Alamitos), 6-5.

Fifth-place match – Barajas (Rio Mesa) dec. Jones (Silverado), 6-2.

Seventh-place match – McDonald (Esperanza) maj. Fedrick (Yorba Linda), 14-5.

145

Final – Wilner (Fountain Valley) dec. J. McCoy (Marina), 7-6.

Third-place match – Moore (Lawndale) maj. Lussier (Victor Valley), 9-0.

Fifth-place match – Geiger (Riverside Poly) dec. Loseman (Yorba Linda), 6-1.

Seventh-place match – Perales (Canyon Springs) dec. Rodriguez (Moreno Valley), 7-0.

152

Final – Williams (Edison) maj. Lee (Dos Pueblos), 17-1.

Third-place match – Gaunt (West Torrance) pins O’Neal (Barstow).

Fifth-place match – Garcia (Villa Park) dec. Carter (Victor Valley), 9-8.

Seventh-place match – Wyrick (South Torrance) def. Leon (Pacific).

160

Final – T. Ching (Fountain Valley) pins Brown (Oxnard Pacifica), 3:11.

Third-place match – Bello (Dos Pueblos) dec. Trellez (Villa Park), 9-3.

Fifth-place match – Ochoa (Rio Mesa) dec. Easley (Webb), 5-0.

Seventh-place match – Martinez (North Torrance) def. Arenas (Rubidoux).

170

Final – Good (Esperanza) decision Ramirez (Oxnard Pacifica), 8-6.

Third-place match – Jordan (Pacific) dec. Huynh (Brea Olinda), 3-1.

Fifth-place match – Taub (Fountain Valley) pins Salmeron (Villa Park), 4:46.

Seventh-place match – Ko (Yorba Linda) dec. Manos (Big Bear), 7-4.

182

Final – Yamasaki (Dos Pueblos) dec. Perasadko (Esperanza), 7-5.

Third-place match – Ramos (Ventura) def. Banks (Canyon).

Fifth-place match – Allen (Rio Mesa) maj. Damschen (Fountain Valley), 12-0.

Seventh-place match – Stich (Riverside Poly) dec. Diaz (Banning), 7-6.

195

Final – Carrunza (Victor Valley) pins Bisping (Canyon), 5:35.

Third-place match – Jakubek (Excelsior) pins Hererra (Santa Barbara), 1:38.

Fifth-place match – Ceja (Banning) dec. Jimenez (Esperanza), 4-2.

Seventh-place match – Osumi (Newport Harbor) dec. Damschen (El Dorado), 2-1

220

Final – Ruiz (Villa Park) dec. Hamilton (Esperanza), 8-4.

Third-place match – Turner (El Modena) dec. Islas (Hueneme), 4-2.

Fifth-place match – Murray (Los Alamitos) pins Wagner (Silverado), 0:57.

Seventh-place match – Milan (Yorba Linda) dec. Briones (Riverside Poly), 2-1.

285

Final – Tarango (Canyon) dec. DaCosta (Torrance), 3-1.

Third-place match – Fahina (Lawndale) dec. Palomarez (South Torrance), 6-3.

Fifth-place match – Escamilla (Marina) inj. def. Awad (Canyon Springs).

Seventh-place match – Martinez (Los Alamitos) dec. Arcos (El Modena), 2-1.

andrew.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @ProfessorTurner