Orange Country wrestling season-opening top 10.
O.C. TOP 10
1. Esperanza: The Aztecs probably have the deepest roster in Orange County wrestling. Sophomore Aaron Nagao is ranked No. 2 in the state at 113 pounds.
2. Calvary Chapel: Dane Valdez returned to his alma mater to coach the team after some offseason coaching upheaval in the program. Valdez has some good ones to mentor, including Luciano Arroyo (126 pounds) who finished No. 3 at the state meet last season at 120.
3. Servite: The Friars have an experienced group returning. Sophomore Josh Medina (126) and junior Teddy Okada (138) were Trinity League champions last season.
4. Irvine: Six CIF-SS Masters qualifiers return for the Vaqueros. including two-time Pacific Coast League champions Zeke Alleman (182) and Nuri Ozer (170).
5. Trabuco Hills: The Mustangs might not have the depth of the top four teams in the county but they have high-quality returnees like Trey Munoz (138) who finished second in the CIF-SS Finals last year.
6. Santa Ana: It looks like another strong season for the Saints who bring back Joey Daniel (220), a CIF-SS champion last season and state qualifier Jose Mata (113).
7. Laguna Hills: The Hawks might not have the two or three individual standouts that some teams have, but they do have depth and a couple of wrestlers to watch like Steve Kroesnen (120).
8. Aliso Niguel: The Wolverines’ roster has 13 wrestlers who already have at least three seasons of varsity experience, including senior Chris Le (113) who was fourth in the CIF-SS Finals last year.
9. Capistrano Valley: Senior Gerardo Hernandez (182) was third in the CIF-SS championships last season and is ranked No. 4 in the state this season, and senior Randy Arriaga (285) will contribute points.
10. Villa Park: The Spartans will be a team to watch in county and CIF-SS action. Senior Christian Sorrell (120) and sophomore Joaquin Garcia (152) will lead the way.
Others considered: Canyon, Cypress, Edison, Fountain Valley, Yorba Linda.