By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
After coming close last year, the Gilroy Mustangs could become the first Central Coast Section team in 14 years to win a CIF state wrestling championship in 2009.
The Mustangs finished just 5.5 points behind champion Clovis (118.5-113) in the final standings while putting two champions on the gold medal pedestal. One of those champions, 171-pounder Hunter Collins, is gone, but 119-pounder Martin Gonzalez is back and he is considered the top recruit in California this year by W.I.N. Magazine.
Of course the usual suspects, Clovis, Poway, Buchanan and Clovis West, will also likely have a say in the final standings, but no team in the state has large number of returning placewinners, as Clovis did last year when it eventually placed seven at the 2008 meet.
That means a team with two or three high-quality wrestlers could capture the state title. Gilroy certainly has the qualifications. Besides Gonzalez, junior lightweight Jesse Delgado returns after placing third in last year’s 112-pound division. Delgado also captured first place in the 112-pound sophomore bracket at the National High School Wrestling Championships last March at Virginia Beach.
Joining Gonzalez and Delgado in the Mustang lineup are CCS placewinners Rodney Balajadia (130), Vincent Aboytes (145), and Luis Barragan (285). Aboytes and Barragan are both ranked No. 1 in the preseason CCS rankings.
In the Central Section, Clovis returns three placewinners from last year in Madison Gambrell (8th at 103), Clinton McAlester (8th at 112) and Tommy Burriel (8th at 171), however Buchanan may move ahead of the defending state champions as the team to beat in the Central Section this year.
The Bears lose state champions Andrew Balch (145) and Justin Arredondo (130), but they return Stephen West, who was third-place finisher at 160 pounds. Kyle Papendorf (285), Nathan Poteete (189), and Anthony Waters (130) all figure to be among the top three in their weight class in leading Buchanan to the top preseason ranking in the Central Section.
Three other Central Section teams who could finish in the top 10 at the state meet this year include Bakersfield, Selma and Clovis West. Bakersfield finished in 15th place last year and had just two placewinners, but 140-pounder Jonah Cruz and 152-pounder Bryce Hammond both start the season atop their class in the preseason Central Section rankings on The California Wrestler.
Selma has plenty of depth with 130-pounder Jose Mendoza ranked No. 1 and five other wrestlers ranked in the top three in their weight class. Clovis West, meanwhile, loses state 152-pound finalist James Cook, who transferred to Madera. However 103-pound finalist Zach Zimmer is back and he will likely start the season as the top 112-pounder in the state.
The Southern Section had just one team finish among the top 10 in the team standings at last year’s state meet with Temecula Valley coming in at No. 10. Part of the reason for the poor showing is the rugged qualifying that Southern Section teams have to endure, making it difficult to send more than a handful of qualifiers to the state meet.
Look for Calvary Chapel to move up from its 13th place finish from last year thanks to the return of sophomore standout Morgan McIntosh, who placed fifth as a freshman at 160 pounds. Taylor Warden, a fifth-place finisher at 189 pounds, also returns along with state qualifier William “Tank “ Knowles (215).
Other Southern Section individual wrestlers to keep an eye on include Steven Salinas of Northview (4th place, 112 pounds), Jonathan Urango, Camarillo (4th, 145), Patrick Martinez, Temecula Valley (6th, 160), Jose Lopez, John Glenn (5th, 285).
In the San Diego Section, Poway remains the favorite and this year the Titans have plenty of motivation. An e-mail to the San Diego Section commissioner’s office in late September signed by a host of San Diego Section coaches asked the CIF to look into possible recruiting violations by the Titans. Although not directly pointing a finger at long-time coach Wayne Branstetter, the coaches were instead concerned about the “sphere of influence” surrounding the program and its practices in recruiting athletes to the Poway program.
So far nothing has come from the allegations other than renewed enthusiasm by Branstetter and his team of Titans. Branstetter told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he was considering retirement at some point in the near future, but the claims by the other coaches has given him motivation for the upcoming season.
Branstetter has a pair of returning state placers in Henry Yorba (6th, 130) and Ian Daube (3rd, 171) with both wrestlers having a shot at winning a state title. Poway finished fourth at last year’s state meet with 106 points.
In the Sac-Joaquin Section, both Vacaville and Central Catholic figure to be down this season after losing some of the best wrestlers in their program’s history to graduation.
Three-time state champion Louis Bland is gone for the Raiders along with Steven Vasquez, a runnerup at 160 pounds, and Dominic Galas, a runnerup at 285 pounds. T.J. Belton returns (4th, 152) to the team along with strong group of underclassmen that should keep Central Catholic among the top teams in the Sac-Joaquin Section.
Vacaville, two years removed from a state championship, loses state champion Kody Klaus, but returns Taylor Hodel, who could be the state favorite at 145 pounds after finishing third last season. The Bulldogs also return three other wrestlers who placed at last year’s Sac-Joaquin Section masters – Adam Delagarza, Garrett Walton and Tyler Johnson.
One team to keep an eye on is Del Oro, which returns stalwarts Connor Morgan (130), Corey Johnson (135), Jesse Stafford (140) and Casey Schumacher (152).
Other Sac-Joaquin Section wrestlers to watch include state placewinners Fabian Garcia, Turlock (7th, 112), Cody Tow, Union Mine (6th, 119), Kyle West, Oak Ridge (2nd, 135), Vlad Dombroski (1st, 140), Jordan Williams of El Dorado (5th, 171), and Ryan Loder, Granite Bay (6th, 171).
The Northern Section figures to have several wrestlers battle for state crowns, including Quincy’s Cody Pack at 112 pounds and Modoc’s Josh Wood at 215. Pack missed last year’s state meet due to illness, but is a multi-state champion in freestyle wrestling and was ranked among the state’s best last year before falling ill. Wood, meanwhile, finished fourth at 215 pounds last year and is the top returning placewinner in the weight class.
The Northern Section team title is likely up for grabs with Red Bluff, the section champion three of the past four seasons, losing many of its top wrestlers from last year’s team. The Spartans should still be in the mix along with Chico and Sutter.
Other Northern Section wrestlers who could place at the state meet include Jesse James Hellinger of Winters (171), John Garcia of Sutter (171), Travis Gallegos of Foothill (152) and Kevin Maelfeyt of Trinity (135).
The North Coast Section won’t have any teams battling for the state team title, but it could provide a couple of state champs. Defending 112-pound champion David Klingsheim of Liberty is back for his senior year while Roger McCovey of Del Norte returns after winning the heavyweight championship. McCovey took third at heavyweight in the juniors bracket at the National High Schools championships last year as well.