San Ramon Dad
06-19-2012, 05:06 PM
These are my thoughts on how NCS might shape up. The numbers in the brackets are the weights that each of the wrestlers competed at last season at NCS. Feel free to send me an email about any weight predictions or wrestlers that should get attention but were either left out or were under-ranked. Again, sorry if I overlooked someone who should be on the list. I try my best but recognize that some times wrestlers don't get the attention they deserve.
106
Perez Perez - Windsor [106], Jr.
Joey Vigil - Heritage [106], Sr.
Aaron Cortez - Livermore [106], Jr.
Erik Arango – Rancho Cotate [106], Sr.
Tommy Barrera – Amador Valley [106], Jr.
Edward Bond – De la Salle [N/A], Jr.
Josh McKnight – Hoopa Valley [106], So.
Darrin Nguyen – San Leandro [106] Jr.
Of course it is unclear at this point which of the many tough wrestlers that I rank at 106s will actually make this weight. However, assuming each of these wrestlers do make it, we are in for a solid 106 pound weight class in the NCS. Leading the anticipated charge in my opinion is the very solid Perez of Windsor. This kid is very talented. Although he went into the NCS tournament last year seeded 7th, he rose to the occasion and placed 3rd, and at the time defeated the then numbers 2, 5 and 6 seeds in the process. He also went a very impressive 37-9 on the season. On top of that success, he took 3rd a Cadet Folkstyle state, 3rd at junior folkstyle state, 3rd at cadet freestyle and 5th at junior freestyle state. Assuming Lyle stays up above this weight (which I believe is a strong likelihood), Perez is the obvious number 1 ranked wrestler at this weight. At number 2 is Heritage’s Joey Vigil. Vigil took 4th at NCS last year, where he lost an extremely tight overtime match (12-10) to Perez in the consolation finals. He was also 31-11 for the season. In addition, Vigil placed 8th at NCS his sophomore year. I believe he is a solid 2nd in the rankings. After the top two spots, the weight class opens up a bit. In the third spot is Livermore’s Aaron Cortez. He went 4-2 at NCS last year (where his only losses were to the 2nd and 3rd seeds), went 28-11 on the year, took 2nd at Puma, and missed taking home a NCS medal by one match (losing to the then defending NCS champion to get into the medal round). In the 4th spot is Rancho Cotate’s Erik Arango. He went 26-15 on the year, 2-2 at NCS and suffered a close lose to my 3rd ranked wrestler, Cortez, in the process. I would suspect we see a lot out of him this coming year. Coming in the fifth spot is Amador Valley’s Barrera. Although he struggled a bit at NCS last year (only going 2-2) he faced some tough opponents in that tournament. However, he had some other successes, including winning last year’s TriValley Cup Tournament. Entering the rankings this year is DLS’s Edward Bond. He had a tough time breaking his school’s solid lineup last year as he was behind his school’s Conte, who happened to have earned a 6th at NCS. However, Bond is very accomplished in his own right, having taken 2nd at both state junior and cadet freestyle. He is likely to do very well this season. Earning a 7th spot is Hoppa Valley’s Josh McKnight. He started the season last year strong, which including winning Del Norte’s Battle of the Border tournament, Eureka’s North Coast Classic, taking 3rd at McKinleyville, 4th at Puma, and 3rd at Fort Bragg at this weight. On the season, he went a very solid 28-8. He certainly therefore deserves some attention. In the 8th spot, I see San Leandro’s Darren Nguyen. Although he struggled a bit at NCS last year, running into some tough opponents, he nevertheless went 22-11 on the season. I would suspect he draws some serious attention this year.
113:
Devon Lyle - Liberty [106], Jr.
David Conte - De La Salle [106], Jr.
Brian Guerrero - Rancho Cotate [113], Jr.
Michael McDaniel - Monte Vista [106], Jr.
Cody Teifel - College Park [113], Sr.
Noah Au-Yeung - Windsor [113], So.
Tony Lopez - Upper Lake [106], Jr.
Austin Doleys - Dublin [113], Jr.
The clear number 1 at this weight is Liberty’s Devon Lyle. Last year, he had an extremely impressive season. He took 2nd in NCS and qualified (but lost the battle of the scale and did not actually compete at) state. Lyle also took 7th place at NCS as a freshman. He went a very strong 29-7 on the season last year. On top of that success, he won last year’s Lou Bronzan tournament, took 6th at Tim Brown, placed 7th at the Sierra Nevada Classic tournament and missed placing at the very tough Doc Buchanan by a single win. If he certifies for this weight, which could be a push for him, he should be ranked well in the state. In the 2nd spot is DLS’s David Conte. Conte came on strong last year, taking home the 6th place medal at 106s at NCS and going 25-12 on the season, a record which was earned while competing at some of the tougher tournaments in the state. This year, he also took 5th at California cadet freestyle 126. I would suspect he is also well regarded in the initial state rankings. Another very accomplished wrestler is Rancho Cotate’s Brian Guerrero, who I see as 3rd in the NCS. Last year he placed 7th in the section at this weight and had a very solid record of 30-5. This year he placed 4th at cadet folkstyle state and 7th at cadet freestyle state, both at 113s. He should clearly be in the running for a high showing this year. In the 4th spot is the very solid Michael McDaniel out of Monte Vista. He missed medaling at NCS last year by 2 wins, but he finished the season going a very strong 28-13. In addition, this year he has placed 4th at the state freestyle tournament. I would suspect he turns things on this year and challenges for a trip to Bakersfield. In the 5th spot is College Park’s Cody Teifel. He also missed placing in section last year by a single win and finished the year with a solid 22-22 record. I think he has a strong chance of earning a high NCS medal this year. Another very impressive wrestler is Windsor’s Au-Yeung. He went 33-13 for the season last year and went 3-2 at NCS last year. On top of that, he placed 8th at cadet folkstyle state. In the 7th spot is Upper Lake’s Tony Lopez. He went 3-2 at NCS at 106s and finished the season with a impressive record of 40-11. I am confident he will be in the thick of the hunt for a medal this year at NCS. In the 8th spot is Dublin’s Austin Doleys who went 3-2 at NCS last year at this weight (where his only losses were to the champion and the wrestler that finished 7th) and went 20-9 on the season.
120:
Nate Cervantez – De la Salle [113], So.
Jacob Macalolooy - James Logan [113], Jr.
Johnny Zanarini - Liberty [113], Jr.
Giordi Serrafini - Sonoma [113], Sr.
Evan Bluestone - Maria Carillo, [120], Jr.
Drew Esquivel - Healdsburg [113] Sr.
Michael Klee - Cardinal Newman 10th [NA], So.
Jesus Moreno - Eureka [113], Jr.
For just being a sophomore, DLS’s Cervantez has already established himself as a top wrestler in our section. After starting last year at 132 pounds, where he saw a lot of success, he dropped down to 113 for the post season. At that weight, he won the section, went 2-2 at state and finished the season with a record of 35-12. On top of that he just recently placed 3rd at California state cadet freestyle at 132 pounds. If he can make this weight, I see him as the clear top choice in the rankings. Coming in the second spot is James Logan’s Jacob Macalolooy. This is another very talented kid. He placed 3rd last year at 113 pounds at NCS (where his only loss was a tight 8-6 one to Cervantez in the semi-finals) and placed 5th the year before. Last year he also went 2-2 at state (where his only losses were to wrestlers that finished 1st and 4th) and finished the season with a 40-15 record. On top of that, he recently placed 4th at California Junior Freestyle State. In the third spot is Liberty’s John Zanarini. This is another very accomplished wrestler who placed 6th at 113s last year at NCS and amassed a record of 33-18. However, at NCS Zanarini did suffer a pin to Macalolooy, so he must be ranked below him. In the fourth spot is Sonoma’s Giordi Serafini. He placed 8th at NCS last year at 113 pounds and ended the season with a solid 31-17 record. Zanarini and Serrafini had a battle royale last year at NCS. But Zanarini won that match 8-6 in overtime, so he must be ranked ahead of Serrafini. But that could be a solid rematch should they meet again. And because they are ranked 3rd and 4th, and because NCS now only send three wrestlers to state, that could be a rematch with a lot of excitement if my rankings are correct. In the 5th spot is a rising star from Maria Carrillo, junior Evan Bluestone. He failed to place at NCS last year, but that is in part due to the fact that he had a tough draw (his only losses were to the wrestlers that placed 3rd and 7th). He nevertheless finished the season with a very solid record of 37-11. He also recently placed 4th at both the California cadet Folkstyle and Freestyle tournaments. I would suspect that he gains a lot of attention this year and works his way up the NCS award podium. In the 6th spot is Healdsburg’s Drew Esquivel. He finished the season last year with a 29-10 record and missed medaling by a single win. In fact his only losses at NCS last year were to the wrestlers that finished 3rd and 5tt. So he should do well this year. Cardinal Newman’s Michael Klee comes from an extremely tough family of wrestlers. His brother, Paul Klee, who wrestles for Blair Academy, has been winning national tournaments for years. Last year, Michael suffered some injuries that caused some setbacks. But since then he has made some progress, including placing 6th at California freestyle state. I strongly suspect that he makes a strong name for himself this year and challenges for some NCS hardware. Rounding out the top 8 is Eureka’s Jesus Moreno, who went 4-2 at NCS last year, missed medaling by one match, and went 31-5 on the year.
126:
Tommy Yozzo - Amador Valley [113], Jr.
Jacob Donato – James Logan [120], Jr.
Rickey Coster - Freedom [120], Jr.
Logan Fore - Windsor [120], Sr.
Andrew Cervantez – De la Salle [NA], Fr.
Kai Caindec - Terra Linda [120], Sr.
Sam Denning - Sonoma [120], Sr.
Diego Lazarez - Castro Valley [120], Jr.
This weight class, in my opinion, has traditionally been one of the tougher weights in the NCS. This year is no exception. There are several top caliber wrestlers likely to competing for top honors at this weight this coming season. Top at this weight is Amador Valley’s Tommy Yozzo. This kid started to turn heads his freshman year and has just been getting better as time went by. He placed 7th at NCS as a freshman and placed 2nd last year at 113s. In the finals last year, he lost a tight 6-4 match to the eventual champion Cervantez. However, in fairness, it is worth mentioning that Yozzo also pinned Cervantez the week before when the two met in their league finals. Yozzo went 4-2 at state (where he even had a close 6-4 loss to the wrestler that placed 7th in state) and went on to a 35-11 record on the season. As if that were not enough reason to rank him first in the section, he also recently was crowned champion at the California state freestyle championships. I would suspect that he will be highly named in the state rankings when they come out and frankly, a challenger will have to be on top of his game to keep Yozzo from being crowned NCS champion this year. If there is any wrestler that could stop Yozzo from winning sections, I would guess it would be James Logan’s Jacob Donato. Donato also has a great pedigree about him. Last year he placed 4th in a very loaded weight class (120) and went 39-15 on the year. On top of that, he won the California cadet freestyle state tournament at 126 pounds. In the third spot is Freedom’s Rickey Coster. He went 30-9 on the year, placed 5th last year at 120 at NCS and placed 3rd his freshman year. In addition, Coster was a NHSCA All-American and was ranked in the top 20 throughout the season in last year’s state rankings (I would also suspect he again catches the state ranker’s eyes this year). I think he therefore clearly deserves to be at least 3rd in the NCS rankings. I would further note that at NCS last year, Coster actually secured a win (7-2) over Donato in the quarterfinals and thus there is a strong argument that Coster should be ranked above Donato. However, as Donato qualified for state last year and Coster did not I will give Donato the higher rankings for now, but that could change. In the fourth spot is Windsor’s Logan Fore. He placed 6th at NCS last year and had a season record of 24-3. In addition, he placed 8th at NCS his sophomore year. On top of that success, he recently took home the 6th place medal at the California state folkstyle tournament. He will surely be in the running this year for some impressive hardware. In the 5th spot is freshman stud, Andrew Cervantez of De la Salle. This is the younger brother of Nate Cervantez who I rank 1st at 120s and who won sections last year. The younger Cervantez is a multi-time Triple Crown winner and has been looking solid for years in the freestyle circuits. Expect to see a lot out of him this coming season. In the sixth spot I see Terra Linda’s Kai Caindec. This kid is also very good. Although he only went 2-2 at NCS last year, his only losses were to past NCS medalists. In addition, he had a solid season last year that included going 35-9 on the year and medaling at several regular season tournaments. In the 7th spot is Sonoma’s Sam Denning, who last year went 35-13 on the season, 3-2 at NCS and also took home several regular season medals. In the eighth spot is Castro Valley’s Diego Lazarez, who went 28-17 on the year and also saw a lot of regular season success.
132:
Austin Solari - Liberty [126], Sr.
Artemio Flores – James Logan [126], Sr.
Seth Trunick – Windsor [126], Jr.
Alex Dornfest - Mission San Jose [126], Sr.
Westley Hart – De la Salle [NA], So.
Pat McCormick - Cardinal Newman [126], Sr.
Nathan Benton - Mt. Diablo [126], Sr.
Brandon Rodenberger - El Molino [126], Sr.
This is a weight class that has both well known kids with a lot of success to their names as well as kids who are likely to earn recognition brand new this year. Leading the charge in my opinion is Liberty’s Austin Solari. He placed 3rd last year as a junior at 126s and placed 5th as a sophomore. In addition, last year he went 39-9 on the season and 3-2 at state (where his only losses were to the wrestlers that finished 2nd and 8th). On top of that, he was consistently ranked high in the state rankings last year and will be likely ranked in the top 10 this coming season. This kid is good and I would even venture to guess that he has a decent shot at securing a state medal. In my opinion he is the top ranked wrestler in the section at this weight. In the number two spot is the equally accomplished Artemio Flores of James Logan. This kid also has some solid successes to his name. He placed 4th as a freshman at 106 pounds, was injured his sophomore year at NCS, and placed 4th last year in arguably the toughest weight class as section (126). On the season, he went 39-17 and 3-2 at state (including a relatively tight 6-4 loss to the eventual state champion). Moreover, he had at least one win last year against Solari (a 6-3 win in the NCS quarterfinals). However, Solari came back and defeated him in the consolation finals (6-5). So with that last win to his credit, Solari deserves top billing for now. But, this could be an excellent finals match between these two top caliber wrestlers if I am correct that they both end up at this weight. In the third spot is Windsor junior Seth Trunick. This wrestler placed 8th at NCS last year at 126 pounds and ended with a 32-10 record on the season. In addition, he had several medals at some regular season tournaments. MSJ’s Alex Dornfest is another very solid wrestler. He entered the NCS tournament seeded 7th, eventually went 4-2 and missed medaling by a single win. He is a solid wrestler that will certainly be in the thick of the hunt this year. In the 5th spot is DLS Junior, Westley Hart. Hart is a rather new face as he had a tough time breaking his school’s solid line-up due to the fact that he had Chavez in his weight. However, the kid is tough and recently placed 5th at the state cadet freestyle tournament. He deserves some recognition for that success. In the 6th spot is Cardinal Newman’s Pat McCormick. He went 29-13 on the year and went 2-2 at NCS in, again, the toughest weight class of the tournament. Moreover, at that tournament, his only losses were to the wrestlers that placed 4th and 7th. In the 7th spot is Mount Diablo’s Nathan Benton. He went 2-2 at NCS last year and finished the season with a very strong record of 25-1. Rounding out the 8th spot is El Molino’s Brandon Rodenberger, who also went 22-19 on the year and 2-2 at NCS last year.
138:
JonJay Chavez – De la Salle [132], Jr.
Ward Beecher - Upper Lake [132] Sr.
Angel Beltran - Granada [132], Jr.
Trevor Silva - Windsor [132], Jr.
Marcus Zarate- James Logan [132], Jr.
Romello Manjares - College Park [132], Jr.
Levi Russell - Los Lomas [132], Sr.
Jesse Gregorson - Liberty [120], So.
I think there could be little argument that not only is De la Salle’s JonJay Chavez the top wrestler in his weight class but that he is also the top returning wrestler in the entire section. Chavez secured a technical fall in the NCS finals last year, went on to take 7th at state, where he was also had 5-2 record and where his only losses were to the wrestlers that took 2nd and 6th. Moreover, on the season, he was 26-5 (a record he earned the hard way as his school goes to some of the toughest tournaments in the state). Since then he has also earned All-American status at FloNationals. I would anticipate that Chavez is not only likely to repeat as NCS champion but also earns a significantly higher medal at state than he did last year. In the second spot is Upper Lake’s Ward Beecher. Beecher placed 5th at NCS last year at 132 pounds and finished the season with an impressive 41-9 record. On top of that, he had many regular season successes, including taking a 6th place at the very tough Tim Brown tournament. With such accomplishments I see him as a very likely candidate for a trip to the state tournament. I next rank Granada’s Angel Beltran 3rd. He also has numerous accomplishments. These include an 8th place finish last year at 132 at NCS and solid season record of 27-16. Moreover, he placed 3rd at California Cadet Folkstyle State at 138 lbs and 5th at California cadet freestyle State at 145 lbs. He is also sure to challenge for a trip to the state finals. In the 4th spot is Windsor’s Trevor Silva. He made it to the top 12 round last year at NCS at 132 pounds and finished the season with a strong 35-10 record. Silva also had some off season successes, such as taking 5th at Cadet Folksyle state at 138 pounds and 5th at Cadet Freestyle State, also at 138 pounds. In the 5th spot is James Logan’s Marcus Zarate. Zarate also made it to the top 12 round last year at 132 and had a season record of 27-15. In the 6th spot is College Park’s Romello Manjares. Although he struggled at NCS last year (only going 1-2) one of those losses were to the wrestler that finished 3rd and the other one was a narrow 5-4 decision. He nevertheless had a solid 33-16 record on the season. In addition, he recently took 4th at the California State Junior Freestyle tournament and thus deserves some respect in the rankings. In the 7th spot is the very solid Levi Russell of Los Lomas. He also made it to the round of 12 last year at 132. Moreover, his only two losses at NCS were to the wrestlers that placed 3rd (5-0) and the wrestler that placed 6th (8-2). Furthermore, on the season, he finished with a solid record of 28-12. In the 8th spot is Liberty’s Jesse Gregorson. Although Gregorson was at Heritage last year, I have heard rumors he has since transferred to Liberty. Even though Gregorson struggled a bit last year at NCS, only going 1-2 (and 9-3 on the season), he suffered an injury that kept him off the mat for much of the season. He nevertheless has very good pedigree, including taking 6th at California cadet freestyle. I would suspect that he bounces back this coming season and puts himself in the hunt for a NCS medal.
145:
Matt McCoy - Clayton Valley [138], Sr.
Nico Lang - Livermore [138], Sr.
Mark Bohannon – De la Salle [138], Sr.
Dominic Dingess - Lower Lake [138], Jr.
Anthony Urbina - College Park [145], Sr.
Cody Row - Windsor [145], Sr.
Nik Ramirez - Castro Valley [138], Sr.
Payton Kelly - Maria Carillo [N/A], So.
Top ranked wrestler in my opinion at this weight is Clayton Valley’s Matt McCoy. McCoy and Livermore’s Nico Lang have a bit of a history against each other. Last year these two wrestlers squared off against each other no less than 3 times. At last year’s Clayton Valley Tournament, McCoy scored a pin over Lange. Lange then avenged that loss at MSJ and scored 5-2 decision over McCoy. But McCoy got the last laugh at NCS when he defeated Lange (with a pin) in their 5th/6th place match. So based on his more recent wins, McCoy must be ranked above Lang. In addition to those wins, McCoy placed 5th at NCS and had a season record of 34-15. I thus see him as top-dog in the section at this weight. But Lang is also very good. In addition to placing 6th at NCS at 138 pounds (where he was 4th seed), he had a season record of 30-12. He also placed well at some very challenging tournaments, such as Zinkin. I would further suspect that both McCoy and Lang are mentioned in the state rankings this year. In the 3rd spot is DLS’s Mark Bohannon. He missed medaling by a single win last year at NCS and his only losses at the tournament were to the wrestlers that finished 4th and 7th. On the season, he finished with a solid 28-15 record and had numerous accomplishments along the way. In the 4th spot is Lower Lake’s Dominic Dingess, who also missed medaling last year by a single win at 138 pounds. He went 4-2 at NCS and was 36-9 on the year. In the 5th spot is College Park’s Anthony Urbina. He clearly fell short of his expectations last year. Although he entered the tournament as 7th seed at this weight, he only went 1-2. However, he had a season record of 22-10 and was solid throughout the regular season. Despite a poor performance in the post season last year, I think his prior accomplishments entitle him to some respect in the rankings. In the 6th spot is Windsor’s Cody Row. Row went 3-2 at NCS last year at 145 pounds and was 16-9 on the season. Castro Valley’s Nik Ramirez earns the 7th spot. He missed medaling last year by just 2 wins and had a 25-17 record on the year. In the eight spot is Maria Carillo’s Payton Kelly. Although he did not wrestle at NCS last year, he recently took 8th at the state cadet freestyle championships at 145 pounds. That success should likely translate into some success this year at NCS.
152
Payton Russum – De la Salle [152], Sr.
Joey Clay - Rancho Cotate [152, Sr.
Jake Axlerod - Freedom [152], Sr.
Garret Heath – Novato [145], Sr.
Arturo Basurto – American [152], Sr.
Mark Wilhelm - College Park [NA], Sr.
Grant Ferris - Liberty [145], So.
Kyle Campiotti - Granada [145], Sr.
Top dog at 152s is DLS’s Payton Russom. He placed 7th at 152s last year, even though he entered the tournament as a 3rd seed. On the season he had a solid record of 34-17. Moreover, at NCS last year he defeated my second ranked wrestler, Clay, by a score of 6-3. So Russum must be ranked ahead of Clay. But Rancho Cotate’s Joey Clay is very solid as well. He also was just 1 win away from securing a NCS medal last year. Moreover, his season record of 37-8 was extremely impressive. In addition, Clay had a great season last year, which included being crowned champion of last year’s King of the Mat, 2nd at Lou Encalada, and 2nd at the Green & Gold. I would not be surprised to see both Russum and Clay ranked in the state once those ranking come out. In the 3rd spot is Freedom’s Jake Axlerod. Axlerod missed medaling last year at this weight by a single win. His only losses at the tournament were to the wrestlers who placed 3rd and 7th (the latter loss to Russum by a score of 6-3). He also had a lot of regular season successes. That success resulted in him amassing a season total record of 26-10. I next rank Novato’s Garret Heath in the 4th spot. He made it to the round of top 12 last year at 145s by going 3-2. He also had a very solid record of 36-10 on the year. On top of that, he had a lot of regular season success, which included winning the Bill Martell Invitational, taking 2nd at Valley of the Moon, 2nd at the Dream and 2nd at Lou Bronzan. In the 5th spot is American’s Arturo Basurto. Basurto went 3-2 last year at NCS at this weight and thus missed a medal by just two wins. He also went 12-10 on the year. In the 6th spot I see College Park’s Mark Wilhelm. An injury kept him off the mat for much of the season last year. However, he has since been making a name for himself in the off season, including taking 7th at California state cadet folkstyle championships at 138 and a 4th at California state freestyle championships at 152s. In the 7th spot is Liberty’s Grant Ferris. Although he struggled a bit at NCS last year where he only went 1-2, he also has been wrestling well in the off season. He recently took 8th at California state cadet folkstyle championships at 145 and a 8th at California state freestyle championships at 152s. Rounding out the pack in the 8th spot is Granada’s Kyle Campiotti. He went 2-2 at NCS last year at 145 pounds and was 24-14 on the year.
160
Tyler Rardon – Livermore [152], Sr.
Louis Cosce - Hoopa Valley [160], Sr.
Ian Black - Healdsburg [152], Jr.
John Pricco - California [152], Sr.
Zach Little - Dublin [152], Sr.
Ayemere Oiyemhoman - Deer Valley [160], Jr.
Thomas Cook - Granada [160], Sr.
Austin Hamilton - Amador Valley [145], Sr.
Livermore’s Tyler Rardon had a great season last year. He won NCS at 152 pounds, amassed a season record of 35-7, and he went on to take 2nd at the California state junior folkstyle tournament. On top of that, he was ranked as high as 17th last year in the official state rankings, though I am confident he will be ranked in the top 10 once the new state rankings come out. Rardon also had some great regular season successes last year, which included placing 1st at the Ceres Tournament, winning the Clayton Valley Tournament, placing 5th at the very challenging Sierra Nevada tournament, and taking a 6th at MSJ. I believe he is the clear choice for top-dog status in the NCS. In the second spot is Hoopa Valley’s Louis Cosce. Cosce placed 4th last year at NCS at this weight and amassed a season record of 27-8. Last year in the regular season he also looked very impressive. He took 2nd at the McKinleyville Tournament, 3rd at Eureka’s North Coast Classic, won the Fort Bragg Tournament, was a dominate champion of Windor’s King of the Mat (where he pinned or majored all his opponents) at 160s and he was an honorably mention in the state rankings. Healdsburg’s Ian Black lands in the 3rd position in the rankings at this weight. He is another very solid wrestler. Last year he had a very good year, which included going 24-11 on the season. Although he only was able to go 2-2 at NCS, his losses were to the wrestlers that placed 1st (a 9-2 loss) and 8th (a 4-2 loss). So he is certainly worthy of attention. In the 4th spot is California’s John Pricco. He had a similar story to Black’s story in that Pricco also went 2-2 at NCS at 152 pounds, but his two losses were to the wrestlers who finished 2nd and 6th. He also had a solid season record of 20-12. In the 5th spot is Dulbin’s Zach Little. Although he struggled at NCS last year at 152 pounds, he had a strong regular season, which included winning Castro Valley’s Bay Area Invitational and amassing a season record of 18-6. I would note that at NCS last year, Pricco did secure a win over Little (15-8), which buttresses Pricco’s claim to a higher ranking. In the 6th spot is Deer Valley’s Oiyemhoman, who is another wrestler whose only losses at NCS last year were to ultimate medalists. He went 3-2 at NCS last year (only losing to the wrestlers who placed 4th and 8th) and amassed as a season record of 29-17. I next see Granada’s Thomas Cook in the 7th spot. He went 2-2 at NCS last year at 160 pounds, where his only losses were to the wrestlers who placed 4th and 6th. He also had a solid season record of 22-22. Amador Valley’s Austin Hamilton takes that 8th spot. This senior also went 2-2 last year at 145 pounds at the NCS tournament and ended the season with a 25-17 record.
170
Devin Aiello – De la Salle [152], Sr.
Nathan Morris - Redwood [152], Jr.
Tanner Blank - Liberty [160], Sr.
Isia Guzman – Windsor [170], Sr.
Thomas Cross - Lower Lake [170], Sr.
Andre Decoito - Castro Valley [170], Sr.
Max Mayo - Concord [170], Sr.
Eric Turner - Del Norte [170], Jr.
Last year, DLS’s Devin Aiello entered the NCS tournament as the 6th seed at a 160 pounds, but did slightly better than his seed by going 6-2 and placing 5th at the tournament, thereby missing a chance to wrestle at the state tournament by just one win. He also amassed a very impressive season record of 26-13 and had several impressive regular season medals to his name, including a 5th place at the Bash. As the top returning medalist that I see at this weight, I believe he deserves to be ranked 1st. In the second spot is Redwood’s Nathan Morris, who is the younger brother of last year’s NCS champion, and 7th in the state, Dylan Morris. Nathan has been establishing success in his own name. This includes placing 8th last year at NCS at 152 pounds, securing a season record of 38-10, going on to placing 8th at the California state cadet freestyle tournament (and he might have done better there but for his injury default) and securing numerous regular season medals last year, including a 3rd at Lou Bronzan, a 3rd at Golden Gate, a 2nd at King of the Mat and a 2nd at Albany. I would note that if I am correct about Aiello and Morris both being at this weight come post season, we could be in for a very exciting championship match between them. Liberty’s Tanner Blank just keeps getting better as he matures. Last year, he made it to the round of top 12 at NCS. His only losses at the tournament were to the wrestlers who placed 3rd and 8th (the latter a tight 4-3 loss). He amassed a very impressive season record of 35-11 in the process. Since NCS, he has gone on to place 3rd at the California state junior folkstyle tournament at 170 pounds and 8th at the California state junior freestyle tournament. I see him as a very likely contender to qualify for the state tournament this year. In the 4th spot is Windsor’s Guzman. He also missed placing at NCS last year by a single win, though he went 3-2 at the tournament. On the season he went 33-12 and then followed up that success by placing 4th at the California state junior folkstyle championships. Coming into the rankings with a 5th is Lower Lake’s Thomas Cross. He also went 3-2 at NCS (failing to place by a single match and only losing to the wrestlers who placed 4th and 8th) and went 30-10 on the season. The 6th spot goes to Castro Valley’s Andre De Coito. He had a very impressive record last year of 29-14. At NCS, he only went 2-2. However, his two losses were to the wrestlers who placed 2nd and 3rd. In the 7th spot is Concord’s Max Mayo. He went 2-2 last year at NCS, failed to place by just 2 wins and finished the season with a record of 11-6. Bringing up the 8th spot is Del Norte’s Eric Turner. Although he had a rough NCS tournament, he had some successes on the regular season including taking 2nd at the McKinleyville tournament.
182
Taryn Christiansen - El Molino [182], Sr.
Zach Hansen – Liberty [170], Sr.
Aaron Pease – De La Salle [170], Sr.
Shoiab Rasooli - James Logan [182], Sr.
Micah Spalding - Miramonte [182], Sr.
Jake Richards - Fort Bragg [182], Sr.
Troy Gomez - Granada [170], Sr.
Sage Ritchie - Maria Carillo [182], Sr.
If I am correct about who I expect to see here, 182s is looking to be a very competitive weight class in the NCS – maybe the toughest in the section. Leading the charge is the very talented Christiansen of El Molino. This wrestler entered the NCS tournament last year as the number 1 seed. Although he eventually settled for a 4th place at this weight class, he nevertheless amassed a season 32-12 record. He also placed 7th as a sophomore. Last year, during the regular season he took 2nd place at this weight at the Chukchansi Invitational, 1st at Fort Bragg, and 3rd at the Bash. His success also earned him repeated places in the state rankings last year. On top of all that success, he took 4th recently at the California state junior freestyle championships at 195 pounds. I see him as the number 1 wrestler at this weight. However, he is going to be challenged by the very tough Zach Hansen out of Liberty High School. Hansen was the NCS runner-up last year at 170 pounds. He also went 37-13 on the year and had several regular season successes, including taking 3rd at Lou Bronzan and 5th at Mat Classic. Moreover, he was consistently ranked as a honorable mentioned in the state rankings. In the 3rd spot is DLS’s Aaron Pease. Pease placed 4th last year at NCS at 170 and went 32-13 on the year. He also placed 8th at NCS as a sophomore. On top of that success, he won the Bash and was ranked as high as 20th in the state last year. I believe Pease is certainly in the mix for landing in the championship match at this very tough weight class. In the 4th spot is James Logan’s Soiab Rasooli. Although he failed to place last year at NCS, he entered the tournament as a 7th seed. He did make it to the top 12 round but was ultimately stopped there by the wrestler that placed 7th. Rasooli finished the season with a solid record of 24-11. Miramonte’s Micah Spalding earns the 5th spot in the rankings. He also went 3-2 at NCS at this weight and missed placing by a single win. In addition to finishing a successful season with a solid 18-11 record, he won the Bill Martell tournament and placed 2nd at the Golden Gate tournament. In the 6th spot is Fort Bragg’s Jake Richards. Richards started last year’s season very strong, winning both the Fort Bragg and the Lou Bronzan tournaments. He also took 2nd at Green and Gold, 2nd at North Coast Classic, 1st at the Pound, 2nd at King of the Mat. Although Richards struggled at NCS, losing a first round match to the wrestler that ultimately placed 8th, he ultimately finished the season with a solid record of 35-8. I certainly see Richards in the thick of things this year. Granada’s Troy Gomez earns the 7th spot. He went 24-19 last year and 2-2 at NCS. But he also won the Bay Area Invitational, took 4th at Puma, and 6th at the very challenging Coast Classic. He thus earns some respect in the rankings. Finishing off this very formidable weight class is Maria Carillo’s Sage Ritchie. Ritchie went 13-5 on the season (2-2 at NCS) and wrestled well at some regular season tournaments, including the King of the Mat tournament.
195
Jason Price – Hoopa Valley [195], Sr.
Clayton Hartwell – James Logan [195], Jr.
Antonio Baldazo - Pittsburg [1952], Jr.
Angel Gomez – De la Salle [195], Sr.
Neil Dondanville – Fort Bragg [195], Sr.
Joe Brusatti – Terra Linda [195], Sr.
David Plechaty – Del Norte [195], Jr.
Leevy Singleton - Middletown [195], Jr.
Top dog status goes to Hoopa Valley’s Jason Price, who placed 3rd at NCS last year at this weight, went 2-2 at state, and finished the season with an impressive record of 25-6. Moreover, as a sophomore, Price placed 6th at 189 lbs. Last year he also won the McKinleyville Tournament, took 2nd at the Fort Bragg tournament, took 6th at MSJ and rose to as high as 34th in the state rankings at this weight. I would suspect that his stock rises from that level once the new state rankings are posted. In the second spot is James Logan’s Clayton Hartwell. He placed 4th at NCS last year at 195 pounds and lost a nail-biter in the consolation finals to Price by an overtime score of 9-7. Hartwell also went 25-13 on the season and followed that success up by placing 7th at the California state cadet freestyle championships. This weight class opens up more than a bit after the top two ranks. Taking the 3rd rank is Pittsburg’s Antonio Baldazo. He went 20-11 on the season, but missed placing at NCS last year by a single win. I would suspect he is in the hunt for a medal this year. In the 4th spot is DLS’s Angel Gomez. Gomez earned his school’s varsity spot for much of the season last year, that was until NCS champ Justin Walker dropped down in weight to take the spot from Gomez. Nevertheless, he had a lot of success in the regular season last year prior to Walker’s drop and I would suspect he picks up where he left off last year. Following Gomez is Fort Bragg’s Neil Dondanville. He went 3-2 at NCS last year at this weight and missed a medal by just 2 wins. He also finished the season with a solid record of 9-4. However, at NCS Dondanvile lost to Baldazo, which strengthens the argument that Baldazzo should be ranked above him. In the 6th spot is Terra Linda’s Joe Brusatti. Brusatti also went 3-2 at NCS last year and was 29-21 on the year. In the 7th spot is Del Norte’s David Plechaty who went 2-2 at NCS last year and was 29-14 on the season. Rounding out the top eight is Middletown’s Leevy Singleton, who with a record of 18-16 has the best returning record of all remaining wrestlers at this weight.
220
Joe Valdez - Upper Lake [220], Sr.
Aiden Lacy - Sonoma [220], Sr.
Sumner Houston – De la Salle [220], Jr.
Tom Taylor – John F. Kennedy [220], Sr.
Christian Delagnes - Windsor [220], Sr.
Arturro Morfin – Pittsburg [220], Sr.
Mike Warren - Lower Lake [220], Sr.
Miguel Lara - Alhambra [220], Sr.
Joe Valdez is the clear top dog at 220. As the highest returning placer from last year’s NCS tournament at this weight, he deserves to be ranked 1st. Last year he took home the 6th place medal and secured a season record of 41-15. Valdez also earned a 3rd place finish at McKinleyville, a 3rd place at Fort Bragg, a 4th place at Lou Bronzan, a 1st place finish at the Middletown tournament and went 4-2 at Tim Brown. He also was one win away from medaling at MSJ. Moreover, in the NCS consolation quarterfinals, Valdez secured a 8-4 victory over my second ranked wrestler, Sonoma’s Aiden Lacy, thus solidifying Valdez’s claim to top spot in the rankings. But Lacy is very accomplished in his own right. He placed 7th at NCS last year and earned a season record of 34-10. He also took 2nd last year at his school’s Valley of the Moon Tournament, went a respectable 4-2 at Tim Brown, took a 3rd at King of the Mat and won Dawn to Dusk. In the 3rd spot was dark horse Summer Houston of DLS, who burst onto the seen last year during the post season. He earned the 8th spot at this weight in the NCS and finished the season with a record of 14-8. JFK’s Tom Taylor also had a solid season. He went 4-2 at sections and missed placing by a single match when he lost to the 5th placed wrestler in the medal round. He also finished the season with a solid 17-10 record and thus earns some recognition in the rankings. Windsor’s Christian Delanges also made it to the best of 12 round and went 3-2 in the section tournament. On the season, he also had an impressive record of 19-11 and thus earns a 5th spot in the rankings. In the 6th spot is Pittsburg’s Arturro Morfin, who is another very solid wrestler. He also missed medaling by a single win and made it to the top 12 round. His only losses last year were to the wrestlers who finished 5th and 7th and he finished the season with a solid 19-11 record. Mike Warren of Lower Lake earns the 7th spot in the rankings. He had a record of 21-8 and missed medaling by just two matches. Rounding out the top 8 is Alhambra’s Miguael Lara who went 3-2 at NCS last year and finished the season with a 12-5 record.
285
Anthony Kosinski - Marin Catholic [285], Sr.
Dylan Walsh - Las Lomas [285], Sr.
Xavier Banks – De la Salle [285], Sr.
Elijah Qualls - Casa Grande [285], Sr.
John Carandang - Foothill [285], Jr.
Josh Hanson - Eureka [285], Sr.
Pablo Gonzalez - Ukiah [285], Jr.
Joe Lacomba - James Logan [285], Sr.
This is a unique year for the big men as each of the top four placers from last year’s tournament are returning, thus making the top four rankings rather straightforward. Among those top four, clearly top dog status must be given to Marin Catholic’s Anthony Kosinski. He finished the season with a very impressive record of 23-12. On top of that, he took second at the very challenging MSJ tournament. Thus, he deserves to be ranked first. In the second spot is Las Lomas’s Dylan Walsh. He took 2nd last year when he suffered a pin against Kosinski in the finals. However, Walsh had a 27-9 record on the season last year. He also took 3rd at Castro Valley’s Bay Area Invitational, 6th at Mat Classic and 2nd at Puma. In the 3rd spot is DLS’s Xavier Banks, who placed 3rd at NCS last year, with his only loss coming in the semi-finals to Kosinski by a very close score of 3-2. Banks finished the season with a solid record of 18-8 and had some significant wins along the way. In the 4th spot is Casa Grande’s Elijah Qualls, who placed 4th last year at NCS and finished the season with a solid record of 29-9 and though he qualified for state, did not actually wrestler there. However, he also had a very good regular season, which included winning the Green & Gold, taking 6th at the NorCal Tournament, and taking 2nd at Albany. I next see Foothill’s John Carandang. He went 4-2 at NCS last year and made it to the top 12 round. He also finished the season going 30-15 and he took 3rd at Bill Martell and 2nd at San Ramon and thus deserves some recognition. In the 5th spot is Eureka’s Josh Hanson. He entered the NCS tournament as a 5th seed, though he failed to place after going 2-2. He did however have a season record of 32-12 and placed 2nd at the Fort Bragg Winter Bash, 3rd at McKinleyville, 2nd at Eureka’s North Coast Classic, 3rd at Del Norte’s Battle of the Border, and took 5th at Puma. Hanson also went 2-2 at NorCal. Ukiah’s Pablo Gonzalez gets the 7th spot. Although he only went 1-2 at NCS, his two losses were very tight losses to the wrestlers who placed 1st (by a score of 2-0) and 7th (by a score of 7-6). He also finished the season with a 19-14 record. James Logan’s Joe Lacomba went 2-2 at NCS last year and finished the season with a record of 32-15. He also took 3rd at Mat Classic and 2nd at Clayton Valley and thus earns a spot in the rankings.
106
Perez Perez - Windsor [106], Jr.
Joey Vigil - Heritage [106], Sr.
Aaron Cortez - Livermore [106], Jr.
Erik Arango – Rancho Cotate [106], Sr.
Tommy Barrera – Amador Valley [106], Jr.
Edward Bond – De la Salle [N/A], Jr.
Josh McKnight – Hoopa Valley [106], So.
Darrin Nguyen – San Leandro [106] Jr.
Of course it is unclear at this point which of the many tough wrestlers that I rank at 106s will actually make this weight. However, assuming each of these wrestlers do make it, we are in for a solid 106 pound weight class in the NCS. Leading the anticipated charge in my opinion is the very solid Perez of Windsor. This kid is very talented. Although he went into the NCS tournament last year seeded 7th, he rose to the occasion and placed 3rd, and at the time defeated the then numbers 2, 5 and 6 seeds in the process. He also went a very impressive 37-9 on the season. On top of that success, he took 3rd a Cadet Folkstyle state, 3rd at junior folkstyle state, 3rd at cadet freestyle and 5th at junior freestyle state. Assuming Lyle stays up above this weight (which I believe is a strong likelihood), Perez is the obvious number 1 ranked wrestler at this weight. At number 2 is Heritage’s Joey Vigil. Vigil took 4th at NCS last year, where he lost an extremely tight overtime match (12-10) to Perez in the consolation finals. He was also 31-11 for the season. In addition, Vigil placed 8th at NCS his sophomore year. I believe he is a solid 2nd in the rankings. After the top two spots, the weight class opens up a bit. In the third spot is Livermore’s Aaron Cortez. He went 4-2 at NCS last year (where his only losses were to the 2nd and 3rd seeds), went 28-11 on the year, took 2nd at Puma, and missed taking home a NCS medal by one match (losing to the then defending NCS champion to get into the medal round). In the 4th spot is Rancho Cotate’s Erik Arango. He went 26-15 on the year, 2-2 at NCS and suffered a close lose to my 3rd ranked wrestler, Cortez, in the process. I would suspect we see a lot out of him this coming year. Coming in the fifth spot is Amador Valley’s Barrera. Although he struggled a bit at NCS last year (only going 2-2) he faced some tough opponents in that tournament. However, he had some other successes, including winning last year’s TriValley Cup Tournament. Entering the rankings this year is DLS’s Edward Bond. He had a tough time breaking his school’s solid lineup last year as he was behind his school’s Conte, who happened to have earned a 6th at NCS. However, Bond is very accomplished in his own right, having taken 2nd at both state junior and cadet freestyle. He is likely to do very well this season. Earning a 7th spot is Hoppa Valley’s Josh McKnight. He started the season last year strong, which including winning Del Norte’s Battle of the Border tournament, Eureka’s North Coast Classic, taking 3rd at McKinleyville, 4th at Puma, and 3rd at Fort Bragg at this weight. On the season, he went a very solid 28-8. He certainly therefore deserves some attention. In the 8th spot, I see San Leandro’s Darren Nguyen. Although he struggled a bit at NCS last year, running into some tough opponents, he nevertheless went 22-11 on the season. I would suspect he draws some serious attention this year.
113:
Devon Lyle - Liberty [106], Jr.
David Conte - De La Salle [106], Jr.
Brian Guerrero - Rancho Cotate [113], Jr.
Michael McDaniel - Monte Vista [106], Jr.
Cody Teifel - College Park [113], Sr.
Noah Au-Yeung - Windsor [113], So.
Tony Lopez - Upper Lake [106], Jr.
Austin Doleys - Dublin [113], Jr.
The clear number 1 at this weight is Liberty’s Devon Lyle. Last year, he had an extremely impressive season. He took 2nd in NCS and qualified (but lost the battle of the scale and did not actually compete at) state. Lyle also took 7th place at NCS as a freshman. He went a very strong 29-7 on the season last year. On top of that success, he won last year’s Lou Bronzan tournament, took 6th at Tim Brown, placed 7th at the Sierra Nevada Classic tournament and missed placing at the very tough Doc Buchanan by a single win. If he certifies for this weight, which could be a push for him, he should be ranked well in the state. In the 2nd spot is DLS’s David Conte. Conte came on strong last year, taking home the 6th place medal at 106s at NCS and going 25-12 on the season, a record which was earned while competing at some of the tougher tournaments in the state. This year, he also took 5th at California cadet freestyle 126. I would suspect he is also well regarded in the initial state rankings. Another very accomplished wrestler is Rancho Cotate’s Brian Guerrero, who I see as 3rd in the NCS. Last year he placed 7th in the section at this weight and had a very solid record of 30-5. This year he placed 4th at cadet folkstyle state and 7th at cadet freestyle state, both at 113s. He should clearly be in the running for a high showing this year. In the 4th spot is the very solid Michael McDaniel out of Monte Vista. He missed medaling at NCS last year by 2 wins, but he finished the season going a very strong 28-13. In addition, this year he has placed 4th at the state freestyle tournament. I would suspect he turns things on this year and challenges for a trip to Bakersfield. In the 5th spot is College Park’s Cody Teifel. He also missed placing in section last year by a single win and finished the year with a solid 22-22 record. I think he has a strong chance of earning a high NCS medal this year. Another very impressive wrestler is Windsor’s Au-Yeung. He went 33-13 for the season last year and went 3-2 at NCS last year. On top of that, he placed 8th at cadet folkstyle state. In the 7th spot is Upper Lake’s Tony Lopez. He went 3-2 at NCS at 106s and finished the season with a impressive record of 40-11. I am confident he will be in the thick of the hunt for a medal this year at NCS. In the 8th spot is Dublin’s Austin Doleys who went 3-2 at NCS last year at this weight (where his only losses were to the champion and the wrestler that finished 7th) and went 20-9 on the season.
120:
Nate Cervantez – De la Salle [113], So.
Jacob Macalolooy - James Logan [113], Jr.
Johnny Zanarini - Liberty [113], Jr.
Giordi Serrafini - Sonoma [113], Sr.
Evan Bluestone - Maria Carillo, [120], Jr.
Drew Esquivel - Healdsburg [113] Sr.
Michael Klee - Cardinal Newman 10th [NA], So.
Jesus Moreno - Eureka [113], Jr.
For just being a sophomore, DLS’s Cervantez has already established himself as a top wrestler in our section. After starting last year at 132 pounds, where he saw a lot of success, he dropped down to 113 for the post season. At that weight, he won the section, went 2-2 at state and finished the season with a record of 35-12. On top of that he just recently placed 3rd at California state cadet freestyle at 132 pounds. If he can make this weight, I see him as the clear top choice in the rankings. Coming in the second spot is James Logan’s Jacob Macalolooy. This is another very talented kid. He placed 3rd last year at 113 pounds at NCS (where his only loss was a tight 8-6 one to Cervantez in the semi-finals) and placed 5th the year before. Last year he also went 2-2 at state (where his only losses were to wrestlers that finished 1st and 4th) and finished the season with a 40-15 record. On top of that, he recently placed 4th at California Junior Freestyle State. In the third spot is Liberty’s John Zanarini. This is another very accomplished wrestler who placed 6th at 113s last year at NCS and amassed a record of 33-18. However, at NCS Zanarini did suffer a pin to Macalolooy, so he must be ranked below him. In the fourth spot is Sonoma’s Giordi Serafini. He placed 8th at NCS last year at 113 pounds and ended the season with a solid 31-17 record. Zanarini and Serrafini had a battle royale last year at NCS. But Zanarini won that match 8-6 in overtime, so he must be ranked ahead of Serrafini. But that could be a solid rematch should they meet again. And because they are ranked 3rd and 4th, and because NCS now only send three wrestlers to state, that could be a rematch with a lot of excitement if my rankings are correct. In the 5th spot is a rising star from Maria Carrillo, junior Evan Bluestone. He failed to place at NCS last year, but that is in part due to the fact that he had a tough draw (his only losses were to the wrestlers that placed 3rd and 7th). He nevertheless finished the season with a very solid record of 37-11. He also recently placed 4th at both the California cadet Folkstyle and Freestyle tournaments. I would suspect that he gains a lot of attention this year and works his way up the NCS award podium. In the 6th spot is Healdsburg’s Drew Esquivel. He finished the season last year with a 29-10 record and missed medaling by a single win. In fact his only losses at NCS last year were to the wrestlers that finished 3rd and 5tt. So he should do well this year. Cardinal Newman’s Michael Klee comes from an extremely tough family of wrestlers. His brother, Paul Klee, who wrestles for Blair Academy, has been winning national tournaments for years. Last year, Michael suffered some injuries that caused some setbacks. But since then he has made some progress, including placing 6th at California freestyle state. I strongly suspect that he makes a strong name for himself this year and challenges for some NCS hardware. Rounding out the top 8 is Eureka’s Jesus Moreno, who went 4-2 at NCS last year, missed medaling by one match, and went 31-5 on the year.
126:
Tommy Yozzo - Amador Valley [113], Jr.
Jacob Donato – James Logan [120], Jr.
Rickey Coster - Freedom [120], Jr.
Logan Fore - Windsor [120], Sr.
Andrew Cervantez – De la Salle [NA], Fr.
Kai Caindec - Terra Linda [120], Sr.
Sam Denning - Sonoma [120], Sr.
Diego Lazarez - Castro Valley [120], Jr.
This weight class, in my opinion, has traditionally been one of the tougher weights in the NCS. This year is no exception. There are several top caliber wrestlers likely to competing for top honors at this weight this coming season. Top at this weight is Amador Valley’s Tommy Yozzo. This kid started to turn heads his freshman year and has just been getting better as time went by. He placed 7th at NCS as a freshman and placed 2nd last year at 113s. In the finals last year, he lost a tight 6-4 match to the eventual champion Cervantez. However, in fairness, it is worth mentioning that Yozzo also pinned Cervantez the week before when the two met in their league finals. Yozzo went 4-2 at state (where he even had a close 6-4 loss to the wrestler that placed 7th in state) and went on to a 35-11 record on the season. As if that were not enough reason to rank him first in the section, he also recently was crowned champion at the California state freestyle championships. I would suspect that he will be highly named in the state rankings when they come out and frankly, a challenger will have to be on top of his game to keep Yozzo from being crowned NCS champion this year. If there is any wrestler that could stop Yozzo from winning sections, I would guess it would be James Logan’s Jacob Donato. Donato also has a great pedigree about him. Last year he placed 4th in a very loaded weight class (120) and went 39-15 on the year. On top of that, he won the California cadet freestyle state tournament at 126 pounds. In the third spot is Freedom’s Rickey Coster. He went 30-9 on the year, placed 5th last year at 120 at NCS and placed 3rd his freshman year. In addition, Coster was a NHSCA All-American and was ranked in the top 20 throughout the season in last year’s state rankings (I would also suspect he again catches the state ranker’s eyes this year). I think he therefore clearly deserves to be at least 3rd in the NCS rankings. I would further note that at NCS last year, Coster actually secured a win (7-2) over Donato in the quarterfinals and thus there is a strong argument that Coster should be ranked above Donato. However, as Donato qualified for state last year and Coster did not I will give Donato the higher rankings for now, but that could change. In the fourth spot is Windsor’s Logan Fore. He placed 6th at NCS last year and had a season record of 24-3. In addition, he placed 8th at NCS his sophomore year. On top of that success, he recently took home the 6th place medal at the California state folkstyle tournament. He will surely be in the running this year for some impressive hardware. In the 5th spot is freshman stud, Andrew Cervantez of De la Salle. This is the younger brother of Nate Cervantez who I rank 1st at 120s and who won sections last year. The younger Cervantez is a multi-time Triple Crown winner and has been looking solid for years in the freestyle circuits. Expect to see a lot out of him this coming season. In the sixth spot I see Terra Linda’s Kai Caindec. This kid is also very good. Although he only went 2-2 at NCS last year, his only losses were to past NCS medalists. In addition, he had a solid season last year that included going 35-9 on the year and medaling at several regular season tournaments. In the 7th spot is Sonoma’s Sam Denning, who last year went 35-13 on the season, 3-2 at NCS and also took home several regular season medals. In the eighth spot is Castro Valley’s Diego Lazarez, who went 28-17 on the year and also saw a lot of regular season success.
132:
Austin Solari - Liberty [126], Sr.
Artemio Flores – James Logan [126], Sr.
Seth Trunick – Windsor [126], Jr.
Alex Dornfest - Mission San Jose [126], Sr.
Westley Hart – De la Salle [NA], So.
Pat McCormick - Cardinal Newman [126], Sr.
Nathan Benton - Mt. Diablo [126], Sr.
Brandon Rodenberger - El Molino [126], Sr.
This is a weight class that has both well known kids with a lot of success to their names as well as kids who are likely to earn recognition brand new this year. Leading the charge in my opinion is Liberty’s Austin Solari. He placed 3rd last year as a junior at 126s and placed 5th as a sophomore. In addition, last year he went 39-9 on the season and 3-2 at state (where his only losses were to the wrestlers that finished 2nd and 8th). On top of that, he was consistently ranked high in the state rankings last year and will be likely ranked in the top 10 this coming season. This kid is good and I would even venture to guess that he has a decent shot at securing a state medal. In my opinion he is the top ranked wrestler in the section at this weight. In the number two spot is the equally accomplished Artemio Flores of James Logan. This kid also has some solid successes to his name. He placed 4th as a freshman at 106 pounds, was injured his sophomore year at NCS, and placed 4th last year in arguably the toughest weight class as section (126). On the season, he went 39-17 and 3-2 at state (including a relatively tight 6-4 loss to the eventual state champion). Moreover, he had at least one win last year against Solari (a 6-3 win in the NCS quarterfinals). However, Solari came back and defeated him in the consolation finals (6-5). So with that last win to his credit, Solari deserves top billing for now. But, this could be an excellent finals match between these two top caliber wrestlers if I am correct that they both end up at this weight. In the third spot is Windsor junior Seth Trunick. This wrestler placed 8th at NCS last year at 126 pounds and ended with a 32-10 record on the season. In addition, he had several medals at some regular season tournaments. MSJ’s Alex Dornfest is another very solid wrestler. He entered the NCS tournament seeded 7th, eventually went 4-2 and missed medaling by a single win. He is a solid wrestler that will certainly be in the thick of the hunt this year. In the 5th spot is DLS Junior, Westley Hart. Hart is a rather new face as he had a tough time breaking his school’s solid line-up due to the fact that he had Chavez in his weight. However, the kid is tough and recently placed 5th at the state cadet freestyle tournament. He deserves some recognition for that success. In the 6th spot is Cardinal Newman’s Pat McCormick. He went 29-13 on the year and went 2-2 at NCS in, again, the toughest weight class of the tournament. Moreover, at that tournament, his only losses were to the wrestlers that placed 4th and 7th. In the 7th spot is Mount Diablo’s Nathan Benton. He went 2-2 at NCS last year and finished the season with a very strong record of 25-1. Rounding out the 8th spot is El Molino’s Brandon Rodenberger, who also went 22-19 on the year and 2-2 at NCS last year.
138:
JonJay Chavez – De la Salle [132], Jr.
Ward Beecher - Upper Lake [132] Sr.
Angel Beltran - Granada [132], Jr.
Trevor Silva - Windsor [132], Jr.
Marcus Zarate- James Logan [132], Jr.
Romello Manjares - College Park [132], Jr.
Levi Russell - Los Lomas [132], Sr.
Jesse Gregorson - Liberty [120], So.
I think there could be little argument that not only is De la Salle’s JonJay Chavez the top wrestler in his weight class but that he is also the top returning wrestler in the entire section. Chavez secured a technical fall in the NCS finals last year, went on to take 7th at state, where he was also had 5-2 record and where his only losses were to the wrestlers that took 2nd and 6th. Moreover, on the season, he was 26-5 (a record he earned the hard way as his school goes to some of the toughest tournaments in the state). Since then he has also earned All-American status at FloNationals. I would anticipate that Chavez is not only likely to repeat as NCS champion but also earns a significantly higher medal at state than he did last year. In the second spot is Upper Lake’s Ward Beecher. Beecher placed 5th at NCS last year at 132 pounds and finished the season with an impressive 41-9 record. On top of that, he had many regular season successes, including taking a 6th place at the very tough Tim Brown tournament. With such accomplishments I see him as a very likely candidate for a trip to the state tournament. I next rank Granada’s Angel Beltran 3rd. He also has numerous accomplishments. These include an 8th place finish last year at 132 at NCS and solid season record of 27-16. Moreover, he placed 3rd at California Cadet Folkstyle State at 138 lbs and 5th at California cadet freestyle State at 145 lbs. He is also sure to challenge for a trip to the state finals. In the 4th spot is Windsor’s Trevor Silva. He made it to the top 12 round last year at NCS at 132 pounds and finished the season with a strong 35-10 record. Silva also had some off season successes, such as taking 5th at Cadet Folksyle state at 138 pounds and 5th at Cadet Freestyle State, also at 138 pounds. In the 5th spot is James Logan’s Marcus Zarate. Zarate also made it to the top 12 round last year at 132 and had a season record of 27-15. In the 6th spot is College Park’s Romello Manjares. Although he struggled at NCS last year (only going 1-2) one of those losses were to the wrestler that finished 3rd and the other one was a narrow 5-4 decision. He nevertheless had a solid 33-16 record on the season. In addition, he recently took 4th at the California State Junior Freestyle tournament and thus deserves some respect in the rankings. In the 7th spot is the very solid Levi Russell of Los Lomas. He also made it to the round of 12 last year at 132. Moreover, his only two losses at NCS were to the wrestlers that placed 3rd (5-0) and the wrestler that placed 6th (8-2). Furthermore, on the season, he finished with a solid record of 28-12. In the 8th spot is Liberty’s Jesse Gregorson. Although Gregorson was at Heritage last year, I have heard rumors he has since transferred to Liberty. Even though Gregorson struggled a bit last year at NCS, only going 1-2 (and 9-3 on the season), he suffered an injury that kept him off the mat for much of the season. He nevertheless has very good pedigree, including taking 6th at California cadet freestyle. I would suspect that he bounces back this coming season and puts himself in the hunt for a NCS medal.
145:
Matt McCoy - Clayton Valley [138], Sr.
Nico Lang - Livermore [138], Sr.
Mark Bohannon – De la Salle [138], Sr.
Dominic Dingess - Lower Lake [138], Jr.
Anthony Urbina - College Park [145], Sr.
Cody Row - Windsor [145], Sr.
Nik Ramirez - Castro Valley [138], Sr.
Payton Kelly - Maria Carillo [N/A], So.
Top ranked wrestler in my opinion at this weight is Clayton Valley’s Matt McCoy. McCoy and Livermore’s Nico Lang have a bit of a history against each other. Last year these two wrestlers squared off against each other no less than 3 times. At last year’s Clayton Valley Tournament, McCoy scored a pin over Lange. Lange then avenged that loss at MSJ and scored 5-2 decision over McCoy. But McCoy got the last laugh at NCS when he defeated Lange (with a pin) in their 5th/6th place match. So based on his more recent wins, McCoy must be ranked above Lang. In addition to those wins, McCoy placed 5th at NCS and had a season record of 34-15. I thus see him as top-dog in the section at this weight. But Lang is also very good. In addition to placing 6th at NCS at 138 pounds (where he was 4th seed), he had a season record of 30-12. He also placed well at some very challenging tournaments, such as Zinkin. I would further suspect that both McCoy and Lang are mentioned in the state rankings this year. In the 3rd spot is DLS’s Mark Bohannon. He missed medaling by a single win last year at NCS and his only losses at the tournament were to the wrestlers that finished 4th and 7th. On the season, he finished with a solid 28-15 record and had numerous accomplishments along the way. In the 4th spot is Lower Lake’s Dominic Dingess, who also missed medaling last year by a single win at 138 pounds. He went 4-2 at NCS and was 36-9 on the year. In the 5th spot is College Park’s Anthony Urbina. He clearly fell short of his expectations last year. Although he entered the tournament as 7th seed at this weight, he only went 1-2. However, he had a season record of 22-10 and was solid throughout the regular season. Despite a poor performance in the post season last year, I think his prior accomplishments entitle him to some respect in the rankings. In the 6th spot is Windsor’s Cody Row. Row went 3-2 at NCS last year at 145 pounds and was 16-9 on the season. Castro Valley’s Nik Ramirez earns the 7th spot. He missed medaling last year by just 2 wins and had a 25-17 record on the year. In the eight spot is Maria Carillo’s Payton Kelly. Although he did not wrestle at NCS last year, he recently took 8th at the state cadet freestyle championships at 145 pounds. That success should likely translate into some success this year at NCS.
152
Payton Russum – De la Salle [152], Sr.
Joey Clay - Rancho Cotate [152, Sr.
Jake Axlerod - Freedom [152], Sr.
Garret Heath – Novato [145], Sr.
Arturo Basurto – American [152], Sr.
Mark Wilhelm - College Park [NA], Sr.
Grant Ferris - Liberty [145], So.
Kyle Campiotti - Granada [145], Sr.
Top dog at 152s is DLS’s Payton Russom. He placed 7th at 152s last year, even though he entered the tournament as a 3rd seed. On the season he had a solid record of 34-17. Moreover, at NCS last year he defeated my second ranked wrestler, Clay, by a score of 6-3. So Russum must be ranked ahead of Clay. But Rancho Cotate’s Joey Clay is very solid as well. He also was just 1 win away from securing a NCS medal last year. Moreover, his season record of 37-8 was extremely impressive. In addition, Clay had a great season last year, which included being crowned champion of last year’s King of the Mat, 2nd at Lou Encalada, and 2nd at the Green & Gold. I would not be surprised to see both Russum and Clay ranked in the state once those ranking come out. In the 3rd spot is Freedom’s Jake Axlerod. Axlerod missed medaling last year at this weight by a single win. His only losses at the tournament were to the wrestlers who placed 3rd and 7th (the latter loss to Russum by a score of 6-3). He also had a lot of regular season successes. That success resulted in him amassing a season total record of 26-10. I next rank Novato’s Garret Heath in the 4th spot. He made it to the round of top 12 last year at 145s by going 3-2. He also had a very solid record of 36-10 on the year. On top of that, he had a lot of regular season success, which included winning the Bill Martell Invitational, taking 2nd at Valley of the Moon, 2nd at the Dream and 2nd at Lou Bronzan. In the 5th spot is American’s Arturo Basurto. Basurto went 3-2 last year at NCS at this weight and thus missed a medal by just two wins. He also went 12-10 on the year. In the 6th spot I see College Park’s Mark Wilhelm. An injury kept him off the mat for much of the season last year. However, he has since been making a name for himself in the off season, including taking 7th at California state cadet folkstyle championships at 138 and a 4th at California state freestyle championships at 152s. In the 7th spot is Liberty’s Grant Ferris. Although he struggled a bit at NCS last year where he only went 1-2, he also has been wrestling well in the off season. He recently took 8th at California state cadet folkstyle championships at 145 and a 8th at California state freestyle championships at 152s. Rounding out the pack in the 8th spot is Granada’s Kyle Campiotti. He went 2-2 at NCS last year at 145 pounds and was 24-14 on the year.
160
Tyler Rardon – Livermore [152], Sr.
Louis Cosce - Hoopa Valley [160], Sr.
Ian Black - Healdsburg [152], Jr.
John Pricco - California [152], Sr.
Zach Little - Dublin [152], Sr.
Ayemere Oiyemhoman - Deer Valley [160], Jr.
Thomas Cook - Granada [160], Sr.
Austin Hamilton - Amador Valley [145], Sr.
Livermore’s Tyler Rardon had a great season last year. He won NCS at 152 pounds, amassed a season record of 35-7, and he went on to take 2nd at the California state junior folkstyle tournament. On top of that, he was ranked as high as 17th last year in the official state rankings, though I am confident he will be ranked in the top 10 once the new state rankings come out. Rardon also had some great regular season successes last year, which included placing 1st at the Ceres Tournament, winning the Clayton Valley Tournament, placing 5th at the very challenging Sierra Nevada tournament, and taking a 6th at MSJ. I believe he is the clear choice for top-dog status in the NCS. In the second spot is Hoopa Valley’s Louis Cosce. Cosce placed 4th last year at NCS at this weight and amassed a season record of 27-8. Last year in the regular season he also looked very impressive. He took 2nd at the McKinleyville Tournament, 3rd at Eureka’s North Coast Classic, won the Fort Bragg Tournament, was a dominate champion of Windor’s King of the Mat (where he pinned or majored all his opponents) at 160s and he was an honorably mention in the state rankings. Healdsburg’s Ian Black lands in the 3rd position in the rankings at this weight. He is another very solid wrestler. Last year he had a very good year, which included going 24-11 on the season. Although he only was able to go 2-2 at NCS, his losses were to the wrestlers that placed 1st (a 9-2 loss) and 8th (a 4-2 loss). So he is certainly worthy of attention. In the 4th spot is California’s John Pricco. He had a similar story to Black’s story in that Pricco also went 2-2 at NCS at 152 pounds, but his two losses were to the wrestlers who finished 2nd and 6th. He also had a solid season record of 20-12. In the 5th spot is Dulbin’s Zach Little. Although he struggled at NCS last year at 152 pounds, he had a strong regular season, which included winning Castro Valley’s Bay Area Invitational and amassing a season record of 18-6. I would note that at NCS last year, Pricco did secure a win over Little (15-8), which buttresses Pricco’s claim to a higher ranking. In the 6th spot is Deer Valley’s Oiyemhoman, who is another wrestler whose only losses at NCS last year were to ultimate medalists. He went 3-2 at NCS last year (only losing to the wrestlers who placed 4th and 8th) and amassed as a season record of 29-17. I next see Granada’s Thomas Cook in the 7th spot. He went 2-2 at NCS last year at 160 pounds, where his only losses were to the wrestlers who placed 4th and 6th. He also had a solid season record of 22-22. Amador Valley’s Austin Hamilton takes that 8th spot. This senior also went 2-2 last year at 145 pounds at the NCS tournament and ended the season with a 25-17 record.
170
Devin Aiello – De la Salle [152], Sr.
Nathan Morris - Redwood [152], Jr.
Tanner Blank - Liberty [160], Sr.
Isia Guzman – Windsor [170], Sr.
Thomas Cross - Lower Lake [170], Sr.
Andre Decoito - Castro Valley [170], Sr.
Max Mayo - Concord [170], Sr.
Eric Turner - Del Norte [170], Jr.
Last year, DLS’s Devin Aiello entered the NCS tournament as the 6th seed at a 160 pounds, but did slightly better than his seed by going 6-2 and placing 5th at the tournament, thereby missing a chance to wrestle at the state tournament by just one win. He also amassed a very impressive season record of 26-13 and had several impressive regular season medals to his name, including a 5th place at the Bash. As the top returning medalist that I see at this weight, I believe he deserves to be ranked 1st. In the second spot is Redwood’s Nathan Morris, who is the younger brother of last year’s NCS champion, and 7th in the state, Dylan Morris. Nathan has been establishing success in his own name. This includes placing 8th last year at NCS at 152 pounds, securing a season record of 38-10, going on to placing 8th at the California state cadet freestyle tournament (and he might have done better there but for his injury default) and securing numerous regular season medals last year, including a 3rd at Lou Bronzan, a 3rd at Golden Gate, a 2nd at King of the Mat and a 2nd at Albany. I would note that if I am correct about Aiello and Morris both being at this weight come post season, we could be in for a very exciting championship match between them. Liberty’s Tanner Blank just keeps getting better as he matures. Last year, he made it to the round of top 12 at NCS. His only losses at the tournament were to the wrestlers who placed 3rd and 8th (the latter a tight 4-3 loss). He amassed a very impressive season record of 35-11 in the process. Since NCS, he has gone on to place 3rd at the California state junior folkstyle tournament at 170 pounds and 8th at the California state junior freestyle tournament. I see him as a very likely contender to qualify for the state tournament this year. In the 4th spot is Windsor’s Guzman. He also missed placing at NCS last year by a single win, though he went 3-2 at the tournament. On the season he went 33-12 and then followed up that success by placing 4th at the California state junior folkstyle championships. Coming into the rankings with a 5th is Lower Lake’s Thomas Cross. He also went 3-2 at NCS (failing to place by a single match and only losing to the wrestlers who placed 4th and 8th) and went 30-10 on the season. The 6th spot goes to Castro Valley’s Andre De Coito. He had a very impressive record last year of 29-14. At NCS, he only went 2-2. However, his two losses were to the wrestlers who placed 2nd and 3rd. In the 7th spot is Concord’s Max Mayo. He went 2-2 last year at NCS, failed to place by just 2 wins and finished the season with a record of 11-6. Bringing up the 8th spot is Del Norte’s Eric Turner. Although he had a rough NCS tournament, he had some successes on the regular season including taking 2nd at the McKinleyville tournament.
182
Taryn Christiansen - El Molino [182], Sr.
Zach Hansen – Liberty [170], Sr.
Aaron Pease – De La Salle [170], Sr.
Shoiab Rasooli - James Logan [182], Sr.
Micah Spalding - Miramonte [182], Sr.
Jake Richards - Fort Bragg [182], Sr.
Troy Gomez - Granada [170], Sr.
Sage Ritchie - Maria Carillo [182], Sr.
If I am correct about who I expect to see here, 182s is looking to be a very competitive weight class in the NCS – maybe the toughest in the section. Leading the charge is the very talented Christiansen of El Molino. This wrestler entered the NCS tournament last year as the number 1 seed. Although he eventually settled for a 4th place at this weight class, he nevertheless amassed a season 32-12 record. He also placed 7th as a sophomore. Last year, during the regular season he took 2nd place at this weight at the Chukchansi Invitational, 1st at Fort Bragg, and 3rd at the Bash. His success also earned him repeated places in the state rankings last year. On top of all that success, he took 4th recently at the California state junior freestyle championships at 195 pounds. I see him as the number 1 wrestler at this weight. However, he is going to be challenged by the very tough Zach Hansen out of Liberty High School. Hansen was the NCS runner-up last year at 170 pounds. He also went 37-13 on the year and had several regular season successes, including taking 3rd at Lou Bronzan and 5th at Mat Classic. Moreover, he was consistently ranked as a honorable mentioned in the state rankings. In the 3rd spot is DLS’s Aaron Pease. Pease placed 4th last year at NCS at 170 and went 32-13 on the year. He also placed 8th at NCS as a sophomore. On top of that success, he won the Bash and was ranked as high as 20th in the state last year. I believe Pease is certainly in the mix for landing in the championship match at this very tough weight class. In the 4th spot is James Logan’s Soiab Rasooli. Although he failed to place last year at NCS, he entered the tournament as a 7th seed. He did make it to the top 12 round but was ultimately stopped there by the wrestler that placed 7th. Rasooli finished the season with a solid record of 24-11. Miramonte’s Micah Spalding earns the 5th spot in the rankings. He also went 3-2 at NCS at this weight and missed placing by a single win. In addition to finishing a successful season with a solid 18-11 record, he won the Bill Martell tournament and placed 2nd at the Golden Gate tournament. In the 6th spot is Fort Bragg’s Jake Richards. Richards started last year’s season very strong, winning both the Fort Bragg and the Lou Bronzan tournaments. He also took 2nd at Green and Gold, 2nd at North Coast Classic, 1st at the Pound, 2nd at King of the Mat. Although Richards struggled at NCS, losing a first round match to the wrestler that ultimately placed 8th, he ultimately finished the season with a solid record of 35-8. I certainly see Richards in the thick of things this year. Granada’s Troy Gomez earns the 7th spot. He went 24-19 last year and 2-2 at NCS. But he also won the Bay Area Invitational, took 4th at Puma, and 6th at the very challenging Coast Classic. He thus earns some respect in the rankings. Finishing off this very formidable weight class is Maria Carillo’s Sage Ritchie. Ritchie went 13-5 on the season (2-2 at NCS) and wrestled well at some regular season tournaments, including the King of the Mat tournament.
195
Jason Price – Hoopa Valley [195], Sr.
Clayton Hartwell – James Logan [195], Jr.
Antonio Baldazo - Pittsburg [1952], Jr.
Angel Gomez – De la Salle [195], Sr.
Neil Dondanville – Fort Bragg [195], Sr.
Joe Brusatti – Terra Linda [195], Sr.
David Plechaty – Del Norte [195], Jr.
Leevy Singleton - Middletown [195], Jr.
Top dog status goes to Hoopa Valley’s Jason Price, who placed 3rd at NCS last year at this weight, went 2-2 at state, and finished the season with an impressive record of 25-6. Moreover, as a sophomore, Price placed 6th at 189 lbs. Last year he also won the McKinleyville Tournament, took 2nd at the Fort Bragg tournament, took 6th at MSJ and rose to as high as 34th in the state rankings at this weight. I would suspect that his stock rises from that level once the new state rankings are posted. In the second spot is James Logan’s Clayton Hartwell. He placed 4th at NCS last year at 195 pounds and lost a nail-biter in the consolation finals to Price by an overtime score of 9-7. Hartwell also went 25-13 on the season and followed that success up by placing 7th at the California state cadet freestyle championships. This weight class opens up more than a bit after the top two ranks. Taking the 3rd rank is Pittsburg’s Antonio Baldazo. He went 20-11 on the season, but missed placing at NCS last year by a single win. I would suspect he is in the hunt for a medal this year. In the 4th spot is DLS’s Angel Gomez. Gomez earned his school’s varsity spot for much of the season last year, that was until NCS champ Justin Walker dropped down in weight to take the spot from Gomez. Nevertheless, he had a lot of success in the regular season last year prior to Walker’s drop and I would suspect he picks up where he left off last year. Following Gomez is Fort Bragg’s Neil Dondanville. He went 3-2 at NCS last year at this weight and missed a medal by just 2 wins. He also finished the season with a solid record of 9-4. However, at NCS Dondanvile lost to Baldazo, which strengthens the argument that Baldazzo should be ranked above him. In the 6th spot is Terra Linda’s Joe Brusatti. Brusatti also went 3-2 at NCS last year and was 29-21 on the year. In the 7th spot is Del Norte’s David Plechaty who went 2-2 at NCS last year and was 29-14 on the season. Rounding out the top eight is Middletown’s Leevy Singleton, who with a record of 18-16 has the best returning record of all remaining wrestlers at this weight.
220
Joe Valdez - Upper Lake [220], Sr.
Aiden Lacy - Sonoma [220], Sr.
Sumner Houston – De la Salle [220], Jr.
Tom Taylor – John F. Kennedy [220], Sr.
Christian Delagnes - Windsor [220], Sr.
Arturro Morfin – Pittsburg [220], Sr.
Mike Warren - Lower Lake [220], Sr.
Miguel Lara - Alhambra [220], Sr.
Joe Valdez is the clear top dog at 220. As the highest returning placer from last year’s NCS tournament at this weight, he deserves to be ranked 1st. Last year he took home the 6th place medal and secured a season record of 41-15. Valdez also earned a 3rd place finish at McKinleyville, a 3rd place at Fort Bragg, a 4th place at Lou Bronzan, a 1st place finish at the Middletown tournament and went 4-2 at Tim Brown. He also was one win away from medaling at MSJ. Moreover, in the NCS consolation quarterfinals, Valdez secured a 8-4 victory over my second ranked wrestler, Sonoma’s Aiden Lacy, thus solidifying Valdez’s claim to top spot in the rankings. But Lacy is very accomplished in his own right. He placed 7th at NCS last year and earned a season record of 34-10. He also took 2nd last year at his school’s Valley of the Moon Tournament, went a respectable 4-2 at Tim Brown, took a 3rd at King of the Mat and won Dawn to Dusk. In the 3rd spot was dark horse Summer Houston of DLS, who burst onto the seen last year during the post season. He earned the 8th spot at this weight in the NCS and finished the season with a record of 14-8. JFK’s Tom Taylor also had a solid season. He went 4-2 at sections and missed placing by a single match when he lost to the 5th placed wrestler in the medal round. He also finished the season with a solid 17-10 record and thus earns some recognition in the rankings. Windsor’s Christian Delanges also made it to the best of 12 round and went 3-2 in the section tournament. On the season, he also had an impressive record of 19-11 and thus earns a 5th spot in the rankings. In the 6th spot is Pittsburg’s Arturro Morfin, who is another very solid wrestler. He also missed medaling by a single win and made it to the top 12 round. His only losses last year were to the wrestlers who finished 5th and 7th and he finished the season with a solid 19-11 record. Mike Warren of Lower Lake earns the 7th spot in the rankings. He had a record of 21-8 and missed medaling by just two matches. Rounding out the top 8 is Alhambra’s Miguael Lara who went 3-2 at NCS last year and finished the season with a 12-5 record.
285
Anthony Kosinski - Marin Catholic [285], Sr.
Dylan Walsh - Las Lomas [285], Sr.
Xavier Banks – De la Salle [285], Sr.
Elijah Qualls - Casa Grande [285], Sr.
John Carandang - Foothill [285], Jr.
Josh Hanson - Eureka [285], Sr.
Pablo Gonzalez - Ukiah [285], Jr.
Joe Lacomba - James Logan [285], Sr.
This is a unique year for the big men as each of the top four placers from last year’s tournament are returning, thus making the top four rankings rather straightforward. Among those top four, clearly top dog status must be given to Marin Catholic’s Anthony Kosinski. He finished the season with a very impressive record of 23-12. On top of that, he took second at the very challenging MSJ tournament. Thus, he deserves to be ranked first. In the second spot is Las Lomas’s Dylan Walsh. He took 2nd last year when he suffered a pin against Kosinski in the finals. However, Walsh had a 27-9 record on the season last year. He also took 3rd at Castro Valley’s Bay Area Invitational, 6th at Mat Classic and 2nd at Puma. In the 3rd spot is DLS’s Xavier Banks, who placed 3rd at NCS last year, with his only loss coming in the semi-finals to Kosinski by a very close score of 3-2. Banks finished the season with a solid record of 18-8 and had some significant wins along the way. In the 4th spot is Casa Grande’s Elijah Qualls, who placed 4th last year at NCS and finished the season with a solid record of 29-9 and though he qualified for state, did not actually wrestler there. However, he also had a very good regular season, which included winning the Green & Gold, taking 6th at the NorCal Tournament, and taking 2nd at Albany. I next see Foothill’s John Carandang. He went 4-2 at NCS last year and made it to the top 12 round. He also finished the season going 30-15 and he took 3rd at Bill Martell and 2nd at San Ramon and thus deserves some recognition. In the 5th spot is Eureka’s Josh Hanson. He entered the NCS tournament as a 5th seed, though he failed to place after going 2-2. He did however have a season record of 32-12 and placed 2nd at the Fort Bragg Winter Bash, 3rd at McKinleyville, 2nd at Eureka’s North Coast Classic, 3rd at Del Norte’s Battle of the Border, and took 5th at Puma. Hanson also went 2-2 at NorCal. Ukiah’s Pablo Gonzalez gets the 7th spot. Although he only went 1-2 at NCS, his two losses were very tight losses to the wrestlers who placed 1st (by a score of 2-0) and 7th (by a score of 7-6). He also finished the season with a 19-14 record. James Logan’s Joe Lacomba went 2-2 at NCS last year and finished the season with a record of 32-15. He also took 3rd at Mat Classic and 2nd at Clayton Valley and thus earns a spot in the rankings.