Calvary Chapel Gets Stiff Test in Meet

FOUNTAIN VALLEY — It’s the Five Counties Wrestling Invitational but the meet could be considered a preview of the state finals in March.

If that’s the case, that’s not exactly great news for Calvary Chapel.

The Eagles, the defending team state champions, had two wrestlers lose in the finals Saturday but held on to beat Clovis West for the team title with 195.5 points. Clovis West finished with 170 points and Poway was third with 140.

“After this tournament, we start to make our push to division finals, Masters and then state. So Five Counties is a very good test for us,” Calvary Chapel Coach John Azevedo said.

Calvary Chapel’s Jay McGuffin was the first to lose in the finals. The 135-pounder failed to get an escape in the last minute, giving Clovis West’s Ralph Lopez a 3-1 victory. McGuffin was a three-time champion in Washington state before transferring to Calvary Chapel this school year.

Calvary Chapel’s Joe Calavitta defeated Ryan McInerney of Poway, 10-4, for the title at 140 pounds.

Calvary Chapel’s Louie Hernandez lost to Mike Sherrick of Clovis West, 10-8, in the finals at 145.

Ty Wilcox gave the Eagles some breathing room in the standings when he defeated Joe Nakamura of Corona Centennial, 9-1. Wilcox, who remains undefeated, was named the tournament’s most valuable wrestler in the upper weights.

In the heavyweight finals, Newport Harbor’s Jason Deere, ranked first in the county, defeated Brea Olinda’s Richard Maraz using brute strength the entire match for a 5-0 decision.

Other champions were Bryan Sanchez of Calexico (103), Jime Garza of Sanger (112), Armando Orozco of Vacaville (119), Cedrick Haymon of El Cajon Valley (125), Carlos Blanco of Moreno Valley Canyon Springs (135), Steve Strange of Hughson (152), Tyler Lunn of Clovis Buchanan (171), Dan Jackson of Kingburg (189) and Jason Miller of Hacienda Heights Wilson (215).

In third-place matches, Michael Delany of Brethren Christian defeated Mike Noriega of Lake Arrowhead Rim of the World, 8-1, at 112 pounds.

Delany earlier beat Fernando Serratos of Santa Ana, 1-0, in the quarterfinals. Serratos, ranked first in the county at 112 pounds, dropped from 119 for this tournament.

Tino Archuleta of Calvary Chapel, who was upset by Robert Espejo of Indio, 8-6 in the quarterfinals, beat Tom Barwis of Shingle Springs Ponderosa, 8-3.

Finishing fourth in the tournament were Tony Perez of Santa Ana (103), Pat Cadwallader of Brethren Christian (135), Cameron St. Clair of Brea Olinda (152), David Saucedo of El Modena (heavyweight), Mike Bigrigg of Calvary Chapel (171) and Josh Saul (215), also of Calvary Chapel.