SGV/Whittier Prep Sports Zone: Boys and Girls Wrestling Preview
Walnut and Northview project to be the top teams: We have our Top-10 Pound for Pound Rankings in boys and girls wrestling and break down the weight classes in boys wrestling.
While most people will agree that the Basketball in the area will be very good this year, the area is also one of the fertile areas when it comes to boys and girls wrestling. It was displayed at the state championships last year that saw Walnut’s Ronnie Ramirez make the finals, while Anaya Falcon (Walnut) and Briana Gonzalez (Arroyo) won a state title with Savannah Lewis (Northview) and Galilea Garcia (Schurr) advancing to state finals.
The 2022-23 season should be filled with more excitement and surprises.
Here are the top 10 pound-for-pound boys wrestlers in the area.
Ronnie Ramirez (Walnut, 10, 113 pounds): The only area wrestler to advance to a state final, the sky is the limit for this talented sophomore. He is the top-ranked wrestler in the state by the California Wrestler. Ramirez traveled back east several weeks ago for the big Super 32 tournament and finished with a 4-2 record. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles having a target on his back.
Mario Sandoval (Northview, 12, 132 pounds): Another one of Bobby Bellamy’s “Mat Rats” as he finished in the top 12 at last year’s state tournament. He also took first place in the Rumble for the Rig Tournament in Bakersfield and won the silver medal at the sectional divisionals. He took sixth place at the Freakshow Tournament in Las Vegas several weeks ago at 138. He bumps up from 126 to 132 this season.
Christian Garcia (Walnut, 10, 120 pounds) – Another elite sophomore to coach Camilo Gonzalez to work with. He was very impressive in winning a Masters title last year and went 2-2 at the state meet. He notched five tournament titles last year.
Marcus Tolentino (Northview, 11, 106) – This flashy wrestler is all about action on the mat and is lightning-quick. A returning state qualifier that won a Valle Vista League crown, Tolentino had a nice summer competing in freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions. He’s easily one of the top pound-for-pound wrestlers in the area. Ranked ninth in the state.
Elijah Flores (Walnut, 12, 126): The senior is ranked eighth in the state in the preseason rankings, the senior won four tournaments last year, including a Hacienda League title. Two of his big wins came against Adrian Limon of Northview last year. Look for him to make some noise at the state tournament this season. He’ll easily be one of the wrestlers to follow closely this season.
Nathan Cruz (Northview, 12, 170): The senior was a Masters qualifier as a sophomore two years ago. He came back with a vengeance in 2022 with impressive performances at the Huerta Tournament and was a Valle Vista League champion. Those inside the Vikings program are expecting big things from Cruz this season.
Raymond Macias (Bishop Amat, 12, 285): One of the strongest and most ferocious competitors in the area, Macias took a nice daily double in winning a Mission League title and a Central Division crown as well. He qualified for state which is huge for anyone in the area. He is a key member of the football team, so it’ll take a while for him to get up to speed from a conditional point of view on the mat. There are guys and then there are dudes. This guy is a dude!
Camilo Ramirez (Walnut, 11, 106): It was a disappointing end to the season last year for Ramirez as he didn’t participate in the postseason tournaments. He did win two tournaments and some legitimate competitors who did well in the postseason. Don’t be surprised to see him and Tolentino wrestle for a Masters Meet title late in the year.
Jacob Salcedo (Northview, 12, 152): A returning state qualifier last year, the senior finished first in three tournaments which included the Valle Vista League title. He does have a nice win over Ryder Yoshitake from San Marino that catches the eye along with two wins over Sonora’s best wrestler Kyle Sakuda. He can put it all together once again in 2023, we see no reason why he can’t earn a return trip to the state tournament in Bakersfield.
Sonny Acuna (Northview, 11, 182)/Mikel David Uyemura (San Marino, 9, 152): This was tough. There is little separation between both these wrestlers. Acuna is a returning Valle Vista League champion that also qualified for the Masters Meet. He also had a huge summer on the freestyle/Greco-Roman circuit. As for Uyemura, he has area wrestling fans buzzing. He is a 15U Pan-American champion that also finished second at the US Open this past summer in the U15 Greco-Roman Division. Many have said this is the next great wrestler to come from San Marino. Don’t be surprised to this talented wrestler qualify for the state meet – HE IS THAT GOOD! He tipped his hand several weeks ago when he won the Halloween Open at Cerritos College with a thrilling 4-3 win over Kai Necci of Santa Monica
As you can imagine, there are a great number of wrestlers that are close to cracking the top 10. Let’s take a look at each of the weight classes to find our “Diamonds in the Rough.”
106: There is a truckload of talented wrestlers in this weight class. It’ll be interesting to see who emerges from the pack. South Hills has an incoming wrestler in freshman Ezequiel Guerrero who was a top-12 finisher at the uber-talented Freakshow Tournament in Arizona which is a good primer for the season. He’ll be joined by teammate Kayden Vasquez. San Dimas is extremely on Ethan Rodriguez, a sophomore, part of a light-weight group that coach Jim Rodriguez calls a “stacked lineup.” Chris Casanave is part of a wrestling family at Bonita. The senior finished second at the Palomares League finals and is a fourth-year varsity wrestler, which means he’ll bring some leadership to the team. Arroyo coach Can Tran likes the way sophomore Lucas Long is coming along and Santa Fe has an interesting prospect in sophomore Diego Tinajero. La Canada has one to follow in sophomore Sasha Kliegl.
113: Northview’s Nicholas Arellano battled with some of the top wrestlers in the state last year and more than held his own. He was 3-2 at the 5-Counties Tournament won the Valle Vista League title at 113 and was a Masters qualifier. On any other year, he is in the top 10. Arellano has a huge upside as the season starts. Arellano’s main threat for a VVL title comes from San Dimas and sophomore Ben Cordero. South Hills’ Christian Montoya took first at the Arroyo Tournament last year and was a sectional qualifier. He’ll bump up from 106 to 113 this year. A senior to follow is La Canada’s, Adam Daghlian.
119: South Hills coach Claudio Seanez is starting to build his lineup nicely and he has a good-looking wrestler to compete against Walnut’s Garcia in Nikhil Guerrero. The sophomore was a top-12 CIF wrestler in 2022 and has developed nicely. Nogales also a nice sophomore in Berto Cristi. The best of this group could come from La Canada as sophomore Michael Manzano who was a CIF-SS qualifier and recently finished second at a USA Wrestling Regional Championship event. Junior Owen Callaway (Bonita) took third in the league finals last year and is part of a veteran lineup (third year on the varsity staff). Arroyo senior Gabriel Delgado took eighth place at CIF-SS Divisionals and Santa Fe has an interesting contender in sophomore David Davalos.
126: This is one of the few weight classes where the depth of wrestlers in the area comes up a little bit light. The wrestler with a nice upside is South Hills sophomore Joseph Martinez, who was a CIF-SS qualifier last year. Another sophomore with good credentials is Bonita’s, Dylan Garcia. He placed third at the league finals last year and was seventh at the divisionals. La Canada has a senior that they are high on in Cage Schmidt. Santa Fe will fill out this weight class with junior David Govea and Arroyo will feature junior Aaron Olvera. Nogales’ Constantinos Dimitradis took second place in the league last year and is part of a group of four wrestlers that will be competing for the starting spot which includes Jonas Davis, Andrew Aguilar, and Steven Carbajal.
132: This is one heck of a weight class. While Northview’s Sandoval is the diamond of the class, there are several other wrestlers that are looking for huge seasons. Bishop Amat’s Gianluca Munoz won the Mission League title at 132 and was a Masters qualifier. He also took second at the Los Osos Tournament. He was eighth at 138 pounds at the state cadet freestyle tournament over the summer. Another wrestler to watch is South Hills junior Gael Ahumada and La Canada’s Clive Fernando. Fernando’s made competition for a Rio Hondo League title is San Marino junior Taylor Tan, who finished fourth at two tournaments last season. Santa Fe has a nice-looking junior in Elijah Flores, a returning league champion who is also a team captain.
138: Interesting weight class. Northview’s Viviano Gutierrez is a transfer from Sonora, so he’ll bring some more depth to the middle weight classes for coach Bobby Bellamy. Gutierrez won three tournaments last year and was a Freeway League champion. His main competition for top honors in the area will be Arroyo’s Finnegan Long, who finished third at CIF Divisionals last year and was a Masters’ qualifier. Coach Can Tran indicated that he’ll be either at 138 or 145 As if this class wasn’t fascinating enough, don’t leave out La Canada’s Jonah Kim, a Rio Hondo League champion last year and who placed sixth at divisionals. Other wrestlers to follow are Domenick Ibarra (Nogales), senior Brentley Macamay (Walnut), Jeremy Ortiz (San Dimas, “Our most technical wrestler and should do well this year,” coach Jim Rodriguez said), Imanuel Flores (Santa Fe), and Jack Hunter (South Hills) – a CIF-SS Qualifier.
145: This is a brutally tough weight class. Ryder Yoshitake from San Marino is an absolute hammer. He was a state qualifier in 2021 and you can make a great argument that he deserves to be in our top 10. However, when your teammate has a glittering resume as Uyemura, it makes for a tremendous 1-2 punch. Yoshitake is also a national tournament placer. Tristen Fernandez from Bonita is another talented wrestler in the area for the class of 2025. The Palomares League champion was another Masters qualifier and bumps up from 126 to 145. He is another wrestler that would have been in our top 10 in any other year. Larry Cruz was the other Arroyo wrestler that won a bronze medal at CIF-SS Divisionals last year and qualified for the Masters Meet. He’ll either wrestle at 145 or 138. La Canada’s Eli Mulheim is a returning Rio Hondo League champion. Other wrestlers to follow include South Hills’ Jordan Phillips and Santa Fe’s Josiah Castillo.
152: While Northview’s Salcido headlines this group, there are several other wrestlers that are to be watched closely. The freshman wrestler that has the area buzzing is freshman Mikel David Uyemura. The Hacienda League title should come down to Walnut’s Joseph Contreras (a Masters qualifier who wrestled top-notch competition at 145) or South Hills’ Christian Rosales (a CIF-SS Divisional Qualifier). Other wrestlers to follow in this weight class includes Damien’s Luke Gareis, La Canada’s Ben Reisberg, and Santa Fe’s Juan Elizarraras.
160: Of all the weight classes, this could be the least productive in the area. Glendora’s Marquize Brown is a returning Palomares League champion that took third at the Upland Blackwatch tournament. One of the more explosive wrestlers in the area, he also took 8th place at the California USA Wrestling Junior Folkstyle tournament. His main contender for a league title figures to come from Bonita’s Nathan Gonzalez (third in league, third year on varsity squad). Another wrestler to follow is La Canada’s, Jadon Pak.
170: This is another weight class that is not as highly rated as some of the other weight classes in the area. Bonita’s Miles Cole Para, a sophomore, is a returning Palomares League champion and finished seventh at divisonals. San Dimas’ Seth Hoodye, another senior, finished in fifth place at Divisionals. La Canada has a talented wrestler in Miles Johnstone, who is a returning Rio Hondo League champion and is a team captain. South Hills has a returning CIF qualifier in junior Max Topete and Santa Fe will slot in junior Rodolfo Cristobal.
182: While Northview’s Acuna is the best wrestler in the area, there are several other wrestlers that make this weight class very interesting. Schurr’s Marco Rodriguez is a rare elite wrestler from the Almont League that has huge expectations. He qualified for the Masters tournament off of a huge performance at the Inland Divisional Tournament. He’s the best wrestler in the Whittier area. La Mirada’s Matthew Bahra, a sophomore, a returning divisional qualifier that held his own at the Mann Classic last season. Bonita’s Michael Martinez, a junior, finished in third last year and will be on the varsity roster for the second year. Other wrestlers to follow include South Hills’ Ethan Dominguez, Nogales’ Bo Canty, Santa Fe’s Omar Correa, and Arroyo’s Joshua Contreras.
195: La Canada’s Adam Ruiz could be the best of this group. The senior medaled at two tournaments last year and advanced to the second day at CIF Divisionals. Bonita’s CT Clancey finished third place at the league finals and was a CIF qualifier. Another CIF qualifier that is returning this year is South Hills sophomore, Elias Alvarado. Damien’s Caden Arellano is a sophomore with a nice upside as he finished in third place at the Baseline League finals. Santa Fe’s Sebastian Araiza is a returning Del Rio League champion. Two other wrestlers to follow are Arroyo’s Alejandro Reyes and Nogales’ Benji Lugo.
220: Look for these wrestlers to also be competing at 285. La Canada’s Bryan Green is a returning Rio Hondo League champion at 285. Spartans coach Justin Luthey appears to have this grappler slotted at 220. Santa Fe has their uber-talented sophomore wrestler of their own in Del Rio League champion Fernando Toscano. He finished on the medal stand in five tournaments, which included an eighth-place finish at the divisionals. Damien’s Nick Salabaj is a returning Baseline League champion that qualified for the Masters Meet. He also plays on the offensive line on the football team and should have had enough time to prepare for a big year. Other wrestlers to watch include South Hills’ Diego Lopez, and Bonita’s Micah Tofilau.
285: While Amat’s Macias is one best area wrestlers in the area, this is a nice weight class for area fans. Damien’s starting lineman Trey Hyland is a junior and a returning Baseline League champion. Can we set up a match between Amat’s Macias? Glendora’s Hector Jimenez took top honors at the Damien Classic. Other wrestling to watch include Walnut’s Frank Emeterio, Santa Fe’s Mathew Muniz (incoming freshman), Nogales’ Jose Guerrero, and La Canada freshmen Duke Mora.
Here are the top 10 pound-for-pound girls wrestlers in the area.
Anaya Falcon, (Walnut, 11, 111): The sophomore turned heads at the state meet last year as she captured a state title with an upset win over returning state champion Nyla Valencia of Sobrato. She’s back at 111 again and will have to deal once again with longtime rivals Kiely Tabaldo (Menlo-Atherton) and Karissa Turnwall (Paloma Valley). She is one of the more entertaining wrestlers to watch in the area.
Jo Forman (Northview, 12, 143): This is her third school in four years (Upland and Montclair). She is a two-time state champion. So why is she number two in the area? We are biased toward wrestlers that stay with programs rather than transferring all over the place. But, you can’t blame her for wanting to train with one of the elite programs in the state. If Falcon stumbles a little bit, we can see her taking the top spot. She’s a thrower, which makes her one of the more fun wrestlers to watch.
Leilani Lazaro (Northview, 12, 116): Those inside the program call Lazaro the most vocal leader in the room, and brings a lot of leadership. The senior finished in fifth place at 116 pounds and will be one of four wrestlers that finished in the top five that will be returning this season. One of her rivals that she’ll have to deal with is Portola’s Carissa Qureshi, who pinned her twice at Masters Finals and the state meet. She is your typical Northview physical wrestler that loves nothing better than to punish her opponents for six minutes.
Juliana Marquez (San Dimas, 10, 160): The rise of the San Dimas girls wrestling program is real and one of the reasons why is because of Marquez. The sophomore announced her arrival on the scene last year as she won a Masters Meet title with a bruising 1-0 win over Westminster’s Kayla Laguana. She followed that up with an eighth-place effort at the state meet. Coach Jesse Jaime also does a great job with his upper-weight wrestlers when it comes to development and this one will be no different.
Jasmine Macias (Walnut, 11, 126): While most area fans were fixated on her teammate Falcon, Macias made huge inroads in 2022. She advanced to the semifinals at the Masters Meet before suffering a fall to San Dimas superstud Espi Dorantes. She fought back well and took third at the meet and used that to propel herself to an eighth-place finish at the tournament. Another year in the wrestling room at Walnut should be what the doctor ordered for this talented wrestler to hit the top of the medal stands at a number of tournaments this year.
Samantha Sachs (Glendora, 10, 116): Looking for the feeling-good story of the season, look no further than this talented sophomore. She decided to try out for the wrestling team last year without no experience and advanced to the Masters Meet before suffering a loss to Northview’s Lazaro. She had a great summer and was ranked by USA Wrestling in their preseason rankings. If we can get Lazaro and Sachs to faceoff one more time at CIF this year, that would be a great match to watch. One to follow very closely.
Kaley Rice (San Dimas, 12, 170): The senior turned a lot of eyes at the CIFSS Masters Meet last year with an impressive fifth-place performance. One week later, she hit the medal stand at the state meet with a seventh-place finish. Here is another physical wrestler that loves to push the action on the mat. She’ll thrive working out every day with teammate Marquez and she’ll get more than a few tips for Jaime. She’ll be a force all season long.
Allie Phillips (Keppel, 12, 235): It was a good year for the upper weights in the area last year and she was one of the reasons why. She advanced to the quarterfinals at the Masters Meet and earned the final qualifying spot from the section for the state meet. Looking for further improvements from her this season.
Jordan Carrillo (Walnut, 12, 160): As if the 160-pound class wasn’t tough enough, he comes to another wrestler from that uber-talented Walnut wrestling room. Carrillo won a divisional title last year and advanced to the semifinals before suffering a 5-1 loss to Westminster’s Laguana. She would end up taking third with a thrilling 4-3 win over Lakewood’s Zainab Hakeem. Carrillo is not the taller wrestler for the weight class, but she has no trouble mixing it up. She is another Mustangs wrestler that appears to be sitting on a big season.
(de Brito in red)
Kira de Brito (La Canada, 12, 150): Of all of the questionnaires that we received, this was one wrestler that caught our eye from Justin Luthey’s roster. She advanced to the second day of the Masters Meet and participated at the first SoCal Beach Championships and took first place (with talented teammate Angel Lee). She was also a state qualifier for USA National Championships in Fargo, North Dakota. She has a number of college offers and appears to be sitting on a big year. She had a solid summer of participating in freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions. Don’t be surprised to see her on the medal stand at the state meet.
