Eagles Can Master This Domain

Calvary Chapel, the defending state champion, begins competition today with four wrestlers seeded first at the Southern Section Masters meet at 4 p.m. today at Fountain Valley High.

Anthony Rodriquez (112 pounds), Steve Esparza (130), Joe Williams (160) and Willie Parks (171) lead the Eagles, who have seven other wrestlers competing in the two-day event that serves as the Southern Section’s state qualifying meet.

Santa Ana, which won the Division II championship last week, has 11 wrestlers in the meet, including top-seeded Ozvaldo Avalos at 152 pounds.

Buena Park’s Juan Ruiz (125) is the only other county wrestler seeded No. 1.

Six county wrestlers are seeded second: Uriel Chavez (112) of Magnolia, Bruce Lim (119) of Newport Harbor, Keith Collins (140) of El Dorado, Chad Jackson (145) of Calvary Chapel, Daniel Contreras (160) of El Modena and heavyweight Jerod Simpson of Laguna Hills.

Other county wrestlers to watch include Loara’s Orlando Galvan (112), the defending state champion, and his brother, Josh (119), the Division III champion; Frank Gill (135) and Conan Williams (189) of Calvary Chapel; Wyatt Howard (189), Santa Ana; Ty Blair (171), Dana Hills; Jimmy Becerra (171), Santa Ana; Brian Chen (140), University; Brian LeMay (145), Capistrano Valley; William Johnson (215), Tustin, and Nathan Thaler (215), Estancia.

In all, 107 wrestlers from the county will be among the 336 athletes competing. The top eight finishers in each weight class advance to the state finals next week at the University of Pacific in Stockton.

Saturday’s competition begins at 10 a.m.