Estancia on the rise

Bryce Alderton

In each of four years of coaching the Estancia High wrestling team

Steve Perez has produced a CIF qualifier.

Three of those seasons have seen Eagle senior Victor Carmona reach

the CIF championships. Last season Carmona claimed the Pacific Coast

League championship in the 125-pound weight class and finished sixth

at the CIF Southern Section Division III championships.

So far this season Carmona finished fourth at the Edison

Tournament, losing to eventual champion Danny Brito of Santa Ana

High, 10-9, and went 3-0 to claim the Eagles’ only individual

championship at the district championships Dec. 19, which featured

Corona del Mar, Newport Harbor and Costa Mesa. Estancia went 0-3

against its district foes.

Though Estancia didn’t have wrestlers in five weight classes at

the district championships Perez feels strong about what he’s got,

and what he can bring up from the lower levels, as the Eagles shift

to the Golden West League. Perez said Santa Ana and Saddleback are

the teams to beat.

“We have a smaller team that’s building,” Perez said.

Carmona is Estancia’s only senior but four juniors give Perez

hope.

Martin Diaz will wrestle at 135 while Steve Pedroza, Adam

Rodriguez and Taylor Henken will compete at 140, 152 and 160,

respectively.

Henken was league champion as a freshman but did not wrestle last

year, Perez said.

Five sophomores including Alex Sotomoyer (160), Luis Canas (152),

Cayley Carr (130), Devin Fairborn (215) and Raul Cruz (heavyweight)

give Perez a solid lineup that will have players from the junior

varsity team called up occasionally to compete.

Rodriguez took first at a JV tournament earlier this season and

Cruz had three pins at the Edison Tournament.

“(Cruz) almost put the fourth-seed on his back before losing,”

said Perez, who feels his strongest wrestlers are at 152 and 160

pounds.

Estancia will host a 52-school tournament Jan. 3-4 including all

four district teams along with squads from the rest of Orange County,

Las Vegas, Oxnard, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego.