Duarte hopes to place for Barons

Anthony Duarte began wrestling as a freshman at Fountain Valley High, maybe more out of curiosity than anything else.

“I didn’t really know what wrestling was,” Duarte said. “My brother just said I should join.”

Duarte, now a senior, has become a wrestling master. He proved it at — where else — the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet at Temecula Valley High.

Duarte finished second in the 171-pound weight class, easily advancing to this weekend’s CIF State meet in Bakersfield. Weston Hawkins of Edison also advanced after placing eighth at 189s.

It’s Duarte’s second straight year going to the state meet, but last year he went two-and-out.

“I’m planning to place this year,” said Duarte, ranked No. 6 in the state at 171s by www.thecaliforniawrestler.com. His only three losses of the season, including in the finals at Masters, have been to top-ranked Morgan McIntosh of Calvary Chapel.

Coach Brad Woodbury said Duarte, a two-time CIF champion, will have to wrestle well if he wants to be Fountain Valley’s first state placer since Trent Kenny did so in 1985.

“He’s ranked sixth in the state and we[‘re hoping to do better than that,” Woodbury said. “[McIntosh] is pretty legit. We’re getting closer and closer, but we’ve got to get through everybody else first.”

It was years before Duarte was born that Kenny placed at state. All the more reason for Duarte to be motivated this weekend in Bakersfield, where he’ll be wrestling Nick Jansen of De La Salle in his first match.

“It motivates me a lot,” he said. “It makes me want to place even higher.”

Hawkins, of Edison, won his first three matches at Masters by scores of 8-0, 8-2 and 3-2. He then lost in the semifinals to Nikolai Crouch of Santa Fe, 14-5, and defaulted his final match. Hawkins, who placed second at the CIF Inland Division Championships, will wrestle Tony Oreglia of Bellarmine in his first match at state.

Marina senior Victoria Anthony, the Lower Weight MVP at the Inland Valley Championships, went 1-2 at Masters at 103 pounds.

Among other locals competing, Edison sophomore Brenton Visnoski went 0-2 at 119 pounds, while Marina sophomore Alex Anunciation went 3-2 at the same weight class, one win away from placing.

Huntington Beach senior Derek Burdette also went 3-2 at 130 pounds, and he too was a win away from placing and advancing to state. Marina junior Chad Scheafer went 2-2 at 135 pounds.

Edison junior Scott Sire went 2-2 at 145s, and Huntington Beach senior Ryan House was 1-2 at 160 pounds. Edison sophomore Charles Burks went 2-2 at 215s, and Ocean View junior heavyweight Kody Afusia lost a pair of matches.