5 Fountain Valley wrestlers win titles in CIF Central Division finals

The scoreboard did not crown the hosts, but Fountain Valley High School certainly made a statement on Saturday in the CIF Southern Section Central Division individual wrestling championships.

Fountain Valley had five wrestlers win their weight class — and six finalists overall — in front of its home crowd.

TJ McDonnell was named the most outstanding upper-weight wrestler after producing five pins to win the 182-pound title.

“I recently overcame a knee surgery, and it just feels great finally being able to be back on the mat,” McDonnell said. “All that work that I put in to be able to recover fast enough and make it to the postseason feels great.”

Fountain Valley’s TJ McDonnell holds his first-place medal as he stands on the podium among the 182-pound finalists.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

The Barons also had Sean Solis (132), Zach Parker (145), Hercules Windrath (152) and Ryland Whitworth (195) finish atop their respective weight classes in the tournament.

Fountain Valley, coming off back-to-back Northern Division titles in 2019 and 2020, finished second to Covina Northview by a count of 251-231. Solis hoped to have put the Barons on the comeback trail when he won by decision in the first of six championship bouts wrestled by his team.

“Three for three, you’ve got to chase it,” Solis said of winning his third career individual section title. “Just for the team, you got to get them started. You want to be the one that starts momentum, and then they just feed off the energy.”

Indeed, Solis had given his team momentum it would hold onto. Parker earned a comfortable 6-1 decision over Esperanza’s Mac Calavitta, and he was joined in the winner’s circle by Windrath, who did so in spectacular fashion.

Corona del Mar’s Eugenio Franco, left, wrestles Fountain Valley’s Ryland Whitworth in the 195-pound final.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

Windrath conceded an escape point to West Hills Chaminade’s Arvin Khosravy to begin the third period. Seeking a match-turning takedown, Windrath was able to force a stalling call against Khosravy with four seconds remaining, sending the bout into overtime. The Barons’ sophomore got a takedown to win the match in a sudden-death period.

“It was something or nothing,” Windrath said. “I think all that was going through my head is, ‘I got to win. I’m going to win. I got this. No worries. Just keep going, keep going, and eventually I’ll get it.’”

In a matchup of area standouts, Whitworth was able to grind out a 1-0 decision over Corona del Mar’s Eugenio Franco.

Kade Ayres was a finalist at 138 pounds for Fountain Valley, which also had Khale McDonnell finish fourth at 170 pounds to round out a group of seven Masters Meet qualifiers for the Barons.

Fountain Valley’s Zach Parker, center, holds his first-place medal as he stands on the podium among the 145-pound finalists.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

Corona del Mar, which finished sixth overall with 148.5 points, was second among Sunset Conference teams with five wrestlers advancing on to the Masters Meet, which will be next Friday and Saturday at Sonora High School. JJ Strapp (126, sixth), Luke Villaluz (138, fourth), Zion Hernandez (152, sixth), Adin Gallegos (160, sixth) and Franco accomplished the feat.

Marina’s Adrian Jimenez (106, fourth), Haden Hernandez (120, third), Ryan Escamilla (220, third) and Ethan Esparza (285, third) extended their seasons.

“It’s fun,” Esparza said of why he wrestles. “At the end of the day, it’s just doing something that I like to do, and I always want to improve at the stuff that I like.”

Newport Harbor’s Demian Pryima (106, fifth), Kai Villasenor (113, fifth) and Giovanni Sabatasso (126, fifth) were also Masters qualifiers, as was Laguna Beach’s Jeremy Kanter (182, fourth).

“It sounds amazing, I’ll be honest,” Pryima said after gracing the podium following the medal round. “I never expected to make it to Masters.”

Marina’s Ethan Esparza, right, defeats Northview’s Anthony Troncoso in the 285-pound final.

(Kevin Chang / Staff Photographer)

CIF Southern Section Central Division finals

Team Results

1. Northview 251; 2. Fountain Valley 231; 3. Chaminade 193; 4. Esperanza 172; 5. Bishop Amat 153; 6. Corona del Mar 148.5; 7. Chino 133; 8. Villa Park 132.5; 9. Yorba Linda 113.5; 10. Sonora 96; 11. Marina 86.5; 13. Newport Harbor 77.5; 29. Laguna Beach 26; 39. Edison 12; 44. Huntington Beach 7.

Championship Matches

106 — Isaiah Quintero (El Dorado) pins Aidan Thome (Bishop Amat), 1:23.

113 — Evyn Ewing (Canyon) dec. Maddox Herrera (Esperanza), 5-0.

120 — Adrian Limon (Northview) dec. Romero Sanchez (Esperanza), 3-1.

126 — Zeth Romney (Chaminade) dec. Mario Sandoval (Northview), 6-0.

132 — Sean Solis (Fountain Valley) dec. Julian Leon (Northview), 5-2.

138 — Noah Elliott (Chaminade) pins Kade Ayres (Fountain Valley), 1:24.

145 — Zach Parker (Fountain Valley) dec. Mac Calavitta (Esperanza), 6-1.

152 — Hercules Windrath (Fountain Valley) dec. Arvin Khosravy (Chaminade), 3-1 (OT)

160 — Arian Khosravy (Chaminade) dec. Nathan Cruz (Northview), 6-3.

170 — Carlos Centeno (Esperanza) pins Jack Simons (El Modena), 1:05.

182 — TJ McDonnell (Fountain Valley) pins Christopher Sandoval (Villa Park), 0:55.

195 — Ryland Whitworth (Fountain Valley) dec. Eugenio Franco (CdM), 1-0.

220 — Nathan Diaz-Alvarez (Fullerton) pins Leroy Garibay (Bishop Amat), 0:54.

285 — Raymond Macias (Bishop Amat) pins Roman Damas (Chino), 5:08.

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