On the wildfires in Southern California…
Staff members at the CIF State office are keeping everyone impacted by the wildfires in Southern California in our thoughts and our hearts. What’s happening is wrenching and the scope of the devastation is inconceivable.
In times like this we learn about how resilient human beings can be in the face of such upheaval, how generous are our neighbors and how comforting the idea of a return to normalcy can be.
While athletic competition may not be top of mind for those struggling to find a sense of place after losing their homes, schools, and communities, it can be a distraction, even if only temporary, from the difficult reality of the days and months that lie ahead. May everyone find solace in that.
Equipment drive for Pali High
As of today, Palisades Charter High School in Pacific Palisades is the sole high school to suffer extensive fire damage.
On Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., the Los Angeles City Section will host a sports equipment drive to benefit Pali High at the Roybal Learning Center, which is located at 1200 W. Colton Street in Los Angeles.
Accepted donation items include sporting equipment or balls for any sport.
“Let’s come together as a Section and be there for them,” the City Section said in an email distributed to member schools.
Financial contributions will be accepted by CIF personnel only and checks should be made payable to “Palisades Charter High School” and include “athletic department” or a designated sport in the memo section of the check.
Donations, gift cards, and checks will also be accepted at the City Section office throughout this week and contributions can be made to the official Palisades Charter High School Fund online at https://givebutter.com/PCHSFund.
Any questions about the needs of the school or community can be directed to Palisades Athletic Director Rocky Montez at rmontez@palihigh.org.
Transfer relief
Families displaced by the fires will experience simplified transfer rules, CIF State Executive Director Ron Nocetti said Tuesday.
Transfer waiver forms will allow for immediate athletic eligibility for individuals who lost their homes or were displaced.
“It’s a waiver from the normal transfer process, which could take quite a few days,” Nocetti told the Los Angeles Times. “We allow administrators to make the judgment, ‘Yes, the student is here because of the fire, and yes, they can participate.’ We’re going to make it simple. This is the last thing we want families to worry about.”
It was the best of times…
La Cañada's girls road-tripped to the Bay Area for wrestling and sightseeing in the days before fire swept through their community
La Cañada wrestling will have stories to tell from the past few weeks, some memorable and others filled with tales of destruction and despair similar to what those in and around Altadena have been experiencing.
First, the memorable, as the girls’ team went north to the Bay Area to the Dennis Solis Invite the weekend before Christmas. The Spartans had 12 of 14 wrestlers place and got to see the sites, from the Golden Gate Bridge to UC Berkeley.
On Jan. 6-8, the program hosted the Japanese national team. Wrestlers attended class together Spartan grapplers hosted the Japanese in their homes. There also was a cultural exchange dual meet in which many La Cañada team members participated.
In the midst of all of this, the fires in Pasadena started,” La Cañada coach Justin Luthey said. “The Japanese boys were evacuated with their host families and flung all across So Cal. We eventually collected them and sent them on their way two days later.”
The fires did not spare the wrestling community at La Cañada. Luthey reports that three wrestlers, one coach, and two wrestlers who graduated in 2024 all lost their homes. In the broader school community, with only about 50% of the students responding, reports are that 26 teachers and 36 students have lost their homes to the Eaton fire.
Amidst this though, there has also been great beauty, Luthey said.
“Our wrestlers, organically, have been organizing drives and work groups. A sophomore on the team created a group that already has over 1,000 volunteers going around Pasadena helping with the damage. It’s going to be a marathon to return to normal but our team has really shown their true character in this and is determined to keep doing their best.”
There are GoFundMe pages set up for the coach and some of the wrestlers. The coach lost his residence, which housed his wife, three kids, and his wife’s parents. One of the wrestlers displaced was living with his disabled grandmother.
Sadly, La Cañada’s story will not be unique to the area. But if you want to help, reach out to Coach Luthey (jluthey@lcusd.net) to find out how.
Bent, but not broken
Marcos Avina showed great courage in overcoming a dislocated finger to win three matches at Kern County
Marcos Avina trailed 3-0 in the first period Friday in his first match at the Kern County Invitational. The junior from Liberty of Bakersfield, wrestling in the 128-pound bracket, attempted to get back into the match by executing a reversal and, in the scramble, dislocated the pinky finger on his left hand.
The injury was gruesome and left onlookers, including Avina’s opponent and the coaches in both corners, in shock.
The trainer was summoned and Avina was asked whether the trainer should return the finger to its socket. Avina said “Yes.” The trainer then buddy-taped the injured finger to his ring finger, prompting Liberty’s coach to inquire whether Avina was able and willing to continue.
Without hesitation, Avina answered “Yes!”
Avina assumed his position on bottom in the center of the mat and finished what he started, reversing his opponent for two points before the period came to an end.
Avina chose neutral to start the second period, scored on a double leg takedown to gain the lead, and turned his advantage into a fall by hooking a wing and a wrist and running it until shoulders touched at 1:23 of the second. It took less than two minutes of mat time for Avina to go from holding his hand up because of the dislocation to having his hand raised as the victor.
Avina pinned two other opponents that weekend. He lost only to wrestlers who placed first and third in the bracket. He did not win his bracket, nor even place, but experienced success on the mat simply due to his great courage in pressing on during a difficult time.
Final Frontier
Frontier dominated the team competition at the Kern County Invitational, outscoring second-place Bakersfield by almost 100 points.
The Titans put nine in the finals and emerged with five champions: Andrew Williams (128), Gabe Estrada (134), Luie Acosta-Tackett (140), Jackson Naven (177), and Ethan Naus (287).
Naus’ win came by 4-0 decision over teammate Nathan Espirecueta.
Bosco not syrup-titious about championship designs
After winning the Reno Tournament of Champions and placing second at the Doc Buchanan, St. John Bosco has assumed the position of favorite to win the CIF State title next month. Though the Braves have never won the team title, it feels like anything less than top of the podium for the current No. 1 team in the state, according to CalGrappler.com, would be a disappointment.
Just listen to what head coach Jenaro Santillan said after the Doc B:
“While we had some standout performances from our younger wrestlers, we recognize that we didn’t fully meet our potential. The absence of our heavyweight, [Nicholas] Sahakian, was a significant factor, as his contributions would have undoubtedly added to our overall team score. Additionally, [we lost] a few close matches against tough opponents. That said, the tournament gave us valuable insights into where we can improve, and we’re confident we’ll address these areas as we prepare for State.
“Our finish at Doc B highlights the talent and depth of our team, even with some challenges. It’s clear that we have the pieces in place to make a strong run at the state tournament. The lessons learned from this competition will only make us sharper, and we’re confident we’ll peak when it matters most. State is our focus, and we’ll be ready.
The Doc B Tournament was a critical step in our journey this season. While we didn’t achieve everything we aimed for, we gained valuable experience and clarity on what needs to be done. We’ve already begun making adjustments to ensure we’re firing on all cylinders at the state tournament. Our team is resilient, focused, and motivated, and we’re excited to show what we’re truly capable of on the state stage.”
Is Corona a team to beat on the girls’ side?
Corona did not finish among the top 10 girls teams at state last year but has to be in the conversation for 2025 after winning the 11th Annual Queen of the Hill Invitational that it hosted the last weekend of December. With many of the state’s top returning wrestlers competing, the Panthers outdistanced second-place Marina, the 2022 and 2023 state champions, by 37 points to win the event for the eighth time.
Corona won despite being a relatively young squad and having no bracket champions. Jasmin Taulanga (third at 235) and Jestinah Solomua (fourth at 145) led the way for the Panthers, who put more wrestlers on the podium than anyone else.
Isabella Marie Gonzales of Clovis East, a two-time reigning state champion, won her bracket for the third straight year. The senior, wrestling at 120 pounds, was named Lower Weight MVP.
Tokay senior Kayleen Tuavao was named Upper Weight MVP after taking the 155-pound bracket. Tuavao finished seventh at the state meet last year at 145 pounds after coming in as the No. 3 seed.
Samantha Sachs, a senior at Glendora, was named Champion of Champions after winning at 130 pounds. Sachs was a state finalist at 125 pounds a year ago and twice held two-point leads in the championship match before being pinned in a stunner by Downey senior Christina Osorio.
Junior Zahra Stewart, seventh in the state last year at 120 pounds, won a Queen of the Hill title for the second straight year. After winning at 120 pounds last year for Yucaipa, Stewart won this year at 125 as the top seed for Orange Vista HS in Perris.
Angelica Serratos, a freshman at Santa Ana, won the 100-pound classification. Nicknamed “Cookie,” Serratos is the No. 8-ranked wrestler nationally at 100 pounds.
Birmingham’s Avy Perez, a senior who placed fifth at 110 pounds last year at the state meet, won at 105.
Epenesa Elison, a freshman at Los Altos of Hacienda Heights and a reigning national champion, rated the No. 2 pound-for-pound wrestler in the state behind Gonzales, won at 115 pounds by major decision over Del Oro junior Kaiya Maggini. Maggini finished second in the state last year at 110 pounds.
Other champions included Aubree Gutierrez of Marina (110), Cynthia Meza of Calaveras (135), Jaelyn Unpingco of Clovis East (140), Lucia Ledezma of Granite Hills (El Cajon) (145), Alexandra Robles of Sunnyside (170), Brianna Alvarado of Bakersfield Highland (190) and Katherine Luna of Downey (235).
Luna, a junior, pinned Central Valley senior Brianna Espinoza in the final bout. Espinoza was sixth in the state at 235 last February.
Handing out the cabbage at Napa
Isabella Marie Gonzales, left, and Sophia Gonzales both won Napa Valley titles for Clovis East
The 25th Annual Napa Valley Girls Classic took place last weekend. The Classic is the oldest and one of the largest tournaments for girls west of the Mississippi. This year’s event included 840 wrestlers representing 186 schools.
Corona, much like it did at Queen of the Hill two weeks before, emerged as the team champion.
Sachs, Perez, and Ledezma all won their brackets, like at Queen of the Hill, as did Gonzales. She pinned her way through at 127 to improve to 21-0 on the year but shared the spotlight for Clovis East with her younger sister, Sophia Gonzales, who was the champion at 112. Sophia Gonzales, a freshman, also has 21 wins, with only two losses on her resume.
Leilani Lemus, a two-time defending CIF State champion from Clovis, won all five of her matches by pin to take the 172-pound bracket.
Other winners included Lily Dizon of Pitman at 102, Angelina Borelli of Los Banos at 117, Me’Kala James of Central (Fresno) at 127. Dulcy Martinez of Central Catholic edged Tamara Grace of Gilroy in one headline final at 137 pounds, while Ledezma got by Baya Austin of Pitman at 142 in the other. Olivia Davis of Esperanza won at 147, Angelinah De Leon of Santa Clara took the title at 157 and Merced’s Evelyn Vargas won at 192.
No tomorrow for Maday
The most stunning turn of events at last year’s state meet came when senior Danica Kelley of Scotts Valley pinned Whitney junior Alex Maday last in the first round of the 135-pound final. Maday led 5-0 and was so very close to ending the match by fall herself when Kelley executed a lightning-fast reversal to a pinning move using a chin whip so quickly that it was hard to believe.
Many were hoping to see Maday redeem herself as a senior this year. Unfortunately, she suffered a knee injury during flag football season, had surgery a couple of weeks ago, and will miss the entire season.
“It has been a huge disappointment for everyone - we all had the highest hopes for her to win the State title,” said Whitney coach Dan Parker.
Maday is currently in talks with several colleges and should be ready to wrestle as a college freshman next year.
News and notes
With the Gonzales sisters and junior Jaelyn Unpingco (24-1), Clovis East has three high-level wrestlers that could propel the Timberwolves into a top-five position at state this year. They placed top 10 with just two qualifiers last year…
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Braeden Steele of St. Augustine and Jaidan Samuels of Del Notre were recognized recently by the San Diego Union-Tribune for their outstanding wrestling, Steele at the Monte Vista Tournament, where the senior pinned all five opponents at 142; and Samuels, a junior, for pinning all four at 285 at the Jim Londos Memorial.
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As a freshman last year, Chris Anguiano of Long Beach Millikan qualified for State at 150 pounds but won only one match. He is primed to do much better in 2025 after training in the offseason with the US National Team as part of Team California. Anguiano has finished either first or second in five events this season.
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South Torrance sophomore Caden Garriott won the 120-pound bracket at the Tournament of Champions hosted by Sonora High early in January. Garriott, who is on the cusp of the state top 10 in that weight class, defeated a St. John Bosco opponent, 4-1, in the final bout after dominating his first four matches. Garriott has won two tournament championships this season.
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Dominic Ruiz of Riverside Poly won the 150-pound bracket at the Riverside County Championships early in January. The senior was the fourth seed, but beat the top two seeds, from Canyon Springs and Palm Desert, respectively, by major decision to capture the classification and repeat as champion. Ruiz won the title at 138 pounds last year.
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Nevada Union sophomore Owen Hooper captured the 144-pound title at the NorCal Beast in the North Tournament in Anderson. Hooper won all five of his matches by fall.
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Monterey senior Ella Myers will pitch for UC Santa Barbara in the spring of 2026. Myers is also a two-time state qualifier in wrestling, the defending Central Coast Section champion at 140 pounds. She has never lost a league match over her career.
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Buchanan won the Tim Brown Memorial in Sacramento last weekend, outdistancing second-place Oakdale by 130 points. The Bears got titles from David Chacon (113), Carlos Contino (120), Blake Woodward (138) and Damian Montoya (165).
Gideon Gerber (175) and Wes Burford (215) won titles for Oakdale. Burford, a junior, should place at the state tournament this year. He was seeded seventh last year at 190 and went 3-2 in Bakersfield, but a loss to Khale McDonnell of Fountain Valley left him one win shy of a placing match.
Other notable winners included Nathaniel Granados of Merced at 106 pounds and Levi Bussey of Granite Bay. Bussey beat state placer David Calkins, Jr. of Liberty (Brentwood) by decision to win his fifth tournament title of the year.