Seth Nevills (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)However, it is probably advantage Clovis at the state tournament this Friday and Saturday in Bakersfield, as the Cougars feature four clear state title favorites: No. 2 Justin Mejia (120), No. 7 Josh Hokit (182), No. 12 A.J. Nevills (195), and No. 7 Seth Nevills (285). Mejia and Seth Nevills are returning state champions, while Hokit and A.J. Nevills placed second last year. Buchanan counters with two nationally ranked wrestlers in No. 19 Matthew Olguin (106) and No. 11 Durbin Lloren (132); Lloren is favored to repeat as state champion.
A third nationally ranked team is in this tournament field with No. 13 Poway; however, the Titans are lacking for "high-end" talent. They only return three state placers, none of them finishing top three last year: Chase Zollman (113), Brandon Kier (126), D.J. Garcia (152), and Chris Bailey (195). The team best positioned to finish third in the state tournament standings is San Marino, who has three state tournament favorites in No. 12 Julian Flores (138), No. 5 Zander Wick (145), and No. 4 Evan Wick (152); the Titans have a fourth potential high placer in Zander Silva (126).
The following represents a look at weight classes with nationally ranked contestants.
106: No. 3 Nico Aguilar (Gilroy) is the dominant force in this weight, as he is actually a full-sized competitior, something that was not the case last year. The other nationally ranked wrestler is No. 19 Matthew Olguin (Buchanan), who occupies a position in the other half-bracket. The first notable hurdle for Aguilar is likely to be a quarterfinal against Central Section runner-up Brandon Betancourt (Clovis); with a potential semifinal against either Jacob Allen (Poway), Super 32 placer Christian Nunez (St. John Bosco), or Eric Rivera (Clovis North). The first notable obstacle for Olguin comes in a likely quarterfinal against multi-time Fargo All-American Izzak Olejnik (Bakersfield).
120: No. 2 Justin Mejia (Clovis) is a heavy favorite to take home a third state title, which would move him one step away from being the rarest of four-time state champions in California. Most notable challenge in Mejia's path to the final would be a potential semifinal against 2014 state runner-up Robert Garcia (Selma), who has been in-and-out of the national rankings this season. The other half-bracket features freshman Jaden Abas (Bakersfield Frontier), who upset Garcia last week during his runner-up finish to Mejia, along with state placers Isaiah Perez (Dinuba) and Richard Casillas (Northview).
132: No. 11 Durbin Lloren (Buchanan) is the defending national champion and deserved weight class favorite; though No. 17 Alex Felix (Gilroy), third at state in this same weight last year as a freshman, is also present. The most probable semifinal opponent for Lloren is Scott Kiyono (Poway); while Felix is looking at a possible quarterfinal against returning state placer Curtis Booth (Folsom), before another state placer in Trence Gillem (Helix) looms as a potential semifinal opponent.
138: The unfortunate injury to returning state runner-up Jaden Enriquez (Mission Oak) shrinks this to a two-horse race between No. 12 Julian Flores (San Marino) and No. 13 Navonte Demison (Bakersfield); Flores a returning state champion, while Demison was second at state last year. Obstacles for Flores most likely start in the quarterfinal round against Dylan Martinez (Clovis) before a potential semifinal against Jacob Wright (Dinuba), though each should be cleared. For Demison, returning state placer Kenny Jones (Lassen) awaits in the semifinal, presuming Joel Romero (Buchanan) doesn't upset Jones in the quarterfinal.
145: Returning state runner-up Zander Wick (San Marino) is ranked No. 5 in the nation, and the clear favorite in this weight class. Buchanan is hoping to see Greg Gaxiola, a returning state placer, reach the semifinal against Wick. In what is a rather wide open lower half, Ruben Garcia (Selma) might be the favorite to clear to the final.
152: A pair of nationally ranked wrestlers dot this weight class, No. 4 Evan Wick (San Marino) and No. 5 Luke Troy (Martin Luther King). They were teammates last year at San Marino, Wick placing fourth at 138, while Troy was third in this weight class. Wick has won both meetings against Troy season to date. In Wick's half of the draw, Clovis is hoping to see Brandon Martino through to the semifinal. Troy should clear to a rematch with Wick bereft of real challenge.
160: A pair of ranked wrestlers also appear in this weight class, three-time state placer and returning runner-up Justin Thomas (Calvary Chapel) and two-time state placer Abner Romero (Buchanan); Thoms is ranked No. 9 with Romero ranked No. 17. Thomas could see returning state placer Sam Loera (Bakersfield) in the quarterfinal round, with Jason Bergquist (Folsom) as a semifinal opponent. In the lower half-bracket, Romero is looking at a likely quarterfinal against returning state placer Brandon Claiborne (Oak Ridge) before a possible semifinal against another returning state placer in Beau Colombini (Windsor).
170: Two nationally ranked wrestlers also appear in this weight class, with No. 14 Anthony Mantanona (Palm Desert) having gotten the better of No. 15 Jeremy Thomas (Calvary Chapel) in the Southern Section final. These wrestlers met in the consolation final last year at 145 pounds in the state tournament, Thomas winning that bout. Mantanona has three-time state qualifier Antonio Gutierrez (Bakersfield) as a round of 32 opponent, but then should advance manageably to the semifinal round against either state placer Nikko Chapman (Inderkum) or Cade Belshay (Buchanan). The lower half-bracket features Thomas likely having to face Ruger Wyneken (Clovis) in the round of 16 before a potential semifinal against Dominic Ducharme (Windsor), a returning state placer.
182: The back-end hammers for Clovis start in this weight class with No. 7 Josh Hokit, who was state runner-up last year at 170, and the favorite to win gold in this weight class before moving on to Drexel University next year. Standing in his way includes a semi-challenging quarterfinal against Nathan Tausch (Poway) and a possible semifinal against returning state placer Roman Romero (McNair). The upper-bracket is anchored by returning state placer Chasen Blair (Rancho Bernardo), who was ranked very early in the season. If Buchanan could see Anthony Montalvo into that semifinal against Blair, it would be big for them in the team perspective.
195: No. 12 A.J. Nevills (Clovis) is a returning state runner-up and favorite to take home gold this season before going on to Penn State. He anchors the lower half-bracket, one that could include a semifinal bout against returning state placer Danny Salas (St. John Bosco). The upper half-bracket is led by Poway's highest returning state placer in Chris Bailey.
220: No. 18 Jesus Madrigal (Oak Hills) placed sixth at state last year in this weight class, which makes him only the third highest returning state placer; however, he is the top ranked wrestler in the state this season. He does face a dangerous round of 32 bout against Tyler Collier (Clovis), who gets to bang against both Nevills brothers and Hokit in the room every day. Returning state runner-up Bevan Brandt (Bullard) is in the other quarter of the top half-bracket that Madrigal anchors. The lower half-bracket features Darryl Aiello (De La Salle), who placed third at state last year. Aiello is looking at a round of 16 bout against Christian Ayala (Pacifica), a fellow Junior National freestyle All-American this past summer. Buchanan would hope to see Zack Levatino advance to the semi against either Aiello or Ayala.
285: No. 7 Seth Nevills (Clovis) won state last year at 220 as a freshman, so he is darn good, and happens to be favored to win this state weight class. Anchoring the lower half-bracket, returning state placer Gavin Nye (Corning) is a possible semifinal opponent. In the upper half-bracket, it's a potential semifinal between Jarrod Snyder (Bakersfield Frontier) and Christian Rebottaro (Monte Vista Christian).
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