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Damian Calhoun. Sports Newsroom Assistant.

// MORE INFORMATION: Associate Mug Shot taken August 24, 2010 : by KATE LUCAS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

VILLA PARK – It took more than your normal effort to secure a spot anywhere in the top four in each weight class in the Century League Finals on Wednesday night.

Just ask Canyon’s Austin Wonnell.

Wonnell, the top seed at 154 pounds, found himself trailing by a point in the finals against Villa Park’s Harley Bensen.

In the third period, teetering on exhaustion, Wonnell summoned the strength for a late two-point reversal with approximately five seconds remaining for the 2-1 victory and league title at Villa Park High.

“My first match was too hard,” he said. “But my second and third match, were some of the toughest matches I’ve had all year.

“We’ve gone to tournaments outside of Orange County and there have been some kids, but today … my last match for sure, has been one of the toughest, if not the toughest I’ve had all year.”

Before his reversal, the only point scored in the match came on an escape by Bensen.

“We were both exhausted at the end of the third,” Wonnell said. “I stuck to my technique, didn’t hesitate and I knew what to do.”

Villa Park and Yorba Linda led the tournament with nine qualifiers. El Dorado and Esperanza had eight apiece. Andrew Gomez (140), Anthony Garcia (147) and Abe Ochoa (heavyweight) were champions for the Yorba Linda.

Conor Duke and Angel Verduczo were champions for El Dorado.

Canyon had seven qualifiers, with Ethyn Ewing (132) also earning a league title. El Modena five qualifiers.

The Spartans had seven in the finals and five champions (Michael Kindburg, 106; Diego Jimenez, 120; Austin Ladner, 126; Michael Ramos, 170 and Xavier Hernandez, 197).

Kindburg, Jimenez and Ramos won their finals matches by fall.

“We wrestled well,” Villa Park coach Scott Lawson said. “It was a good performance. We had some kids that were not in the varsity lineup last year, like Diego Jimenez, Michael Kindburg and Xavier Hernandez, who didn’t wrestle last year, all come up big.

The top four qualifiers at each weight will advance to the CIF-SS Central Division Individual Championships, Feb. 20-21 at Grand Terrace High.

With nine going forward, Lawson is looking forward to the challenge of contending for a CIF title.

“We’re going to used the two and half weeks to prepare and see if we can make a run at CIF,” he said. “We’re going to train hard and show up … you never know what can happen.”

Brea Olinda had four qualifiers, including 113-pound champion Ryan Gutierrez. Foothill had six, including 220-pound champion Mario Galvez.