It is time for another Five Counties Invitational, one of the longest running and toughest tournaments in the nation.
The individual champions receive a championship belt. They will have earned it if they can navigate their way through the loaded field.
Here is a breakdown of some of the top weights and potential match-ups in Saturday’s finals. The finals show remains one of the best in high school wrestling.
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Five Counties Invitational
When: Friday and Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. The finals are set to begin Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Where: Fountain Valley High
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Outlook: Selma claimed the title last year with 233 points and nine medalists and again should be the favorites to take the team title again. Selma is ranked ninth in the state. Rancho Bernardo is eighth.
Servite led all county schools last year with 167 points. Calvary Chapel was fourth, but they’re not in this year’s tournament. Calvary Chapel is attending the Battle for the Belt at Temecula Valley.
The interesting battle should be for the highest placing Southern Section school. Servite, Mayfair, Victor Valley and Northview should contend for that title. Santa Ana is another team that shouldn’t be overlooked.
The team to really keep an eye on is Mayfair. Mayfair topped Servite at the Mann Classic, but the Friars didn’t have Marcos Polanco in the lineup. Mayfair is tough 1-14.
For Servite, this weekend, Polanco is going 113s with freshman Josh Medina at 120s. Servite Polanco’s top competition should come from Central’s Matteo Sanchez, a two-time state qualifier. A possible rematch between Alex Nunez and Medina could be in store somewhere at 120s.
There could be a potential state semifinal preview at 126-pound final with second-ranked Jaden Abas (Rancho Bernardo) and third-ranked Robert Garcia (Selma) at this weight.
Mission Oak’s Jaden Enriquez, the state’s top-ranked wrestler at 138 pounds is in the 145-pound bracket this year. He’s a two-time Five Counties champion and he’s headed to Michigan st.
One of the intriguing county wrestlers to watch is Mater Dei’s Devin Pacheco. Pacheco, a senior, qualified for the state tournament last year at 138 pounds. He’s been at 145 pounds so far this season, but is making the drop back to 138.
Another wrestler to watch is Fountain Valley’s Karson Ayres. Ayres recently returned from preseason knee surgery. He finished second at the Asics SoCal Challenge and he won a one-day tournament last week.
In the upper weights, Capistrano Valley’s Gerardo Hernandez (182) is coming off of an eighth-place finish at last week’s Doc Buchanan.
Top-ranked Chasen Blair (Rancho Bernardo) is the guy to beat at 195 pounds.
Santa Ana’s Joey Daniel should be in the mix at 220. The junior didn’t medal last week at Doc Buchanan.
At heavyweight, Northview’s Jackson Serna is a defending Five Counties champion, so all eyes will be on him. Tony Fusi (Corona) finished seventh last year and Armando Barcenas (Hanford) finished fourth.
The teams might change from year-to-year, but this is still a weekend where coaches and wrestlers will find out a lot about
