It was a busy, yet successful weekend for the Marina wrestling team.
The Vikings went 4-0, defeating San Gorgonio, 62-12, Foothill, 45-29, Villa Park, 48-24, and Fountain Valley, 39-32, to win the Tustin Dual Tournament on Friday.
The Vikings finished first at the individual tournament Saturday. The Vikings had a pair of individual champions: Josh Herrera (120 pounds) and John McCoy (145).
Marina also had three other finalists: Ruddy Mendez (160), Tyler Skidmore (195) and Danny Escamilla (heavyweight).
– DAMIAN CALHOUN
GIRLS WATER POLO
All-County junior center Noelle Wijnbelt, who helped Foothill finish as the CIF-SS Division 1 runner-up last season, “probably” won’t play this winter because of recent shoulder surgery, Knights coach Jim Brumm said.
Senior Hannah Bradley and freshman Malia Allen are candidates to play center for the Knights, Brumm said.
Wijnbelt scored 79 goals last season. …
Santa Margarita will play host to a seven-match showcase Saturday. The matches are: Huntington Beach-El Toro (8 a.m.); Dana Hills-Schurr (9 a.m.); Orange Lutheran-Royal (10 a.m.); Newport Harbor-Santiago of Corona (11 a.m.); Santa Margarita-Riverside Poly (noon); M.L. King-Palos Verdes (1 p.m.) and San Clemente-Rosary (2 p.m.).
– DAN ALBANO
FOOTBALL
Santa Margarita senior offensive lineman Brett Neilon is a finalist for the Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis Awards as selected by the U.S. Army All-American Bowl Selection Committee.
The Blanchard award goes to a player from the East team that will play in next month’s U.S. Army All-American game, with the Davis award going to a West player. Neilon is nominated for the Davis award as is West teammate Wyatt Davis, an offensive lineman at St. John Bosco.
Award winners will be announced Jan. 6, the day before the game.
– STEVE FRYER
BOYS SOCCER
For the second year in a row, Brea Olinda and Sunny Hills played for the championship of the Wildcat Cup tournament.
Both times, the Lancers left with the first-place trophy.
On Friday night, the Lancers extended their winning streak against the Wildcats when Randy Perez and Colton Wert each scored a goal to lead the defending CIF-SS Division 2 champions to a 2-0 victory.
This was the Wildcats’ fifth trip to the finals, the most in the tournament’s history. Brea, though, has only won the Wildcat Cup once.
“It is great for us to win the tournament for a second year in a row, especially after the previous rough week for us,” Sunny Hills coach Mike Schade said. “We are working hard to improve and the tournament win is evidence of that.”
The Lancers scored 15 minutes into the championship match when Herminio Padilla slotted the ball to the unmarked Perez, who scored his third goal of the tournament. Padilla picked up his sixth assist of the Wildcat Cup.
In the second half, the Lancers launched a long throw into the box. Jackson Swindle, Brea’s goalkeeper, turned away the first Sunny Hills shot, but the rebound went to Wert, who set the final margin.
– DAMIAN DOTTORE
