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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

FOUNTAIN VALLEY – The future looks bright for the Fountain Valley wrestling team.

The present doesn’t look too bad either.

Fountain Valley, the Sunset League champions, challenged for a CIF-SS title, eventually finishing third at the Eastern Division championships.

Today, the Barons will have four wrestlers (Andrew Morgan, Stone Escobedo, Ben Madrid and Bryant Vasquez) participating in the CIF State Tournament at Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield. Wrestling begins at 9 a.m.

All are juniors except Vasquez, who is a senior.

“We’re going to have a really good team next year,” Vasquez said. “They will definitely a top contender in the county. I wish I had one more year with them.”

Last week at Masters, all four had to show their toughness to survive and advance.

Morgan (152) qualified for state with a 1-0 victory to start the second day at Masters. He was able to work his way out of several potential disastrous moments to survive.

Escobedo (170) was a semifinalist, meaning he had qualified for state after the first day. His lost his first two matches Saturday before closing things with a fall in the fifth-place match.

Madrid (195) needed a 2-1 and 3-1 decisions in the ninth-place bracket to qualify.

Vasquez (220) went 4-1 in the consolation bracket to finish seventh, with a 1-0 victory.

“They’ve been wrestling tough,” Fountain Valley coach Brad Woodbury said. “They’ve been working hard. Things have clicked.

“You never know how many you can get through (Masters). Last year, we didn’t get anybody and this year we get four. It is huge. The kids have worked hard and they deserved it.”

Vasquez is a great example of the group’s commitment to hard work. Last year, he went 0-2 at Masters. This year, he won the Sunset League title and followed that with a CIF crown.

“The offseason, I did a lot more training and I got a lot better on my feet,” Vasquez said. “I just felt a lot more confident this year.

“Last year, I wasn’t as confident as I was this year. I was being kind of lazy in the offseason. I didn’t put in the work.”

Morgan is ranked 12th in the state. Last year, his season ended at Masters. He has won five titles this season, placed third at Five Counties and fifth at Masters.

“I thought we had a great team at the start of the season,” he said. “I thought we could compete for a CIF title. We are a strong team and junior-loaded.”

One reason for their success is that they hold each other accountable. With so many brother tandems (Galdamez, Vasquez, Escobedo) having gone through the program in recent years, they have become an extension of each other’s family.

“They do the right stuff,” Woodbury said. “They eat right. I don’t have to worry about their weight. This is actually a fun team to coach. It has been a fun year.”

This is the second time the Barons have qualified four for the state tournament. The most state qualifier for the program was five set in 1977.

“That’s their goal next year,” Woodbury said.

Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com