Community College Notebook / Steve Kresal : Cypress Wrestlers Perform as Expected; Rancho Santiago Is a Surprise

It’s no surprise six wrestlers from Cypress College have qualified for the state tournament at Bakersfield Friday and Saturday.

The Chargers, coached by Ray Haas, have had one of the state’s best programs for years.

Going to the tournament are: Ed Nelson (126), Dwayne Denolf (134), Bill Weatherwill (158), Joey Gillis (167), Sean Goodwin (191) and heavyweight Bill Flores.

Goodwin (32-0) is still ranked No. 1 in his weight class in the state and is considered the favorite among Orange County wrestlers to win a state title.

If there is a surprise in the finals, it’s that six wrestlers from Rancho Santiago qualified. The program is in its only second year, having been dropped in 1983 for financial reasons.

Dons in the tournament are: Alpert Arnold (134), Bill Furnish (142), Tony George (150), Denny Furnish (158), Matt Fletcher (167) and Tony Pane (191).

“We’re just very happy to do this well,” said Gary de Beaubien, Rancho Santiago coach. “For a program that’s just starting back we think we’ve done a good job so far.”

The Dons had a chance to qualify a seventh wrestler, but heavyweight Tom Crawford, ranked second in the state before the regionals, was advised by his doctor not to compete because of a lower back problem.

Golden West, the only other Orange County school with a wrestling program, qualified three--Paul Herrera (150), Andy Peterson (191) and heavyweight Marc McBride--for the finals.

Orange Coast College officials have decided not to lease out the land now used as baseball and soccer fields.

A land utilization committee, headed by OCC President Donald Bronsard, was formed in September to study ways to raise money for the Coastline Community College District.

Originally, one of the proposals was to lease the baseball and soccer fields for small business or residential use. The fields would then be moved to another site on campus.

But when the committee’s final report was sent to the chancellor’s office Nov. 26, the plan was not part of its report. According to Bronsard, the committee determined that relocating the fields would be too costly.

“We have specifically requested that the land the baseball field is on stay the same,” Bronsard said. “. . . We are looking for creative leasing arrangements to generate some income for the district, but where the baseball field is, is not one of those lands.”

Riverside (10-1), which defeated Glendale, 28-10, in the PONY Bowl, tops the final Southern California poll. Glendale (10-1) dropped to second after being No. 1 for seven weeks.

College of the Desert (9-2) was third, Southwestern (7-3-1) fourth, Saddleback (5-5) fifth, Cerritos (7-3-1) sixth, Golden West (8-3) seventh, San Diego Mesa (6-3-2) eighth, Moorpark (6-3) ninth and L.A. Valley (6-3) 10th.

Riverside moved to third in the final J.C. Grid-Wire rankings. Northeastern Oklahoma (11-0) won the national title and San Jose (11-0) was second.

Glendale (10-1) fell from second to eighth and Fullerton (25th) was the only county team in the top 30.

With one poll over, it makes sense to start another.

Cerritos (6-0) is the top-ranked basketball team in Southern California with surprising Orange Coast (10-0) second. Fullerton (6-2) is fifth and Ranch Santiago (7-3) 10th.

The Golden West men’s basketball tournament opens with the Rustlers playing the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station team in the opening round at 8 tonight. Riverside, Antelope Valley, Glendale, Cerritos, Oxnard and Citrus are also entered. Finals are scheduled for Saturday night at 8.

In other tournaments this weekend, Orange Coast is in the San Jose Tournament and Saddleback and Cypress are in the Santa Barbara Tournament. Rancho Santiago plays host to Azusa Pacific in a nonconference game Saturday.