HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING PREVIEW:

The navy blue T-shirt on Josh George says it all, “BULONE’S GNOMES.”

George wears the shirt at times to wrestling practice at Newport Harbor High. It should be required attire if you asked the 140-pounder because the real gnome aren’t any of the wrestlers in the wrestling room.

“He’s going to hate me for this,” George said of his coach Dominic Bulone, “because he looks like a gnome.”

It must be Bulone’s beard, the facial hair a dead giveaway. Bulone almost had to shave it off before the season started. But a bet between Bulone and the team never materialized for him to break out the shaving cream and razor.

George said not all of his teammates agreed he would be able to beat Bulone in the 21st annual Harbor Heritage 5K Run the team came out for in October.

“They didn’t want to lose their hair,” George said. “If he wins, we have to shave our heads. They thought I was going to lose.”

No way. George finished the race, which is the biggest fundraiser for the Newport Harbor PTA, before Bulone. It wasn’t even close on that rainy day.

“He came in 30 seconds behind me,” said George of Bulone. “He said I wouldn’t beat him.”

Now Bulone’s looking for George in his senior year to take down whoever is across from him on a wrestling mat.

This is the year George plans to conclude his season at the CIF State wrestling championships in Bakersfield. Bulone, in his ninth year, has this rule of never attending one of the nation’s toughest high school championships without having a wrestler at state.

Bulone finally made the trip last season when senior heavyweight Brian Beaudette advanced, becoming the first Sailor to do so since 1998. The next Sailor? Bulone is counting on George to be his ticket to Bakersfield in March.

“We definitely have to go to the state meet,” Bulone said. “He did a lot of work in the offseason. He went to intensive camps, one at Oklahoma State. He’s a workaholic. He runs, he lifts, he wrestles, any chance he can get any kind of work out, he’s on it. He’s a great ambassador for the team.”

Now that guarantees respect from teammates. Never mind that George beat the old coach in a 5K race, because Bulone sees George shooting for the top.

George dropped his trombone and didn’t play in band this year. Instead he concentrated on wrestling. During those early Sunday runs with Bulone, George pushed himself.

As far as this year’s potential record, forget about going 29-12 as he did as a junior, or 29-13 as a sophomore. Productive seasons for any wrestler. George has another way to measure up success.

“My goal is to go undefeated,” said George, who is 14-0 and won the 140-pound division title at the Andrew Pena Tournament Saturday. “I’m not showing any doubt.”

This time the CIF Masters Meet will be just another challenge in preparation for the ultimate event, state.

Last year, George appeared on his way. He placed fourth in the CIF Individual Coast Division Tournament to reach the Masters meet. But he lost his chance at state when Patrick Martinez of Temecula Valley won, 4-0, in a consolation second-round match that has left George yearning for more.

“I got to live up to him,” said George of Beaudette’s sensational senior year. “When you look at him, he’s a monster, and [what] he did was monstrous. He told me to be a good role model.”

CORONA DEL MAR

COACH: Gary Almquist (12th year)

2006 RECORD: 6-12, 0-4 in Pacific Coast League, fifth place

RETURNERS: Cole Shepard (130), Sr.; Scott Eskew (145), Sr.; Scott Lineback (189), Sr.; Max Prescott (215), Sr.; Justin Headle (285), Jr.; Andrew Halladay (160), Sr.; Charlie McCaulife (152), Sr.; Taylor Fanning (140), Sr.; Scott Feely (135), Sr.; Kendall Pick, (171) Jr.

NEWCOMERS: Hunter Thomas (103), Fr.; Ryan Grainger (112), Fr.; Cody Longwith (119), Fr.; Austin Kaye (125), So.; Dan Busch (145), So.; Kevin Lineback (215), Sr.

KEY DATES: MANN Classic, Dec. 28-29; Estancia New Year’s Classic, Jan. 4-5; at home against Laguna Hills, Jan. 10; at home against University, Jan. 17; Pacific Coast League Championships, Feb. 2.

OUTLOOK: The Sea Kings are senior-laden and Almquist is counting on the group to help CdM compete in league after not winning a dual meet last year. Shepard, Halladay and Lineback each started the year strong, going 6-0 during the Battle by the Bay tournament. Prescott will return in the New Year after having knee surgery. Almquist is hoping Eskew will get over his kidney stone issue soon.

COSTA MESA

COACH: Jesse Franco (second year)

2006 RECORD: 0-4 in the Garden Grove League, fifth place

RETURNERS: Cody De La Mater (189), Sr.; Tamas Gyorfi (215), Sr.; Rumman Razzak (130), Jr.

NEWCOMERS: Nasir Ashkin (140), Fr.; Josue Garcia (103), Fr.

KEY DATES: Rancho Santa Margarita Dual Tournament, Dec. 1; Estancia New Year’s Classic, Jan. 4-5; at Estancia, Jan. 10; Laguna Hills Invitational, Jan. 12; at home against Garden Grove, Jan. 17; at home against Santiago, Jan. 24; Montclair Tournament, Jan 26; Garden Grove League Championships, Feb. 2.

OUTLOOK: The Mustangs again are short on wrestlers with just six on varsity, six on junior varsity and four on frosh/soph. Franco plans to bring up some of the youngsters at times during the season. De La Mater is the best wrestler and is expected to place at tournaments. De La Mater was the only Mustang to place at the league finals and reach the CIF Southern Section individual tournament last year.

ESTANCIA

COACH: Brian Burgess (fifth year)

2006 RECORD: 2-2 in Garden Grove League, third place

RETURNERS: Pedro Lopez (112), Sr.; Bryan Torres (140), Jr.; David Phan (171), Jr.

NEWCOMERS: Kevin Whitaker (130), Jr.; Luis Ojeda (135), So.; Gino Gonnello (145), So.; Jordan Fernandez (103), Fr.; Jordan Bailey (119), So.

KEY DATES: Edison Beach Bash, Dec. 7-8; Estancia New Year’s Classic, Jan. 4-5; at home against Costa Mesa, Jan. 10; Steve Stewart Invitational at El Dorado, Jan. 19; Garden Grove League Championships, Feb. 2.

OUTLOOK: After Estancia advanced to the CIF Southern Section dual meet tournament last year, injuries and wrestlers not returning have decimated the team early on. Only 10 wrestlers are in the program, making it difficult for Estancia to compete as a team, evident from its appearance at the Battle by the Bay, where a handful of wrestlers competed and Estancia lost every time.

NEWPORT HARBOR

COACH: Dominic Bulone (ninth year)

2006 RECORD: 9-9, 0-5 in Sunset League, last place

RETURNERS: Eddie Garcia (130), Jr.; Grant McKee (119), So.; Josh George (140), Sr.; Edgar Guadarrama (171), Sr.; Guillermo Perez (189), Sr.; Cameron Rausch (285), Jr., Adrian Luchs (189), Jr.; Ryan Dickey (189), Sr.

NEWCOMERS: Josh Lithgow (160), Sr.; Tyler Kenney (125), Jr.; Blake Alonso (130), Jr.; Eric Nordström (152), Jr.; Max Joliffe (103), So.

KEY DATES: at home against Corona del Mar, Dec. 19; at home against Fountain Valley, Jan. 24; at home against Edison, Jan 3; Sunset League Championships at Los Alamitos, Feb 2.

OUTLOOK: The Sailors are probably the area’s best team after beating CdM in the Battle by the Bay to become the consolation champions. George has a chance to become the school’s second straight wrestler to reach the state championships and the third Newport-Mesa district wrestler since 2001.

Along with George, Garcia Luchs and Rausch each advanced to the CIF Southern Section individual tournament last year.

DAVID CARRILLO PEÑALOZA may be reached at (714) 966-4612 or at [email protected].