Eight Poway Wrestlers Headed to the State Meet

Poway High not surprisingly qualified the most wrestlers for next weekend's State Championships at Saturday’s San Diego Section Masters Championships at Canyon Crest Academy. Eight Titan wrestlers will be heading to Bakersfield for next weekend's competition.

Coach Wayne Branstetter’s team earned another CIF championship banner by easily coming out on top in the two-day event with 257.5 points, nearly double the 135 for runner-up Ramona. Vista and Brawley tied for third with 113 points each.

Six Titans made the finals, with Henry Donahue (162 pounds), Austin Crider (173) and Porfi Sosa (217) winning their weight classes and Gabe Faller (114), Jesse Taylor (137) and Maudin Latifi (154) earning runner-up honors.

Josh Miranda (121) and Bryant Heagney (147) also earned trips to the state meet by finishing third. Ramona had five wrestlers qualify and Rancho Bernardo will send four competitors.

Brodie Chenoweth (147), Devin Rhodes (173) and Marshal Thrasher (217) finished second for the Bulldogs, while Evan McKirdy (121) and Zach Merritt (147) won their divisions for RB, with teammate Wesley Abbey finishing second at 142 with an overtime loss.

Team Scores: Poway 257.5, Ramona 135, Vista 113, Brawley 113, Rancho Buena Vista 112.5, Rancho Bernardo 109.5, Central Union 91.5, Carlsbad 74, Escondido 72, Otay Ranch 70.

Top three finishers advance to next weekend's State Championships in Bakersfield.

Championship matches: 105 -- Alfredo Espinoza (Otay Ranch) dec. Vincent Elizalde (Brawley) 5-2; 114 -- Micah Perez (Central Union) dec. Gabe Faller (Poway) 16-6; 121 -- Evan McKirdy (Rancho Bernardo) dec. Victor Lopez (Calexico) 13-4; 127 -- Tony Ramos (Imperial) dec. David Martinez (Vista) 20-8; 132 -- Joshua Joseph (Morse) def. Oscar Lizarraga (Brawley) inj. default; 137 -- Antonio Perez (Central Union) pinned Jesse Taylor (Poway) 4:28; 142 -- Brady Beamon (Steele Canyon) dec. Wesley Abbey (Rancho Bernardo) 6-4 OT; 147 -- Zach Merritt (Rancho Bernardo) dec. Brodie Chenowith (Ramona) 5-0; 154 -- Shervin Iraniha (Monte Vista) dec. Maudin Latifi (Poway) 10-7; 162 -- Henry Donahue (Poway) dec. Roman Flores (Hilltop) 12-5; 173 -- Austin Crider (Poway) dec. Devin Rhodes (Ramona) 14-1; 191 -- Jesus Ambriz (Rancho Buena Vista) dec. Augie DeSantis (Escondido) 7-2; 217 -- Porfi Sosa (Poway) dec. Marshal Thrasher (Ramona) 7-1; Hwt -- Alex Kelley (Vista) dec. Gabi Musallam (Mira Mesa) 3-1 OT.

Third-place matches: 105 -- Shawn Miller (Valhalla) dec. Tirso Lara (Imperial) 7-4; 114 -- Eddie Estevez (Otay Ranch) dec. Arthur Carmona (Brawley) 7-1; 121 -- Josh Miranda (Poway) pinned Jaime Ledesma (Vista) 1:49; 127 -- Mike Manuche (Westview) dec. Travys Carus (Morse) 5-1; 132 -- T.J. Grisafe (La Costa Canyon) dec. Justin Chua (Poway) 4-3; 137 -- Connor Koch (Ramona) dec. Adam Mendez (Sweetwater) 4-3; 142 -- Spaso Ilich (Ramona) dec. Cesar Arvizu (Carlsbad) 4-2; 147 -- Bryant Heagney (Poway) dec. Sawyer Smith (Brawley) 6-4; 154 -- Ryan Milkovits (Rancho Bernardo) pinned Josh McFadden (Central Union) 4:14; 162 -- Jesse Orona-Whalen (Carlsbad) dec. Drasko Bogdanovich (San Marcos) 6-1; 173 -- Jordan Donahue (Vista) dec. Efren Roman (Chula Vista Mater Dei) 5-3; 191 -- Danny Knox (Carlsbad) dec. Eddie Pietrenka (Orange Glen) 1-0; 217 -- Sahym Mesa (West Hills) dec. Connor Blackwell (Granite Hills) 7-4; Hwt -- Jose Cortez (Orange Glen) pinned David Villanueva (Escondido) 0:44.

Awards: Lower weight MVP -- Antonio Perez (Central Union); Upper weight MVP -- Alex Kelley (Vista); J. Panacho Award (tournament MVP) -- Porfi Sosa (Poway).