All-County boys wrestling: Fountain Valley’s Ryland Whitworth is the O.C. wrestler of the year (2024)

ALL-COUNTY BOYS WRESTLING TEAM 2023-24

WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Ryland Whitworth, Fountain Valley, Senior

Ryland Whitworth went into his senior season expecting that an injury-free season would be an award-winning season.

That expectation came true.

Whitworth was a CIF Southern Section champion and a CIF-SS Masters champion, and he finished fourth at the CIF State Championships.

For his great senior year Whitworth is the Orange County boys wrestler of the year.

Wrestling at 215 pounds, Whitworth was a CIF-SS Inland Division champion for the second year in a row, having won the Inland Division title at 195 pounds as a junior, and he was a Masters Meet champion for the second year in a row.

His sophom*ore year was derailed by a broken ankle.

“This season went well because I was able to stay very healthy,” Whitworth said.

In the CIF-SS Inland Division final Whitworth pinned his opponent Joseph Tierney of Irvine in 39 seconds. He was the meet’s upper weights MVP. Whitworth beat Palm Desert’s Diego Morales in a 10-0 decision in the Masters Meet final.

Another big part of Whitworth’s season was winning his weight class, for the second year in a row, at the prestigious Five Counties meet that is held every January at Fountain Valley High.

“Winning at Five Counties always means a lot,” Whitworth said. “It’s at our school and all of our fans are there watching.”

Whitworth this season was seeded fourth in the 215-pounds class at the CIF State Championships in Bakersfield. He pinned his first two opponents, won by a 9-1 decision in the quarterfinals, lost a close decision – 4-3 – to top-seeded Coby Merrill of JW North of Riverside in the semifinals, and lost by decision in the third-place match to finish fourth.

He was a large contributor to Fountain Valley’s Inland Division team championship and to the Barons’ ninth-place finish in the CIF State meet team standings. Only St. John Bosco and Palm Desert finished higher among CIF-SS schools at the state meet.

Whitworth, who has a 3.92 grade-point average, this fall will be at West Point where he will continue his wrestling career.

“It’s a great opportunity,” he said of West Point. “After I’m done with college I’ll be able to serve.”

Whitworth served the Fountain Valley wrestling program quite well, again, in his senior year.

All-County boys wrestling: Fountain Valley’s Ryland Whitworth is the O.C. wrestler of the year (2)

COACH OF THE YEAR

Mark Alex, Corona del Mar

It was a great season for the Corona del Mar boys wrestling team.

The Sea Kings had eight medalists at the CIF Southern Section Inland Division championships, including 157-pounds champion Antonio Aramburu. They finished fifth in the team standings, an outstanding achievement for one of the division’s smaller public schools.

“We had so much fun this year, said Alex, 58, who completed his 11th season in charge of Sea Kings boys wrestling. “I love mentoring and developing our kids. I always say you develop great people first and then you develop great wrestlers.”

ALL-COUNTY TEAM

FIRST TEAM

106 pounds

Hunter Jauregui, Fountain Valley, So.: He was a Sunset League, CIF Southern Section and CIF-SS Masters Meet champion in his weight class and was 3-2 at the CIF State Championships.

113 pounds

Jimmy Romero, Cypress, Sr.: Romero won the Empire League championship, was second in the CIF-SS Northern Division championships, fourth at the CIF-SS Masters meet and qualified for the state meet.

120 pounds

Isaiah Quintero, El Dorado, Sr.: He concluded a much-decorated high school wrestling career by winning Century Conference and CIF Southern Section championships, finished second in the CIF-SS Masters Meet and fourth in the state meet.

126 pounds

Anthony Lucio, Fountain Valley, Sr.: Lucio was a Sunset League, CIF-SS and CIF-SS Masters champion and finished eighth at the state championships.