HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING CITY SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS : Bell Tolls on Valley Teams’ Title Hold

For the first time in nine years, the City Section wrestling title belongs to a non-Valley team. And a young one at that.

Bell High, flooding the final round of Saturday’s finals at El Camino Real with 10 entries, came away with six tournament champions to claim its first City title in only the program’s third season.

Bell amassed 195 points. Following were Canoga Park (181 1/2), El Camino Real (151 1/2), San Fernando (105 1/2), Chatsworth (43 1/2) and Monroe (43).

“This was our goal, to get here in three years,” Bell Coach Frank O’Connor said. “We’ve got some great kids from a little bit of a tough neighborhood who love wrestling. And we’re coming back too. This team is mostly juniors.”

The champions of all 13 weight classes will advance to next weekend’s state finals in Stockton.

While Bell dominated as a team, the most impressive individual performances belonged to Canoga Park’s Keith Jardine (heavyweight), Phil Duffield (189 pounds), Rafael Palacios (145) and Jose Barahona (119), who all won impressively over Bell wrestlers to win championships.

Jardine, City champion as a sophomore and runner-up as a junior, tore into Adolfo Padilla, recording a takedown in six seconds and a pin in 54 seconds.

“I didn’t want to give him a chance,” said Jardine (28-0). “I just went for him. Now I want to go to the state and see what I can do.”

In a rematch of last season’s 189-pound final, Duffield dominated Jesus Orozco, piling up a 16-3 advantage with multiple takedowns before recording a pin in 5 minutes 1 second.

Duffield pinned Orozco in last season’s City final. Duffield, wrestling for the first time in four weeks because of a concussion, also improved to 28-0.

“I wanted to pin him,” Duffield said.

Barahona fell behind Arturo Plancarte, 2-0, but moved ahead, 4-2, before recording a pin in 1:36.

In the most tightly contested bout, Palacios, City champion at 135 pounds last season, and Ramses Ochoa, defending 145-pound champion, traded takedowns at a frantic pace. Both wrestlers were penalized for illegal holds. Finally, Palacios (30-1) scored a one-point escape with 30 seconds left to emerge with a 6-5 victory.

In other action, David Duran of El Camino Real made it three City championships in a row by pinning Adrian Abarca of Canoga Park in 3:09 in the 125-pound final. Duran, who had won championships at 103 and 112 pounds, improved to 22-6.

Brothers Armando and Fernando Avila of Chatsworth won championships at 135 and 140 pounds. Armando defeated Eduardo Nochez of El Camino Real, 11-5. Fernando defeated Julio Ramirez of San Fernando, 13-4.

Bell’s champions were: Jose Gonzalez (103), Charles Zabala (112), Ricardo Mendoza (130), Chris Crail (152), Jorge Perez (160) and Juan Alcala (171).

Gonzalez, interestingly, defeated Jose Gonzalez of Monroe, 9-4. Mendoza pinned Terry Harsha of Chatsworth in 2:51. Crail pinned Rick Ullman of El Camino Real in 3:27 and Alcala defeated Chad Stone of Granada Hills, 3-1 in overtime.

Franklin won the City title in 1984, but either El Camino Real or San Fernando won the City championship every year since. El Camino Real won titles in 1986, ‘88-90, and in 1992. San Fernando won in 1985, ’87 and ’91.

* SOUTHERN SECTION MASTERS: C14