Four local wrestlers claim titles at the CIF-SS Inland Division Individuals Championships

Four local wrestlers reached the top of the podium at the CIF-Southern Section Inland Division Individuals Championships on Saturday afternoon.

Paulo Valdez highlights the list of local first-place finishers after leading Hesperia to a second-place finish as a team with 204 points. Fountain Valley finished in first place with 333 points.

Valdez captured the 113-pound title by injury default, as Sultana’s Cael Humphrey forfeited the match.

Valdez also won one match by pinfall and two by technical falls.

In the 120-pound weight class, Sultana’s Rocky Humphrey captured the title by scoring a 4-1 decision over Beckman’s Cody Dalebout.

Sultana’s Rocky Humphrey wrestling for the 120-pound title at the CIF-Southern Section Inland Division Individual Championships, hosted by Fountain Valley High School, on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. Humphrey captured the 120-pound title.

Rocky Humphrey won one match by pinfall, two by decision and one by forfeit.

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Victor Valley’s Avian Singh captured the 144-pound title by scoring a 3-2 decision over Hesperia’s Angel Salgado.

Victor Valley’s Avian Singh and Hesperia’s Angel Salgado wrestled each other in the 144-pound title match at the CIF-Southern Section Inland Division Individual Championships, hosted by Fountain Valley High School, on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024.

Singh helped Victor Valley to a fourth-place finish as a team with 173.5 points. Singh won two matches by pinfall and three by decision.

Serrano’s Marcus Ochoa won the heavyweight title by scoring an 8-4 decision over Woodbridge’s Jeremy Harris.

Ochoa began the tournament as the No. 7 seed and scored victories over the No. 2, 3 and 4 seeds. He ended with three pinfall victories and won two matches by decision.

Serrano’s Marcus Ochoa wrestled in the heavyweight semifinals at the CIF-Southern Section Inland Division Individual Championships, hosted by Fountain Valley High School, on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. Ochoa won the match and captured the 285-pound title.

The four wrestlers will compete at the CIF-SS Masters wrestling meet in Palm Springs next weekend.

Wrestlers placing in the top six placers in the 106-, 120-, 132-, 144- and 190-pound weight classes qualified, with seventh place serving as alternates. The top five finishers in the rest of the weight divisions advance to the Masters.

The High Desert has 25 total qualifiers, with three wrestlers who will serve as alternates.

Here’s a full list of those wrestlers.

• 106 — 2. Zachary Southern, Hesperia; 3. Daniel Mendoza, Victor Valley
• 113 — 1. Paulo Valdez, Hesperia; 2. Cael Humphrey, Sultana; 6. Cesar Sandoval, Victor Valley
• 120 — 1. Rocky Humphrey, Sultana; 6. Tyler Mulford, Apple Valley, sixth place
• 126 — 2. Andrew Diaz, Hesperia; 3. Denzel Cisneros, Sultana, junior; 4. Josue Guillen, Victor Valley
• 132 — 2. Emiliano Hernandez, Hesperia; 5. Abdon Rodriguez, Barstow; 6. Isaac Tellez, Victor Valley; 7. Robert Cardoza, Excelsior
• 138 — 2. Chris Guerrero, Hesperia
• 144 — 1. Avian Singh, Victor Valley; 2. Angel Salgado, Hesperia
• 150 — 3. Cruz Duardo, Victor Valley
• 157 — 4. Gabriel Garcia, Oak Hills; 6. Jose Rodriguez, Victor Valley
• 165 — 2. Isaiah Sandoval-Yell, Oak Hills; 3. Alex Alfonso, Serrano; 6. Brayden Green, Burroughs
• 175 — 3. Frankie Stevenson, Hesperia; 4. Jesse Cardona, Victor Valley; 5. Prince Norris, Adelanto
• 215 — 3. Charles King, Oak Hills; 6. Daylen Bell, Adelanto
• 285 — 1. Marcus Ochoa, Serrano; 4. Xander Firm, Sultana

This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: Four local wrestlers claim titles at the CIF-SS Inland Division Individuals Championships