ALL-COUNTY BOYS WRESTLING TEAM

BOYS WRESTLER OF THE YEAR

Isaiah Quintero, El Dorado, Sophomore

Isaiah Quintero was behind most of his competitors when the boys wrestling season started.

He was ahead of all of them when the season finished.

Quintero, a sophomore at El Dorado High, is the Register’s Orange County boys wrestler of the year for the 2021-22 season.

He was the only wrestler from Orange County to win a state championship this season. Quintero won the CIF State title in the 106-pounds division.

He also won the CIF Southern Section Central Division championship at that weight and won his division at the CIF-SS Masters Meet.

While the majority of 106-pound wrestlers were preparing for the season, Quintero was playing football. He was an All-North Hills League running back for the El Dorado football team that reached the quarterfinals of the CIF-SS Division 8 playoffs.

“Football gobbled up some time,” said his father Gilly Quintero, who is co-coach with Steve Lawson for the Golden Hawks wrestling team. “So he didn’t get the training he’d normally get. But maybe it was a blessing in disguise because he started the wrestling season fresh.”

Quintero wrestled early in the season at 113 pounds. He finished first at that weight class at the La Costa Canyon Hamada Classic and the Ed Spring Invitational at Brea Olinda. He wrestled in the 109 division at the prestigious Doc Buchanan Invitational in Clovis where he reached the quarterfinals.

Then came first-place finishes in the Doc Holiday meet at Esperanza and the Century Conference finals. In the CIF-SS Central Division championships, he pinned Bishop Amat senior Aidan Thomas at 1:53 for the win.

Quintero pinned Walnut freshman Ronnie Ramirez at 3:36 in the 106-pound finals at the CIF-SS Masters Meet. At the CIF State Championships, he won two matches by fall on his way to the finals, and he defeated Ramirez 10-1 to win the state title.

“That finals match at state, there’s nothing like that I’d ever experienced before,” Quintero said. “It still gives me chills just thinking about it.”

Wrestling is the sport at which he most excels, but Quintero plans to continue playing football. He played the 2021 football season listed at 155 pounds, so he had to drop a substantial amount of weight to wrestle at 106 pounds.

“I’ll be putting on some weight for football,” said Quintero, who stands 5-8. “I’ll be wrestling up a few weight classes next year.”

From what he proved during his sophomore season, it can be expected for Quintero to continue his great success at whatever weight class he lands.

CO-COACHES OF THE YEAR

Robert Elias and Jaime Flores, Western 

Elias and Flores have been co-head coaches for Western since 2016. This season they led the Pioneers to the Orange League championship, the team’s fourth straight league title, and to the CIF Southern Section Division 6 Dual Meet finals in which they lost to Corona del Mar by two points.

Western boys wrestling co-coaches Jaime Flores, left, and Robert Elias are the co-coaches of the year for the 2021-22 season. (Photo courtesy of Western High School)

Flores said Western was about to shut down its wrestling program when he took it over it 2002. The Pioneers won a league title in 2005, won a CIF-SS dual meet championship in 2007 and in 2021. And this season, although missing one of its top wrestlers because of an injury, Western almost won another CIF-SS title.

ALL-COUNTY BOYS WRESTLING TEAMS

FIRST TEAM

106 pounds

Isaiah Quintero, El Dorado, So.: The Orange County boys wrestler of the year.

113 pounds

Anthony Lucio, Servite, So.: Lucio was the CIF Southern Section Southern Division champion.

120 pounds

Santino Sanchez, Esperanza, Sr.: He finished second in the CIF-SS Central Division championships and was third in the CIF-SS Masters meet and third at the CIF State meet.

126 pounds

Yoshiya Funakoshi, Calvary Chapel, Sr.: He was a CIF-SS Eastern Division champion, was fourth in the CIF-SS Masters meet and fourth in the state meet.

132 pounds

Sean Solis, Fountain Valley, Sr.: Solis was the champion in the CIF-SS Central Division and seventh in the CIF-SS Masters meet.

138 pounds

Marcus Medina, Servite, Sr.: He finished first at the CIF-SS Central Division championships and second at the CIF-SS Masters meet.

145 pounds

Koa Ruiz, Calvary Chapel, Sr.: Ruiz was second in the CIF-SS Eastern Division championships, second in the CIF-SS Masters meet and fifth in the state meet.

152 pounds

Devyn Che, Calvary Chapel, Sr.: He was second in the CIF-SS Eastern Division championships, third in the Masters meet and fifth in the state meet.

160 pounds

Luke Gayer, Calvary Chapel, Sr.: Gayer finished second at the CIF-SS Eastern Division championships, first in the Masters meet and second in the state meet.

170 pounds

Evan Gilbert, Calvary Chapel, Sr.: He was a champion at the CIF-SS Eastern Division championships and second at the Masters meet.

182 pounds

TJ McDonnell, Fountain Valley, Jr.: McDonnell finished first at the CIF-SS Central Division meet and at the Masters meet and was third in the CIF State meet.

195 pounds

Ryland Whitworth, Fountain Valley, So.: He was first at the CIF-SS Central Division championships, second in the Masters meet and sixth in the CIF State meet.

220 pounds

Christian Brito, Westminster, Sr.: Brito finished first in the CIF-SS Coastal Division meet and fourth in the Masters meet.

285 pounds

Michael Horta-Aviles, Western, Sr.: He was first in the CIF-SS Southern Division championships and fifth at the Masters meet.

SECOND TEAM

106: Adrian Jimenez, Marina, Jr.

113: Jake McLaughlin, Mater Dei, Sr.

120: Allan Hendricks, Calvary Chapel, Sr.

126: Peter Mitchell, Foothill, Sr.

132: Joaquin Arroyo, Fountain Valley, Sr.

138: Kenneth Rogers, Esperanza, Jr.

145: Zachary Parker, Fountain Valley, Sr.

152: Aidan Freeland, Fairmont San Juan Capistrano, Sr.

160: Nathan Nichols, Aliso Niguel, Jr.

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170: Carlos Centeno, Esperanza, Sr.

182: Max McWilliams, Fairmont San Juan Capistrano, So.

195: Jetro Preciado, Calvary Chapel, Sr.

220: Ryan Escamilla, Marina, Sr.

285: Luke Meyer, Capistrano Valley, Sr.