Notebook: Area wrestlers dot statewide rankings

The coming of the new year means wrestling is nearing its postseason.

Less than a month remains until the various district and subregional tournaments begin thinning the Mat Classic herd.

A quick look at washingtonwrestlingreport.com shows that a couple of area teams and many area wrestlers remain among the state's most highly regarded contenders.

On the team side, Moses Lake is ranked 11th in all classes and fourth in the 4As. The Chiefs have nine wrestlers ranked in the top 10 of the 4As, including David Peralez (eighth at 119), Thomas Pfeiffer (second at 145) and Sam Villegas (third at 152) who rate in the top 10 among all classes.

Sunnyside has the area's only top-ranked wrestler at his weight for all classes -- All-America 112-pounder Steven Romero. The Grizzlies have three others in the top 10 for the 3As and are ranked seventh in the class, 20th overall as a team.

Five other Mid-Columbia wrestlers are ranked in the top 10 of their weights for all classes, including Kamiakin's Pedro Mendoza, 10th at 145 and third in the 4As. Grandview's Santos Guillen (ninth at 103), Southridge's Ely Garza (third at 119), Royal's Angel Ledezma (fourth at 160) and Connell's Nato Orozco (fifth at 215) are the others.

Orozco's ranking has this quirk: He's rated third at the weight among 1A wrestlers, though neither of the two ranked ahead of him appear on the all-classes rankings. Garza is another interesting case. He has yet to take the mat this season for the Suns as he works to become eligible after placing third at state at 112 last year.

Southridge does have one active wrestler among the top 10 in the 4As: Ryan Downs, 10th at 171. Walla Walla's Trey Haines is rated sixth at 160. Hanford, meanwhile, has four ranked among the top 10 in the 3As, led by Mike Ruane (fifth at 145).

Othello's Reuben Lopez (second at 135) and Amando DeLeon (fourth at 140) -- longtime teammates who have been wrestling together since they were 4 -- both are among the top five in the 2As. Prosser's Osmar Jaimez is ranked fifth at 119.

Of course, the SCAC East has much respect in the 1A rankings, with Warden ranked fifth and Connell seventh.

The Cougars have five wrestlers ranked in the top five, including in the four heaviest weights, and four more ranked sixth or seventh. Robert Pruneda leads the team, ranked second at 140.

Aside from Orozco, Connell has the top two ranked wrestlers at 103 -- Hernon Serra and Freddy Herrera -- with Royal's Brian Gallardo rated third at the weight.

Chance Watt of River View is ranked third at 130, just ahead of Trevor Morrison of Columbia (Burbank). Fellow Coyote Zac Reisenauer is ranked fourth at 160.

* Kevin Anthony: 582-1403; kanthony@tricityherald.com