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Gilroy's Luis Barragan will go for his second CCS Championship in 2010.

After a one-year lay off from his Central Coast Section crown in 2008, Luis Barragan of Gilroy will return for his senior season this year looking to reclaim the heavyweight title. With all the other place winners from 2009 departed, Barragan will have the inside track as the heavyweight favorite. However, Max Lohr of Pacific Grove (Sr.), and Brian Newell of Sequoia (Sr.) return as well with the desire to place within the top four to advance to the California State Tournament and to try and deny Barragan of repeating as a CCS Champion.

Barragan compiled a domineering track record against CCS opponents last season, losing only to departed CCS champion Richard Segovia from Silver Creek.  And, by seeing how he has fared in California’s toughest tournaments last year, he should be more than adequately prepared for any opponent that should rise to challenge him. He placed 1st at the Peninsula Invite and Cupertino Memorial, 2nd at Mid Cals and the Five Counties Invitational, 4th at the Doc Buchanan, and 6th at the Reno Tournament of Champions and Mission San Jose Tournament by default. His success landed him the 2nd seed at the 2009 CCS and he rolled straight through to the finals, pinning Tony Lozano of Oak Grove (1:03), Emmanuel Scott of Evergreen Valley (3:52), James Gonzalez of Junipero Serra (0:34), and Evan Swanson of Palma (2:48), before falling to Richard Segovia by a 3-1 decision.

At the Rabobank Arena In Bakersfield, Barragan commenced the CIF State Tournament with a victory by a 3:13 pin over Randall Hicks of Fullerton (7th place finisher in Southern Section) but fell by a tight 2-1 decision to Loren Baize of Lemoore (1st place finisher in Central Section).   Barragan won another match over Teddy Furnish of Kerman (7th place finisher in Central Section) by an 11-3 major decision before being eliminated by Peter Anguino from Elk Grove (2nd place finisher in Sac-Joaquin Section) in another close 2-1 decision, and finishing the tournament with a 2-2 record.

Max Lohr and Brian Newell entered the Central Coast Section last year seeded 5th and 6th, respectively, and both opened up their tournaments with strong runs, as each advanced to the quarterfinals. Lohr, one of the favorites to place, advanced to the round of 16 via a bye, and then defeated Arman Rahbar of Lynbrook in a 0:10 pin before being sent down to the wrestlebacks by Valley Christian’s Chris Tozer by a 2:45 pin. Evergreen Valley’s Emmanuel Scott eliminated Lohr in a 6-1 decision in the following match. 6th seeded Newell advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Salinas’s Cody Steele in a 2:27 pin and the defeating Chris Karabats in a 3-2 decision before losing to eventual 5th place finisher Evan Swenson of Palma by a 3-0 decision and then being eliminated by Lozano.

With the departure of 5 out last year’s 6 placers, there will undoubtedly be some fresh new faces standing atop the winner’s podium at the end of next season’s Central Coast Section Championship, and should Barragan, Lohr, and Newell, continue to improve above and beyond their competition, it can be expected that they will be the individuals standing there.

Watch Luis Barragan’s Five Counties finals match against Jose Lopez here.

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Photo by Lora Schraft, courtesy of Gilroy Dispatch.