Thursday, August 6, 2020

Gone, Lost & Forgotten: Their Best = Cypress

Located a half hour south of Los Angeles, the chargers of Cypress had a wrestling program through the 2002-2003 season. 



Jim Shields 

A graduate of Kennedy High in La Palma, Shields finished as the CCCAA runner-up in 1968 & won a CCCAA title in 1969 being named the outstanding wrestler. He then transferred to Oklahoma State where he won a BIG 12 title & finished in third place at the 1971 NCAA's. 





Mike Flook
134 lbs 

Flook who would later coach at Cypress finished as the CCCAA runner-up in 1972

Mike Salcida
126 lbs 

Salcida won a CCCA title in 1974. 

Dan Rulschke
158 lbs 

Rulschke won a CCCAA title in 1975
Scott Speck
190 lbs 


After finishing in third place in 1978 before winning a CCCAA title in 1979. 
Craig Foster


Foster graduated from Los Alamitos High school where he finished in fourth place at the California High School State championships.  He then transferred to Eastern Washington where he finished in fifth place at the NAIA championships.  He later coached at Blaine High School in Washington where he took his team to five top five finishes, including two runner-up finishes & one championship.  He coached seventy-one place-winners & eleven state champions. 
Fernando Venegas

Venegas was a two time California high school state place winner taking fifth in 1977 & second in 1978 for Baldwin Park.  Wrestling for the Chargers he was the CCCAA runner up in 1980. 
Ram Bryant


Bryant was sixth in 1982, winning a CCCAA title in 1983. 
Steve Martinez
118 lbs 

Martinez won a CCCAA title in 1983. 
Bill Weiskopf
150 lbs 

A graduate of El Dorado High school, Weiskopf won a CCCAA title for the Chargers in 1980.  He then transferred to UC Davis where he finished in eighth place at the 1982 NCAA Division II championships. 
Craig Bogard
177 lbs 

Bogard finished in sixth place at the California State championship before coming to Cypress. Wrestling for the Chargers he finished third in both 1982 & 1983. 
Greg Gascon
118 lbs 

The older brother of Stephen & Gerry Abas, Gascon finished in third place at the 1983 CCCAA before winning a CCCAA title in 1984.  He then transferred to New Mexico where he finished in eighth place at the 1988 NCAA championships.  He later coached at Cerritos. 
Brian Folsom
158 lbs 


A graduate of Kennedy High in La Palma, Folsom was a three time high school state place-winner finishing fifth in 1981 & 1982, taking runner up honors in 1983.  Later that fall he finished as the CCCAA champion in 1983, taking runner-up honors in 1984. 
Joey Gillis
167, 190 lbs 

After finishing as the 1986 CCCAA runner-up, Gillis finished in seventh place in 1987.  The president of various companies, Gillis invented Go Towels. 

Dan Thomas

Thomas won back to back CCCAA titles in 1983 & 1984 for the Chargers. 
Brian Ransom
134 lbs 

Ransom finished in eight place at the CCCAA tournament in 1983, placing third in 1985.  Later in life he got into Air Conditioning & plumbing. 
Bill Weatherill
158 lbs 

Weatherill took eighth place CCCAA honors in 1985, finishing runner-up in 1986. 







Sean Goodwin (right)
158 lbs 

Goodwin finished in seventh place in 1985, taking CCCAA runner up honors in 1986. 



Bill Flores
HWT

Flores was fifth in 1985, before winning a CCCAA title in 1986. 





Frank Trujillo 
126 lbs 


Trujillo was a four time state place-winner for Covina High, finishing in fourth place as a freshman, third place as a junior & as the California State high school runner up as a sophomore & senior. 

Wrestling for Cypress he won a CCCAA title in 1987. 


Art Orozco
150, 158 lbs 

Orozco was a standout athlete at Garden Grove excelling in both wrestling & track.  He was a four time state place-winner on the mat, winning a state title in the 440 in track.   Competing for the Chargers he finished in eighth place in 1987, taking third in the CCCAA in 1988.   While at Cypress he started a Bible club.  His brother Jose, was sixth place in the CCCAA in 1987.  Orozco a lover of Star Wars, passed away in April of 2019. 
Ralph Rucker
150, 158 lbs 


Rucker finished in third place in 1987 before taking CCCAA runner up honors in 1988. 

He later transferred to Oklahoma State where he had a 15-9 record in 1991. 
Randy Gonzalez
HWT 

Gonzalez was sixth in 1987, finishing as the CCCAA runner-up in 1988. 

His son Randy was an AA at Cerritos & later wrestled at Fresno State. 



Leo Garand
190 lbs 

Competing in both track & wrestling while at Cypress, Garand finished in third place at the 1988 CCCAA.  He later competed in track at Southern Utah.   Later in life he coached at Durango High school. 
Sam Lopez
118 lbs 

Lopez was third in 1989, winning a CCCAA title in 1990. 

He later coached at Selma High, while teaching special education. 






David Wheeler
HWT

Wheeler was fifth in 1995, winning a CCCAA title in 1996. 

Ken Steagal
190 lbs 

Steagal won a CCCAA title in 1990.  He later coached at Savanna High School. 




 

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