NorCal Wrestling’s Power Five | Vacaville

Never Count Out The Vacaville Wrestling Program, Which Seeks Sixth Straight Sac-Joaquin Section Masters Title Despite Inexperienced Squad

Over a month of California prep wrestling has cleared the way for five of Northern California’s best boys wrestling programs to represent the true power of NorCal grappling. This five-part series takes a close look at the teams and wrestlers expected to amass the most hardware at section and state finales in February 2023. It continues with Vacaville Wrestling. NEXT UP: Los Gatos (Dec. 22, 3 p.m.). PREVIOUSLY: Oakdale | De La Salle

Vacaville Bulldogs

Head coach: Armando Orozco
Projected Lineup
106: Eli Almarinez, So.
113: Landon Borchers, So.
120: Wyatt Sandoval, Fr.
126: Casey Roberts, Sr.
132: Quasi Marini, Jr.
138: Isaac Padilla, Fr.
145: Aydan Ducharme, So./Ben Griangrasso, Jr.
152: Carson Howell, Jr.
160: Arjun Nagra, Jr.
170: Brady Wright, Fr. / Caleb Borchers, Sr.
182: Thomas Sandoval, Jr. (PICTURED AT TOP)
195: Jay Han, Jr. / Liam Harrison, So.
220: Jai Guerra, Sr.
285: Pablo Lopez, Sr.

Seventeen-year Vacaville wrestling coach Clint Birch “retired,” but he isn’t really gone.

No such luck with the seven Sac-Joaquin Section Masters champions who helped Vacaville obliterate the SJS record for team points last year (341).

A monster senior class has left the Bulldogs without nine of their school-record 12 state qualifiers from last winter. It’s a serious challenge for new head coach Armando Orozco, though he still has the support of Birch (now an assistant after sharing the duties with Orozco last year.)

“Whenever you have a strong class, it has a tendency to run off kids in the class in front of them and behind them, but we have a group of kids now who stuck with it during COVID, even while needing time in the lineup,” Birch said. “It’s like you have two ways to cook, a crock pot and a microwave. These kids have been in a crock pot, but now, they are in the microwave.I think our front line is much better than people think.”

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The squad isn’t loaded with a bounty of medal pedigree, but former CIF place-winners Thomas Sandoval (182) and Casey Roberts (126) are carving a new identity one tournament at a time.

The Bulldogs were fourth (behind Gilroy, Buchanan-Clovis and Clovis) at the 24-team Clovis West Shootout on Nov. 19. The team saw medals by Eli Almarinez (third at 113), Roberts (first-132), Quasi Marini (fifth-138), Carson Howell (fifth-152), Caleb Borchers (seventh-152), Arjun Nagra (third-160), Brady Wright (seventh-170) and Sandoval (first-182).

Vacaville later went undefeated at its host Larry Nelson Classic Wrestling Duals, thanks to All-Tournament performances from Almarinez, Roberts, Isaac Padilla (138), Borchers and Sandoval.

On Dec. 17, Vacaville also completed a sixth-place showing at the ultra prestigious Zinkin Classic, hosted by Buchanan. Medal winners there included Sandoval (third), Padilla (fourth), Nagra (sixth), Howell (eighth) and Almarinez (eighth).

Sandoval was also fourth at the state tournament last year, while Roberts was seventh as a freshman in 2020. Nagra was also 3-2 (top 12) and just one win from a state medal last year. He went on to win Canada’s Cadet World Team Trials and represented Canada at the 2022 U17 World Championships. Jai Guerra also missed the state tournament by one spot on the SJS medal podium (seventh).

“I do believe your team takes on the personality of two things: the head coach, and your best wrestler,” Birch said. “Coach Orozco is a pretty serious, intense individual and, on the flip side, (Sandoval) is probably about the nicest kid ever. It’s a weird dichotomy.”

How well Vacaville personalities can come together to rally for big tournament wins will determine this team’s success.

The Bulldogs seek a sixth-straight SJS Masters title, but will have stout opposition from across the section (teams like Turlock, Ponderosa, Del Oro, Folsom and Pitman), specifically from an Oakdale team that is loaded across the weight classes.

“It all depends on the kids buying in and it depends on the competition, because there are some superstars out there,” Birch said. “You got to get the kids to wrestle for things bigger than themselves.

“When you are in the middle of the fight you just have to keep fighting until the smoke clears.”