WRESTLING NOTEBOOK: SAN FERNANDO EMERGES AS CITY SECTION CHAMPIONSHIP FAVORITE.

Byline: Dave Shelburne  Staff Writer

The City Section wrestling championships are more than a month away, but 10-time champion San Fernando already looks like the team to beat.

Coach Fernando Gonzalez's Tigers finished well ahead of every other City entry in Saturday's Sam De John Tournament at San Fernando, winning four individual titles and scoring 218.5 points to finish second to two-time champion St. John Bosco of Bellflower (267.5).

Eighth-place Bell (91.5), and 10th-place El Camino Real of Woodland Hills (74.5) were the City's next-highest finishers. Bell won the 2005 City title and the past two City dual-meet championships. El Camino Real shares the City record of 10 titles with with San Fernando.

No team had more Sam De John weight-class champions than San Fernando, which advanced seven wrestlers to the semifinals, five to the finals and received titles from Rashaad Reynolds (130 pounds), Julio Lopez (135), Eddie Uribe (145) and heavyweight Santos Delgadillo.

Returning City champion Ruben Saenz also reached a weight-class final, losing in overtime at 140, and Mike Le (112) and Mike Solis (152) were semifinalists for the Tigers, who are 12-0 in dual meets this season.

The City Section championships are scheduled for Feb. 25 at University High in West Los Angeles. Birmingham of Lake Balboa will be the site of the Feb. 18 City dual-meet tournament.

Dave Shelburne, [phone]

dave.shelburne(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, box

Photo:

Eddie Uribe, in face mask, was among four San Fernando wrestlers to win titles at Saturday's Sam De John Tournament.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

Box:

Daily News TOP 10