High school wrestlers across California are approaching the final obstacle standing between them and a spot at the 2026 state tournament.
That includes the Southern Section of the California Interscholastic Federation, where the top boys and girls in the area will get their own moments in the spotlight Feb. 20-21 to keep their championship hopes alive.
The boys will be the first in action, hitting the mats at Sonora High School in La Habra, California, on Feb. 20 for the 2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Boys Masters Wrestling Championships, while the girls take over the venue the following day for the 2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Girls Masters Wrestling Championships.
The events will feature the best of the best, with the fields already whittled down during the section’s recent divisional meets.
Like many of the postseason competitions in the Golden State this year, all of the action from Sonora High School will be broadcast live on FloWrestling and the FloSports app.
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The CIF Southern Section is the largest in the state and will send more athletes to the 2026 CIF State Wrestling Championships than any other section. The Southern Section includes more than 550 schools.
For the wrestling postseason, there are six regions/divisions for boys competition – Central, Coastal, Eastern, Inland, Northern and Southern – each with its own divisional meet Feb. 13-14 to determine the CIF Southern Section individual wrestling champions, as well as the qualifiers for this week’s Masters meet.
Within each division, teams are broken into eight leagues with a minimum of four teams. From the divisional meets, the top five finishers in each weight class move on to the Masters event.
The CIF Southern Section Ford Boys Masters features two 16-athlete brackets for each weight class, with the top five finishers in each advancing to the state tournament.
Girls wrestling in the Southern Section is broken up into four divisions – Central, Eastern, Northern and Southern – with each further divided into leagues. Athletes qualified for their divisional meets through league competition, and then from the regional events Feb. 13-14 to this week’s Masters event.
For boys and girls, the number of teams per league dictated how many athletes advanced to the divisional competitions.
From the four divisional meets on the girls side, eight athletes in each weight class advanced to the Masters event.
The CIF Southern Section Ford Girls Masters also will run with two 16-athlete brackets for each weight class (eight from each of the four regions), with eight finishers in each (four from each bracket) advancing to the state tournament.
Wowza, that’s a lot!
The final destination, the 2026 CIF State Wrestling Championships presented by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association, will be held Feb. 26-28 at Dignity Health Arena in centrally located Bakersfield, California.
In all, California includes 10 geographic sections that all will be enduring the same challenges in February on their way to Bakersfield.
As you get settled in for the heart of championship season, here's everything you need to know about the 2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Boys & Girls Masters, including links to the brackets:
2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Masters Championships Brackets
Here’s where you’ll be able to find the brackets for the 2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Masters Championships:
- 2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Boys Masters Championships Brackets Can Be Found Here
- 2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Girls Masters Championships Brackets Can Be Found Here
How To Watch The 2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Masters Championships
Live coverage of the 2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Boys Masters Wrestling Championships on Feb. 20 and the 2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Girls Masters Championships on Feb. 21 will be broadcast on FloWrestling and the FloSports app, with news, notes, stats and more available on both platforms.
Archives will be available immediately following the conclusion of each match.
If you’re going to be in the area and want to catch the action in person, go to these pages for spectator and ticket information: Boys | Girls
Here’s a look at what happened at the 2025 Boys & Girls Masters: Boys | Girls
What Are The Weight Classes In California High School Wrestling?
In Pounds
- Boys: 106, 113, 120, 126, 132, 138, 144, 150, 157, 165, 175, 190, 215, 285
- Girls: 100, 107, 114, 120, 126, 132, 138, 145, 152, 165, 185, 235
Here’s a look at how many athletes from each section, per weight class, will advance to the state event:
Boys
- Southern Section: 10
- Central Section: 10
- Sac-Joaquin Section: 5
- North Coast Section: 2
- Central Coast Section: 4
- San Diego Section: 4*
- Northern Section: 2
- Los Angeles Section: 1
- Oakland Section: 1
- San Francisco Section: 1
*San Diego Section will fill any voids left vacant by the Oakland Section.
Girls
- Southern Section: 8
- Central Section: 5
- Sac-Joaquin Section: 5
- Northern Section: 2
- North Coast Section: 3
- Central Coast Section: 4
- San Diego Section: 3
- Los Angeles Section: 2
Read more about the 2025 state meet: 2025 CIF California State Wrestling Championship Results And Brackets
2026 CIF Southern Section Ford Boys & Girls Masters Schedule
Here’s a look at when everything is going down in California:
All Times Pacific
Friday, Feb. 20 (Boys)
- 7 a.m. – Team check-in (outside Gym 2)
- 7:20 a.m. – Coaches’ meeting (Gym 2)
- 7:30 a.m. – Groom check (Gym 2)
- 8 a.m. – Weigh-ins (Gym 2)
- 8:15 a.m. – Close and clear Gym 2
- 9 a.m. – Open Gym 1 and Gym 2 for general admission
- 9:15 a.m. – Alternate selections announced and final brackets posted
- 9:45 a.m. – Mat area cleared and cleaned
- 9:55 a.m. – National anthem
- 10 a.m.-Noon – Wrestling begins: Round 1 matches for Blue and Gold Divisions
- Noon-2:30 p.m. – Championship Quarterfinal/Round 1 Consolation (Blue & Gold)
- 2:30-4 p.m. – Championship Semifinals/Round 2 Consolation (Blue & Gold)
- 4-5:30 p.m. – Round 3 Consolation and Round 4 Consolation/Championship Finals
- 6:30-7:30 p.m. – Third/Fourth- Fifth/Sixth-Place matches, Championship Finals
Saturday, Feb. 21 (Girls)
- 7 a.m. – Team check-in (outside Gym 2)
- 7:20 a.m. – Coaches’ meeting (Gym 2)
- 7:30 a.m. – Groom check (Gym 2)
- 8 a.m. – Weigh-ins (Gym 2)
- 8:15 a.m. – Close and clear Gym 2
- 9 a.m. – Open Gym 1 and Gym 2 for general admission
- 9:45 a.m. – Mat area cleared and cleaned
- 9:55 a.m. – National anthem
- 10 a.m.-Noon – Wrestling begins: Round 1 matches for Blue and Gold Divisions
- Noon-2:30 p.m. – Championship Quarterfinal/Round 1 Consolation (Blue & Gold)
- 2:30-4 p.m. – Championship Semifinals/Round 2 Consolation (Blue & Gold)
- 4-5:30 p.m. – Round 3 Consolation and Round 4 Consolation
- 6:30-7:30 p.m. – Third- and Fourth-Place matches, Championship Finals
*The top four finishers from the Blue and Gold Divisions will advance to the CIF State Wrestling Championships.
When Is The 2026 CIF State Wrestling Championships?
The 2026 CIF Wrestling Championships presented by the California Correctional Peace Officers Association will be held Feb. 26-28 at Dignity Health Arena in Bakersfield, California.
Did You Know: High School Championship Wrestling In California Spans Five Decades
The first CIF state championship for boys was held in 1973. The first event for the girls took place in 2011.
Amazingly, it took three decades for California to see its first four-time state champion. That honor went to Bakersfield’s Darrell Vasquez from 1999-2002 at 103, 112, 119 and 125 pounds. In the years since, three more athletes have added their names to the list.
There are 24 three-time champions and 83 wrestlers who have won twice.
On the girls side, five wrestlers own three CIF state titles.
Clovis tops the list of all-time team titles with 13, while the Selma girls lead the way with three.
The Central Section Division IV boys tournament first was held during the 2021-2022 season.
2025-2026 FloWrestling High School Wrestling Rankings
Top 20 as of Jan. 12, 2026
Curious about how the top wrestlers from each state stack up against competitors from across the country?
Click here to see the latest high school rankings from FloWrestling.
Check Out This Highlight From The 2025 CIF Wrestling Championships
Elijah Cortez scrambled his way to the CIF state finals in a WILD overtime exchange! This was at the 2025 CIF State Wrestling Championships.
Trackwrestling Has Joined The New FloWrestling
Trackwrestling officially has merged with FloWrestling, bringing its powerful tournament tracking tools and live data into a modern, all-in-one platform.
Fans can follow every bout with pro-grade brackets, mat schedules, team rosters and detailed wrestler profiles—all seamlessly integrated within FloWrestling.
This move delivers a faster, smarter and more connected experience for the wrestling community. Through the updated FloSports app, users can track live results, explore brackets and even sign up for free alerts so they never miss a match.
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