Grapplers Dominate Season Opener
December 6, 2016
Wrestling faced off against Ygnacio Valley on November 30. It was the first tournament of the year and many new members wrestled for the first time.
The team won with a combined score of 81-0. Coach Sam Sotelo said, “We absolutely dominated. The wrestling was some of the best I’ve ever seen, and I’m really proud of my wrestlers!”
Senior Sava Vyatkin set the tone for the Cougars in the first match. After a long stalemate, with both wrestlers exhausted, Vyatkin used his weight to throw his opponent and land on him, pinning him down. This won the match and put the Cougars ahead in the team standings.
The 2nd match was over quickly. Sophomore Keichi Serrano pin his Ygnacio Valley opponent within the 1st minute. “That was probably my best round I’ve ever done. It was crazy, I couldn’t believe that I won so quickly,” Serrano said.
Several Ygnacio Valley wrestlers failed to weigh in under the limit for their respective classifications. This resulted in the Warriors forfeiting 4 of their scheduled matches.
Junior Rex Chen wrestled in the final match of the day. His opponent had the advantage for most of the contest. Chen managed to surprise his opponent with a leg sweep that led to a take down and eventually a pin.
Varsity captain Sam Nunn said, “I didn’t expect us to do so well. Ygnacio Valley was a very good team, and we expected to lose a few. It’s amazing how we managed to go undefeated. We couldn’t have asked for a better start to our season.”
