With the spotlight illuminating the mat, the Los Altos High School wrestling team kicked off their season with a 47–11 dual meet victory against The King’s Academy (TKA) on Thursday, Dec. 11. Despite TKA coming from a higher league, the odds were stacked against them, with fewer varsity wrestlers to compete in the roster.
The duel kicked off with a forfeit from TKA in the 114-pound weight class, putting the Eagles ahead by 6 points. A pin by freshman Luke Anderson for the 126-pound weight class then secured the Eagles a 12–0 lead.
As parents roared from the crowd, across the gym, freshman Matteo Bouvin fought hard until the third quarter. Ultimately pinned by his opponent, the pressure was back on the Eagles with a point gain for the Knights, putting the score to 12–6
But freshman Leonidas Marinopoulos pulled the Eagles back ahead. Despite being a rookie, Leonidas has quickly emerged as a key contributor to the varsity squad. According to junior Caleb Bren, this year’s underclassmen could become valuable scorers for the team.
“We got a lot of new people joining the team this year,” Caleb said. “With time, experience and more matches being played, these younger wrestlers will see a lot of improvement.”
Later that evening, senior captain Jason Sellers kicked off his match with a quick take-down followed by a series of near-falls to secure a win by tech-fall. His win pulled Los Altos even further ahead, 24–6
“Honestly, it was a pretty perfect match,” Jason said. “I kept my head up and scored my points,”
Ultimately, the Eagles gained more points from the Knights’ forfeits at the 150-pound and 157-pound weight classes, securing a final score of 47–11. While Los Altos expected a close match with the competitive Knights, this result was a pleasant surprise.
“The fact that we ended 47–11 just goes to show that we’re really putting our best effort forward and I’m really hoping that it continues for our future,” junior Arnoldo Cabrera Sibrian said.
With success, the team also identifies areas for improvement, especially in the technique of newer wrestlers on the mat.
“I really like the aggression our team had today,” Jason said. “But I do feel like a lot of people are still having issues with shooting with their head down and getting stuck.”
The team also struggled with a shortage of coaching staff and the graduation of a few key seniors last year, leaving gaps in leadership. As a result, juniors and seniors like Jason have stepped up to support underclassmen and new members.
“We’ve been really walking around the wrestling room, making sure people know what they’re doing, making sure people aren’t scared to ask us questions,” Jason said.
Despite fewer wrestlers and coaches this season, the victory has set the team morale high and helped boost the players’ confidence as they tackle the upcoming season.
“We thought King’s Academy would be a hard matchup,” Jason said. “But now who’s going to stop us? Nobody. Nobody’s gonna stop us.”
The Eagles will compete at Santa Clara for their next league match on Jan. 6.
