Celebrating their graduating senior class, Los Altos wrestling hosted their final duel of the season against Monta Vista, losing 48–35 on Thursday, Jan. 29. The loss marks the end of the Eagles’ season, finishing 5–2 and in third place in the El Camino League.
“Despite the loss, I felt really good about it,” head coach Tyler Calderon said. “We went out there and were competitive, and even in the matches we lost, we never gave up — we left everything on the mat.”
Although the Eagles kicked off their year with an impressive winning performance, this duel against the undefeated Monta Vista was the decider for qualification to the CCS playoffs — and the Eagles fell just short of that spot. Winning their first home duel against The Kings Academy, the Eagles also won against Homestead, Santa Clara and Cupertino — which came down to a 6-point victory.
The duel kicked off with two forfeits from Los Altos, immediately putting Monta Vista ahead, quickly followed by two pins, putting the Eagles behind 0–30. Despite the Matadors’ hefty lead, Los Altos put up a fight, with Jason securing a pin within a minute of his match, bringing the score back to 6-30. This was quickly followed by a tech fall from freshman Leonidas Marinopoulos and a pin from junior Shaan Bhatia, putting the Eagles back into the game with a score of 17–36.
“We went out there and battled the entire time,” Jason said. “Quitting was never an option for us.”
The momentum surged into the next match with sophomore Isaac Rabkin securing another pin, putting the score at 23–36. However, energy began to wear off, with two more pins from Monta Vista leaving the Eagles trailing by a large margin again. The match ended with a final score of 48–35.
The team reflected on their growth this year, despite losing a few seniors and finding their footing with new coaching, it’s clear the Eagles have become closer than ever.
At the final whistle, the three senior wrestlers — Jordan Lugo, Sara Barcon and Jason — exchanged hugs and received posters and heartfelt speeches by their teammates. Despite the bittersweet end to the season, the room was still filled with laughter, and the Eagles exchanged their best memories together.
“I was really reflecting on how much fun we had together,” Jason said. “I wish I could be with these guys another year.”
