The Dons fought to maintain their winning streak as they competed for a spot in the Bay Division next season at their most recent dual meet against Burlingame and Oceana High School. However, the team did not do as well as they had hoped as they suffered two losses, taking them out of the running for a spot in the Bay Division. However, the team persisted on putting up a fight as they came close to Burlingame with a final score of 42-33. During Junior Suliasi Unga’s match against Burlingame, he was able to pin his opponent in the first round. Also, Junior Isaiah Martin ended the third round of his match with six point lead.
Despite the recent losses, the team has made a lot of progress with an exciting new addition — their coach, Carlo Altamirano. The team’s 4-2 record in the Ocean division, along with their glowing reviews of Carlo’s coaching, has kept them optimistic about their expectations for the rest of their season. As sophomore Hans Canton explains, “last year, [they] had a coach that didn’t really know what to do. But this year, [their] coach is well seasoned and knows what he’s doing.”
Only eleven of the twenty-three wrestlers returning to compete for Aragon wrestling this year, but that has not stopped the team from feeling like a more cohesive team. “Sometimes the training process can be slow because we have so many new wrestlers this year,” explains Senior and CCS champion Angela Bonanni. Despite these intermittent accommodations, however, the team does not feel that they have any significant deficiencies in certain strategies or kinds of athletes. “With less than half of the team returning to wrestle this year, the inconsistency means that we don’t always have someone to fight in every weight division,” says Junior Hina O’holeva Filimoehala-Egan. Nevertheless, the team’s focus has been less on their connectedness and more on practicing with Coach Altamirano so that they can perform optimally throughout the rest of the season.
First-year Varsity members of the wrestling team have found themselves learning about how different they sport was from their expectations. “It’s different from my experience in football because I was focused on having more energy,” says Senior Daniel Romero. “In wrestling, I had to get used to having a calmer, more strategic mindset because the one-on-one dynamic is so intense.”
The coach’s fervent investment in the team was a dedication that the Dons had to adapt to. “This season, we’re a lot more disciplined as a team because Carlo cares so much,” states CCS champion Angela Bonanni. “I think that it makes us more driven to win this year.” Athletes have found themselves changing their strategy with coaching and encouragement from Altamirano, and the resulting support allowed for athletes such as Sophomore Hanz Canton to become a more defensive wrestler in order to emphasize strategy, and athletes such as Junior Joshua Sanchez to tire out his opponents by experimenting with a more offensive approach toward his matches.
The Dons will be competing in the PAL Championships on Saturday, February 13th, at El Camino High School, where the team will compete for their individual spots at CCS.
