Jack Major
Staff Writer
3..2…1 pinned! Junior Jared Williams got up and shook his opponent’s hand with a smile on his face. Williams made quick work of his opponent from West.
Despite Williams’ success, the boys wrestling team lost to West Torrance High School, 39-33, coming down to the final match during its home meet on Tuesday.
“We knew coming into the match that this would be a close one,” coach Jimmy Chaney said. “West is the best in their league, and we were the best in ours, so we were essentially fighting for the title of best in the area.”
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Costa had two of its players disqualified due to a skin infection and a missed weight cut, costing the team 12 crucial points. This factor was unlucky but part of the sport, Chaney said.
“We unfortunately lost but not from a lack of effort,” Chaney said. “The disqualifications are just part of the game, and we adapted well but got unlucky in the end.”
Williams, who wrestled in the 154-pound weight class, pinned his opponent in just under two minutes to win his match.
“I felt that I wrestled decently overall, but I felt a bit slow in the beginning of my fight,” Williams said. “I eventually started using more familiar techniques, and it allowed me to prevail.”
Fighting in the 104-pound weight class, junior Alan Faber lasted three rounds, ultimately defeating his opponent with points earned from a head throw.
“I felt that I performed well today with a couple of early head-tosses and managed to get some points early on,” Faber said. “My increased practice regimen definitely boosted my confidence and helped me perform better.”
Junior Will Curtis, fighting in the 140-pound division, narrowly lost his fight to his opponent, due to key points scored early on in the match through take-downs, which proved to be the decisive factor in his defeat.
“I felt sluggish today, and it showed in the match,” Curtis said. “Unfortunately, my opponent came prepared, and he fought the better match today.”
In the 160-pound weight class, junior Hanul Kim narrowly lost his match because his opponent was able to score from a takedown and a head throw then wrestle defensively for the rest of the match. Kim felt that it was a disappointing loss for him and the team, he said.
“It was a disappointing loss because we were at a disadvantage from the start due to the disqualifications, but we battled all the way to the end, and I’m proud of the team for that,” Kim said.
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Costa, 1-4 overall, traveled to Rosemead High School today for a dual meet; however, results were unavailable at the time of publication. Junior Mitchell Halvorsen said that the team is energized for the fight because the loss made the team determined to win.
“This loss was very disappointing, but in the long run it helps us,” Halvorsen said. “On the contrary, it reinvigorates us to practice harder, go to Rosemead and defeat them.”
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