Five wrestlers from Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley high schools won individual league titles during the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League finals at Santa Cruz High School on February 17. In the team competition, Aptos won the meet with 241 points, followed by Scotts Valley with 146 points. SLV took fourth with 122.5 points.
San Lorenzo Valley
Ben Landauer wrapped up his unblemished SCCAL season with a 5-2 victory over Aptos High’s Riggs Powell to capture the 220-pound title.
The senior at San Lorenzo Valley bested Powell earlier in the season but may have to meet him again as the feisty Powell is currently the No. 2 seed in the Central Coast Section behind Landauer who is the No.1 seed going into this weekend’s CCS Championship.
Landauer’s teammate Michael Kraft, won his third consecutive SCCAL title in the 138 pound weight class. Kraft, a junior, faced Soquel High freshman Matt Hohman in the first round.
“That was a good match,” Kraft said. “I could tell he was trying really hard but it’s tough to win league as a freshman.”
Kraft made quick work of Hohman, pinning him in the first round before going on to win the title against Aptos’ Jared Lalanne with a second period pin.
SLV’s Karl Johnson, who defeated Aptos’ Deniz Kapkin by pin in 1:34 was SLV’s third title winner. His victory at 182-pounds nets him a trip to the CCS meet.
SLV’s Elijah Schoepp, who took second, earned the first tech fall of his career over Harbor’s Noah Taul, winning 15-0 during the championship.
“I am so stoked,” the elated Schoepp said. “That was the first tech fall I have ever gotten and it got me a ticket to CCS.”
SLV’s Elliot Doran got revenge over Soquel’s Sonny Torres who had beat Doran in the teams dual meet earlier in the season. Doran found himself deadlocked with Torres at 11-all at the end of regulation. In the overtime period Doran took down Torres who landed out of bounds and the two had to start again in the standing position. Doran regrouped and landed a clean take-down for the sudden death win.
Doran would later fall to Harbor Highs Willy Lamacchia 8-1 in the finals, but finished second and qualified for CCS.
Scotts Valley
Scotts Valley Junior Kevin Edington captured his second consecutive league title by besting Santa Cruz’s Jacob Ritz with a pin 1:41 into the second round in the 106-pound division. Edington won the title last year at 103 pounds.
In what was the tightest match of the evening, Falcon Grant Margerum topped Soquel’s Will McTighe with a 3-2 decision that earned Scotts Valley’s second league title of the night.
Falcon freshman Andy Ramirez upset Aptos High’s Jake Carr, the No. 3 seed, with a 9-8 tech fall to earn a second place finish and qualify for the CCS tournament. Ramirez would later fall to Harbor sophomore Bryan Battisto in the finals by tech fall, 19-3.
Other wrestlers earning tickets to CCS will be Scotts Valley’s Jake Revino at 113 pounds, Scott Peyser at 145 pounds and Baldan Dashiev at 160 pounds. Each earned second place finishes in the SCCAL tournament.
The top two wrestlers from the SCCAL tournament earned spots in the CCS Championship this weekend, Feb. 24-25 at Independence High School in San Jose.
Landauer, the No. 1 seed in CCS at 220 pounds and SLV’s Karl Johnson, No. 6, are the only seeded wrestlers from the valleys.
