Cougars’ win one for the thumb

The victory sealed the fifth straight undefeated season for the Cougars, who have won 30 straight dual meets en route to five consecutive PAL Bay Division championships.

“We’ve got a senior dominated team,” HMB head coach Tom Baker said. “It’s going to be a young team; it’s going to be a challenge for us next year.”

Fourth-year varsity senior Jimmy Claitor has the most experience through the five-year dynasty. Coming off a PAL individual championship as a junior, however, the senior has spent most of this season on the shelf. He has wrestled in just three matches, all dual meets. He also has a win via forfeit. Thursday he improved his season record to 4-0 with a pin in the second round of the 197-pound match.

“We’ve been kind of holding him out for league because he’s been fighting an injury,” Baker said. “So, hopefully he’ll be ready for PAL finals.”

Claitor was one of six victories on the mat for HMB Thursday. Everett Schafer, a senior, won via decision at 162s; Alejandro Ortiz, a senior, won via decision at 140s; Marlon Linares, a senior, won via decision at 134s; Luis Alcala, a senior, won at 115s; and at 108s, the Cougars glimpsed their future with a win from freshman Fernando Diaz-Marquez.

“Fernando had the biggest win of the night,” Baker said.

Wrestling at the junior-varsity level during tournaments this season, Diaz-Marquez has competed only in dual meets. Thursday he finished off a clean sweep through the regular season, improving his record to 6-0. Competing at 108s — the lowest weight class there is — the freshman weighs in at a mere 94 pounds.

“He knocked off a previously undefeated wrestler who probably already had an edge on him,” Baker said. “[The opponent] is already at the top of his weight class. … [Diaz-Marquez] started the ball rolling for us and got the crowd fired up for us.”

Burlingame senior Andrew Slaboda at 172s earned the second of two wins for the Panthers.

Next up for HMB and the rest of the PAL comes Saturday, Feb. 17 at the PAL Championships. It was a big day for the Cougars last season, as they saw nine wrestlers qualify for the Central Coast Section Championships. The top four placers in each weight class advance to CCS.

Baker said the parity throughout the PAL is going to loom large at this year’s tournament, which will be hosted by Mills High School.

“I’d love to sit here and tell you, ‘Yeah, we’re going to win this tournament,” Baker said. “But I have no idea.”

The CCS Championships will be held the following week, Feb. 25 at Independence High School in San Jose.