Dons deal SM first loss

Altamirano was unconcerned. Betanzo is ranked fourth in the Central Coast Section at 101 and has a shot to make the podium at the girls’ CCS championships next week. Betanzo got a takedown in the first 14 seconds and turned it into a pin nine seconds later to clinch Aragon’s 45-36 win over the Bearcats at Woodside Thursday evening.

“Most of her wins have been by pin,” Altamirano said of Betanzo’s 21-3 record. “I wanted to put her last (in the lineup). She can put on a show.”

The same could be said for the rest of the Dons, who are the defending Peninsula Athletic League Ocean Division champs and became the odds-on favorite to repeat after beating previously undefeated San Mateo.

But with the Dons giving up 30 points in forfeiting five matches, Altmirano knew his team’s margin for error was razor thin. Of Aragon’s six wins on the mat, five came via pin, giving the Dons maximum points on the scoreboard. Anything less and San Mateo might be sitting in the catbird’s seat atop the Ocean Division standings.

“It was very crucial to get those (wins by) pins,” Altamirano said. “There was no doubt we needed majors (major decisions) or pins to cover the gap (caused by our forfeits).”

San Mateo head coach Jason Cervantes knew how close his team was to pulling off the victory. If the Bearcats could have turned around a couple of those losses, they would still be unbeaten in league.

“I have a lot of first-year wrestlers. I had to throw somebody out there,” Cervantes said. “I was hoping they would give a little more fight.

“They all understood (the importance of the match). I think maybe that got into their heads a little bit.”

Ironically, it was Aragon that earned the first points of the match when San Mateo had to forfeit the match at 115. The Dons then won the next five matches, giving up a total of just two points.

Nick Lee gave the Dons their first win on the mat, winning by pin at 122. He quickly gained control and two points with an early throw that he quickly turned into a three-point near-fall. He finished off his opponent at the 1:02 mark of the first period.

Mario Siquenza had the quickest win of the night, needing just 16 seconds to win his 129-pound match. Barsom Shokri-Niri struggled through most of his 134-pound battle. He got an early takedown in the first period for a 2-0 lead, but did not score again until the third.

Shokri-Niri led 2-1 going into the final round, but got an insurance point with an escape, which he then turned into a takedown. He came close to finishing with a pin, but the final horn sounded before he could complete the task.

“A sophomore, he’s a very promising prospect,” Altamirano said of Shokri-Niri. “It’s been great to see him blossom.”

Altamirano then sent a pair of neophytes out for the next two matches at 140 and 147. Carl Kohake (140) and Edwin Rodriguez (147) were making their PAL dual-meet debuts and both passed with flying colors. Kohake built a 4-0 lead after one period with a takedown and late two-point nearfall. He quickly gained control moments into the second period before getting the pin at the 2:20 mark of the second round.

Rodriguez followed with an even more impressive showing, taking a 4-1 lead in the first round before pinning his opponent with 17 seconds left in the opening period.

“We put out two guys who didn’t have much experience and they came through,” Altamirano said.

Rodriguez’s victory gave the Dons a 33-0 lead in the team score, but they then had to forfeit four of the next five matches — at 154, 172, 184 and 197.

The six points Aragon picked up via San Mateo forfeit at 162 proved to be crucial to the Dons’ success.

San Mateo earned their only win on the mat as the hulking Ariel Blemur made short work of his opponent at 222, needing a little over a minute to record the pin.

Another Aragon forfeit at heavyweight and the Bearcats found themselves trailing by just three points.

But Betanzo quickly shut down any thought of a rousing San Mateo comeback.

“Honestly, I thought [the match] would go in San Mateo’s favor,” Altamirano said. “We have some young guys who came through.”