Coyote wrestlers hungry for victories

The Calabasas High School wrestling team is showing its will to win as it works its way through a tough Marmonte League season. It’s head coach Andy Falk’s seventh year of guiding the varsity Coyote grapplers, and two years ago his team was the Frontier League champion.

But that was 2000-01. Last year, Calabasas began wrestling in the Marmonte League because the Frontier League had disbanded in wrestling.

The Coyotes quickly learned that the caliber of competition was much higher in the new league. This season with a 12-7 record overall and a 1-2 Marmonte League record in dual meets, Falk has a positive attitude about where his team has been and its future.

"So far, I’m really excited about how much better we’re doing than last year," he said last Thursday after Calabasas was defeated, 70-6, by the Thousand Oaks High Lancers. "We were in the Frontier League and it collapsed, so we came into the Marmonte. We came up and we knew that we were a little bit of a sacrificial lamb."

When Calabasas won the Frontier championship after many years of struggling, the team was excited about an opportunity of joining the Marmonte League.

But, Falk said, reality quickly set in. "And then all of a sudden, the Peter Principle," he said. "We went somewhere that we hadn’t had that level of competition, and my guys were like ‘Uh-oh.’ But my seniors really stepped up to the plate."

This season the team’s progress continues with a varsity team comprised of 14 wrestlers; five freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and four seniors.

"It’s an incredible mixture with an emphasis on new kids," Falk said. "Even though we’re having a tough time in the league this year as far as winning the matches, I am really excited about how well the freshmen are doing. I know if they stay with it, in the next couple of years they will do well.

"So this is very unique for our team. It shouldn’t be, but it is. The seniors are really making sure that the younger kids are learning. They’re encouraging them. They’re not isolating themselves from the younger kids. And thank God, because look how many I have."

Calabasas senior wrestlers include Joel Kuznetsky (152 pounds), Jeff Steiner (171), Bob Hill (189) and Jon Sanchez (215).

Kuznetsky, Falk said, is a "great wrestler (with) great technique. Joel has a really tough weight category, so he’s having a tough time."

The coach said that Steiner had a great start last year. "This season he’s actually wrestling up a few weights. He’s a shorter kid (5-foot-5)," Falk said, "so he got back to, I would think, a healthier weight. He’s doing well this year."

Hill finished second in the Marmonte League last year. "We’re expecting big things from him," the coach said. "He’s had some illness and hasn’t really been 100 percent."

Falk said that Sanchez is 20-3 and "he’s just wrestling tremendous. It’s great to see. He was a 152 (pound class) last year. That’s a big jump. He’s doing great. We’re excited about that. Jon, as the winning streak shows, is a standout."

Freshman Adam Hawley (135) was the only Calabasas wrestler to score points against the Lancers last Thursday. "He comes out and pins," the coach said. "He’s amazing," Falk said. "Great job. ‘Up and coming’ is the way to describe him. He has some ferocity on the mat and did a great job. He turned the other guy’s mistake into a win."

Two other wrestlers who the coach describes as "attack wrestlers" are Cameron Teitelman (112 pounds) and Kevin Kaveh (160).

Referring to Teitelman, Falk said that while he’s a freshman, "I think he’s going to be dynamite. He’s amazing. He’s an attack wrestler, but he’s still learning. He doesn’t really know all the techniques, yet."

Regarding Kaveh, the coach said that he enjoys watching him because "one of my favorite things to watch a guy do is be an attack wrestler the whole match."

Another impressive Coyote wrestler is Mark Durant. "I think Mark is going to be unbelievable," the coach said. "He’s a sophomore, but he’s amazing. He only weighs 189 pounds, but he’s wrestling heavyweight. He’s a tough kid and doesn’t quit."

The Coyotes beat Newbury Park in the Camarillo Tournament. "This was pretty exciting for us," the coach said, "and we did pretty well against Royal. We held our own. We have a few matches that we know we’re going to do well in," Falk said. "I’m just real happy about the progress."

Calabasas has four league matches remaining, including tonight’s 7 o’clock event when the Newbury Park High Panthers visit CHS.