Calabasas still grappling for respect
Coyote wrestlers take aim at rest of Marmonte
By Thomas Gase tgase@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers TRUSTING YOUR TEAMMATE- Calabasas' Kia Ahankoob, right, hoists Randy Horowitz high off the ground during Monday's practice. CHS expects to compete for the league title this year.

The Calabasas High wrestling team knows there's a first time for everything.

Although the Coyotes have never won a Marmonte League championship, the team believes experience can help in their quest for the program's first title since they moved from the Frontier League in 2000.

Of the 13 grapplers on the CHS varsity roster, seven have wrestled for at least three years. The Coyotes also feature eight seniors.

"It's easier for me as a coach this year," Calabasas head coach Andy Faulk said. "Although there is still communication between the kids and myself, I don't yell at them as much this year. The team has been here a while, and they seem to know what to do most of the time."

Although the league features powerhouses such as Royal and Thousand Oaks, wrestlers on Calabasas feel they can be a potential dark horse.

"We're kind of underdogs this year, but it's been that way since I was a freshman," senior Kia Ahankoob said. "I feel like we're better than people think we are."

Early in the season, CHS has shown promise by placing 13th out of 42 teams in the Rosemead West Coast Classic. Out of the 10 kids Calabasas sent to the tournament, seven returned to wrestle the second day, while six grapplers made the championship match. The Coyotes are also 1-1 in league, with their win coming against Moorpark High.

Leading the way for the Coyotes has been Ahankoob, who enters his fourth year on the varsity squad but is enjoying success for the first time this year. As of press time, Ahankoob is 12-2. Faulk said that Ahankoob, who wrestles in the 171-pound weight division, has won because of his dedication.

"I live in the area, and this offseason I would be driving around and I would see Ahankoob constantly running all over town. He did a lot of lifting in the weight room as well.

"He had a choice of wrestling on the JV team or wrestling on the varsity team his freshman year, and he chose to go up to the varsity team. He struggled, but he always gave as much as he had to give. He's one of the most dedicated athletes I've ever seen, and it's nice to see his determination finally pay off."

Another wrestler that has contributed for the Coyotes is senior co-captain Mike Shai. Shai wrestles in the 140-pound weight division.

"Shai is a good leader and a really tough kid," Faulk said. "He wrestles in a very tough division and takes his bruises. After the Rosemead tournament, Shai's face was covered with mat burns. It looked like he had been beaten to death. I love his never-give-up attitude."

Other grapplers that will make an impact for Calabasas include seniors Mike Steffen and Charlie Kaufman, as well as junior Randy Horowitz.

"Maybe it's a maturity thing, but it seems Horowitz decided over the summer that he didn't want to just wrestle, he wanted to be really good at it," Faulk said. "His strength and confidence has increased incredibly.

"Steffen has a lot of grit and is very consistent. He has a few moves that he does very well."

According to Faulk, Kaufman played football his freshman year and wasn't very physical on the field. That all changed when Kaufman began wrestling later on.

"Kaufman changed from a guy that turned away from tackles to a guy that went into tackles," Faulk said. "There are other skills you can be good at in football if you're not a good tackler, but in wrestling, if you can't tackle, you're finished. It's basically all we do."

This week, to inspire his team and recruit more wrestlers, Faulk brought back a flier from the Rosemead Tournament that showed current and former NFL players that also wrestled in high school.

The list included Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, Indianapolis Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri and former Los Angeles Raiders running back Bo Jackson.

Although Calabasas has a small roster, Faulk is hoping there's enough talent to bring the team back to its glory days.

"When we were in the Frontier League, we were dominating," Faulk said. "We were always coming in first or second place.

"We haven't had that kind of success in the Marmonte League, but I feel real good about this year. I'd say this is our best team since 2003, when we finished in second place."

Faulk's roster may be small, but he said the help he has received from his assistant coaches, Scott Kirkpatrick and Kevin Bice, have been enormous. According to the head coach, Kirkpatrick and Bice have instilled a positive attitude that has rubbed off on grapplers such as Shai.

"It's an amazing feeling when you strive to get better in practice and then you see the results on the mat," Shai said.

"It's like getting rewarded for having your butt kicked in practice all week."

The next league match for the Coyotes is Jan. 10 at home against Westlake High. The match begins at 6:30 p.m.