Falcons take down Dons in conference matchup

Cerritos College defeated Santa Ana College men’s wrestling team at the Bill Cook Gymnasium 36-12 on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

The Dons had a strong start from 133-lbs. Dylan Avila, who is currently ranked fifth in the state based on the California Community College Athletic

At one point in the match, Avila’s opponent chose the down position, allowing Avila to take control from the top, which he used to turn the opponent onto his back, nearly pinning him and earning nearfall points.

Dylan Avila, tussles with Cerritos College wrestler. Photo by Gia Santolalla / el Don

Although he dominated the mat, he expressed concerns before the match started.

“I was a little nervous going into the match. I came back from an injury and I dislocated my arm twice and I had to miss two weeks of practice. But I was able to come back and perform the best I could.”

During the match, Avila swiftly performed a low single , a move which resembles spearing someone’s ankles with your shoulders. It sent his opponent crashing to the mat.

Ultimately, Avila won the match and secured five points for the Dons. However, the rest of the team faltered, most losing their matches.

Before heading to practice, Alex Abrego, a SAC womens’ wrestler, cheered from the bleachers to show support for the men’s wrestling team.

Abrego remarked that, “We saw a couple of hype matches, like the heavyweight match, because they tied, got stalled, and we went to overtime.”

The Dons won their first two meets of the year, but lost the last four. Photo by Gia Santolalla / el Don

Vince Silva, men’s wrestling coach, addresses the issues regarding the final score.

“I’ve got a bunch of freshmen and I have five guys that are on the injured list right now,” said Silva. “We’re working on keeping a guy down on the mat. So we’re just fixing our mistakes.”

Silva continued that a loss “Teaches you to be worthy of winning before you win anything big, that’s you’ve earned your spot and your title.”

The next wrestling match will take place at East Los Angeles College in the C1 Gym at 9 a.m. on Nov. 22.