By: Chloe Wilson
Culture Editor
The Los Gatos High School Wrestling season has come to an end with multiple players placing in large competitions such as the Central Coast Section Championships (CCS) and even the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) State Championships. Throughout the year, the team battled through tough matches and overcame hard losses, with great wins and triumphs. The Boys’ Wrestling team received second place in CCS, with a group score of 202.
Additionally, multiple players placed in high rankings in the CCS tournament; senior Joseph Pavlov-Ramirez (138) and sophomore Wesley Hayden (150), placed second in their respective weight classes. Furthermore, senior Ojas Shastri (190) placed first in the CCS tournament with a final score of 7-1, competing against a player from Bellarmine College Preparatory High School for the championship. Regarding preparation for the tournament, Hayden stated, “To prepare, we didn’t do anything too differently; we may have gone not quite as hard at practice just to keep our bodies rested.” Unfortunately, Hayden lost to a player from Gilroy High School after putting up a tough match, resulting in a score of 5-3 during the ultimate tiebreaker period. Before the tournament, Head Coach Greg Valera expressed, “The expectations are great, and we’re going right back to business to start taking on the next thing.” Hayden reflected on his experiences this year, as he explained, “I am just excited for next year, to win some of these tournaments I did not quite win and hopefully win CCS next year.” Sophomore Trajan Pannell reiterated that the group’s goal for CCS was to “work together as a team, build each other up, and show our hard work.” Pannell placed fifth in the 132-pound weight class of the CCS tournament.
After CCS, the team headed to the CIF State Championships, and Ramirez placed eighth in the state of California. Hayden also described the difference of the state tournament in comparison to others: “There is a lot more emphasis on state, and it is way bigger than most other tournaments we go to.” The CIF competition took place at the Dignity Health Arena in Bakersfield, California, from Feb. 26-28. Ramirez competed against a player from Brawley High School in Brawley, California, winning with a score of 7-5 by a final decision.
Overall, throughout the course of the 2025-2026 season, LG wrestling displayed an immense amount of team chemistry through their many wins. Despite losing key players and upperclassmen from the previous year, the team persevered and worked with strong players, building off individual and team successes. The team has many consistent underclassmen to continue this legacy as they begin to prepare for the 2026-2027 season.
(Sources: Cal Grappler, CIF Central Coast Section, LGHS Athletics, Los Gatan)