Expectations continue to soar for La Cañada wrestling
There were plenty of highs and some unexpected lows in a breakthrough 2016-17 season for the La Cañada High wrestling team.
The Spartans captured their first Rio Hondo League title in five seasons by defeating four-time champion and archrival San Marino and holding off up-and-coming Hoover.
La Cañada then enjoyed its best effort during the four-year tenure of head coach Justin Luthey at the league finals. The Spartans won six individual crowns, while advancing a wrestler to the CIF postseason in 12 of 16 weight classes.
Such a wonderful season had its drawbacks, though, as the Spartans struggled in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Western Division Dual Meet Championships and lost to Paramount, 60-18, at Lakewood High.
For a second straight year, La Cañada also failed to advance a wrestler to the Masters Meet as only four grapplers survived past the first day of the Inland Division Championships and none moved on.
Even on the girls’ side, the jewels of La Cañada wrestling – sisters Cheyenne and Sophie Garcia – came up short of their expectations of advancing to the girls’ state championships.
All of the above has left Luthey and his squad grateful and yet still very much hungry.
“The kids have been ready for a big season for a while,” Luthey said. “We’re proud of what we accomplished, but we also want more, particularly in the playoffs. I think we can do a lot better than last year.”
Luthey’s words are backed by the swelling numbers in his program as La Cañada boast 72 wrestlers, which allows for junior varsity and freshman teams.
The Spartans also received an added benefit in the offseason when Luthey was hired as a full-time instructor, which affords the La Cañada alumnus more time on campus.
“With coach being a teacher on campus, he’s been able to dedicate a lot more time to the program,” said Ben Donoho, a Spartans 152-pound senior and team tri-captain. “You see the improvement from last year to this year in everyone. We’re just more dedicated and now we’re ready for more.”
Donoho returns with big expectations a season after he upset Hoover’s Allen Melikyan, 9-2, for the Rio Hondo League title. Donoho finished 4-2 at the Inland Division Championships and just missed the cut to the Masters Meet.
While the Spartans graduated their most decorated boys’ wrestler Andrew Aghadjanians, they welcome back five of six league champs that includes junior 132-pounder Cameron Carey, junior 138-pounder William Henderson, junior 160-pouder Johnny Vasily and senior 170-pounder and tri-caption Colman Trulik.
“In league, I don’t think we should have a rival, we should go against whoever we’re going against,” Trulik said. “We shouldn’t be focusing on one school. We as a team should be focusing on what we can do to improve and beat everyone else.”
One big change for Luthey this season is his team’s inclusion in several more girls’ tournaments.
The coach is hoping the increased workload will pay dividends for his two girls’ stars, senior 189-pounder Cheyenne Garcia and junior 160-pounder Sophie Garcia.
“They didn’t get too much work against girls last season,” Luthey said. “So when they were in these elite tournaments against other girls, it really was a learning experience for them.”
Cheyenne Garcia and Sophie Garcia finished 2-1 at the Central Division Qualifying Tournament at Upland High on Feb. 4.
The efforts advanced the sisters to the Southern Section Girls’ Wrestling Championships, the Southern Section’s final event and the CIF State qualifier.
The sisters each finished 1-2 and did not advance to state.
“Maybe the expectations were too high for us and we didn’t know how to deal with them,” Sophie Garcia said. “I did real well my freshman year and didn’t really know what I was doing. Last year, I was injured, didn’t wrestle much and it caught up with me.
“This time around, I’ve put in the work in the offseason and am expecting a much better season.”
Twitter: @campadresports
