Dons Wrestling Outlasts No. 10 Rio Hondo for 28-23 Win
Santa Ana wrestling picked up a 28-23 win over No. 10 ranked Rio Hondo in their final home dual of the season.
SANTA ANA, Calif. - In its final home dual meet of the season, the Dons Wrestling team knocked off the No. 10 ranked Rio Hondo Roadrunners by a score of 28-23.
Although Santa Ana handed the Roadrunners 12 points by forfeiting two weight classes during the meet, they still managed to dominate the mat to earn the win.
Damien Lopez set the tone for the Dons in the opening match at 125 pounds. The sophomore from Santa Ana High took a one point lead after an escape in the second round. Following an escape from his Rio Hondo counterpart, Lopez knew he needed to score again with the riding time not in his favor. With 1:45 on the clock, he came up with a takedown to secure a 3-2 lead and three points for his team.
In the 133 pound round, Branden Huynh was defeated by technical fall, giving Rio Hondo a 5-3 lead. The Roadrunners followed with another win in the 144 pound match as Nathan Ramirez dropped the contest by fall at the 6:18 mark.
After falling behind 11-3, the Dons didn't lose another match in the night. Nicolas Gutierrez made quick work of his opponent at 149 pounds with a fall in the second round. Ezekiel Hueter was just one point away from a fall in his match but took the 15-4 win at 157 pounds. In the 165 pounds matchup, Jonathan Aldana looked solid and came away with an 8-2 win to give Santa Ana a 16-11 lead before Rio Hondo was awarded points due to a forfeit at the 174 pound class.
The meet continued with Sergio Gutierrez collecting a fall at 4:51 in the second round of the 184 pound match which set up the stage for the final bout of the night.
Santa Ana led 22-17 but knew they would forfeit the 285 pound round, making the final match a must win.
Ruben Morfin did just that, as he dominated to win by fall at the 4:14 match to secure the win for the Dons.
Next, Santa Ana will compete in the East Los Angeles Brawl on Saturday, November 19th before preparing for the SoCal Regionals on December 3rd.
