They don’t have the firepower of the Falcon mat team, but the Amador Dons gave the Foothill team some anxious moments earlier this month. What was supposed to be a “walk in the park” for coach Rick Spencer’s men turned into a battle, and the tide was turned by two unlikely Falcon heroes.
With the undefeated Falcons staring at a 24-18 team score deficit after eight matches, coach Spencer called for a team huddle to let the boys know this was unacceptable. The EBAL title was at stake.
The next Falcon to take the mat was Drew Carpenter. Taking his coach’s words to heart, the determined Carpenter beat his opponent by a 9-2 score, adding three points to the Foothill side of the scoreboard. Next from the Falcon lineup was Jordan Campbell. Tossed into the Varsity fray, he often is matched against more experienced, larger and stronger men. His inexperience on the mat made this year a tough one for Campbell. But not on Feb. 10. Wrestling like a man possessed, he stayed in control for most of the match, earning the win with a final score of 8-5.
Riding the momentum of these two boys, the Falcons would not lose another match on the night. After Jordan’s win, the Dons forfeited another 18 points. Though sophomore Jon Desprez stood in for Phil Boyer, the results were the same. His opponent, suffering a cut, could not compete in the third round. Six more points for the Falcons. The win was needed to ensure sole possession of the squad’s third consecutive EBAL title. Foothill has dominated the EBAL for three consecutive seasons.
–Tim Shearer
