Three varsity wrestlers at Amador Valley High School earned second team EBAL All-League honors: Julius Ramos (‘23), Jayden Wood (‘25), and AJ Johnson (‘23). Ramos wrestled in the 122-pound division, Wood wrestled in the 222-pound division, and Johnson wrestled in the 287-pound division.

Wood is currently a sophomore and this season was his first year ever participating in wrestling. He’s learned a lot from other wrestlers and highly-experienced coaches that guided him every step of the way. 

“It was really exciting, I mean (it’s my) first year as a wrestler, so I was able to learn a lot this year. It’s super exciting and I didn’t expect to get this far. Being able to take second was a huge accomplishment because there were a lot of good people that I wrestled with,” said Wood. 

Ramos and Johnson were team captains this season and have mentored the younger wrestlers throughout the season. They’ve provided them with assistance and guidance to succeed in many years to come.

“For me personally, I worked with the younger freshmen a lot. If they ask questions or anything, I’m always there to help them out. They should have a strong team (next season) because we had a lot of freshmen and sophomores on varsity. So I think with their experience now, they’ll be good for next year,” said Ramos. 

Teammates have consistently looked up to the older wrestlers on the team for motivation and support. The captains often give strong inspirational speeches to the team and teach them many things that have helped them grow their character and expand their horizons outside of wrestling. 

“Wrestling teaches you leadership and a lot about respect, respecting your opponents. It just teaches you a lot of life skills that you need in general to continue on with the rest of your life,” said Ramos. 

Younger wrestlers have enjoyed the experience of hanging out with teammates at tournaments and having full participation during practices. Team bonding and constant support have allowed the team to grow and improve their skills. 

“(The captains have) been great role models and I’ve been working with AJ all year. He helped me during practice all the time, so I got to learn a lot from him. Julius is a great leader on the team, having family around, and just being the presence that he is,” said Wood. 

For many seniors like Ramos and Johnson, high school wrestling may be their final competitive stint. They’ve worked hard throughout their wrestling years, learning many lessons and gaining strong relationships in their careers. 

“We’ve got some great coaches and I had some great teammates this year. We’re always pushing each other to get better and just always working. I’ve been really grateful to meet all the people that I met, a great group of people, and I’ll have those bonds for the rest of my life,” said Johnson.