Larkin downs Elgin to keep Crossface Cup

Larkin 132-pound junior Hugo Barraza entered this year's installment of the Crossface Classic unprepared to relinquish the coveted, Town Jug-like headgear trophy.

In fact, if it was permitted, Barraza said he would've wrestled with the trophy taped to his hand.

Talk about bold, that's how badly he and the Royals wanted to three-peat the annual classic in its fourth go-round. Barraza (7-1) wasn't letting go, and leave it to last year's sectional qualifier to actually use the move that defines this rivalry during his dominant pinfall victory over a contorted Angel O'Campo, which aided the Royals in their 54-17 win over the Maroons at Larkin Friday.

"It was kind of funny, it was the Crossface Classic so I thought 'throw it in,' " Barraza said of the move. He was 1 of 4 different pinners for Larkin (6-2, 1-1), which only lost 2 matches straight-up to Elgin (0-2, 0-2).

"The motivation was the Jug," Barraza said of the trophy the winner of the crosstown football game keeps each year. "We wanted to keep it as well right next to it."

Hector Perez (170), Enrique Morales (182) and Aaron Marshall (285) were also among those securing pins, while Roosevelt Hopkins at 152 was able to will his way to victory late in the final period after he was nearly pinned 40 seconds into his bout with Anthony Ruiz.

"I knew I couldn't get pinned for the team," Hopkins said. "I (had) to keep fighting. Every second I kept getting on my back I kept thinking I have to get up and get up for the team."

Eventually Hopkins (5-3) rallied late, used a reversal and near pin in the final minute of the third period, got a lock on and sealed the deal with enough points. And that's the kind of night it was for the Royals.

"Rosie was down, and he fought hard in that match," fourth-year Larkin coach Steve Hoyt said. "Oscar Perez (220) fought off his back. We saved team points. So that was very impressive in itself. We didn't give up a single pin. That's the first time we've done that in three years. It's just a lot of growth in the program."

Jose Flores (145) earned a 9-3 win over Max Troyke while Justin Valle (106), Justin Kelsey (126), Juan Saenz (138) and Jesus Facio (195) earned wins via forfeit. Jaron Cano (113) did the same for Elgin, which saw Angelo Poland lead off the night with a 9-1 over Leo Martinez. From that point on Larkin won 5 of 6 matches until Erick Diaz' 19-9 win over Evan Powers followed a forfeit at 113. Larkin won the final 4 matches.

"Inexperience and lack of conditioning really took hold," first-year Maroons' coach Mark Woollard said. "We started off giving them 18 points right off the bat and then getting pinned. I did see some things to build on to get back in the room and get back after. I'm disappointed to lose the Cup but I'm pleased with some of the efforts."