After a strong 2024-25 season, the Palo Alto Vikings boys wrestling team is looking to build on its success during the upcoming season. In the previous season, the Vikings tied with Milpitas and Fremont for second place in their league and had one wrestler qualify for state. Although the Vikings did fall short in CCS, they had a very successful and strong season. The team is looking to carry its momentum from the previous season to the 2025-26 season.

For the current season, the Vikings are coached by head coach Jonathan Kessler and are led by four captains: juniors Brian Miller and Daniel Zappas and seniors James Otuhiva and Atticus Ayres. While the Vikings did lose a few seniors, they still have the potential for a great season, retaining a few core members, including Brian Miller, who qualified for state in the 24-25 season.

Coming into the season, the Vikings have a few goals that they will be working towards throughout the season. For the team, the biggest goal is to place as a team in CCS and to place highly in their league. To achieve these goals, the team is committed to staying disciplined while paying attention to the smallest details.  

“We show up every day to practice and work extremely hard while prioritizing our nutrition and recovery to get the most out of our training,” sophomore Reed Hoffman said. “We then go to a lot of tournaments to hone our skills and find areas we need to work on.”

Aside from the team’s goals, many athletes have their personal goals that they are working towards achieving during the upcoming season.

“My goal for the season is to place at CCS,” Hoffman said.

The Vikings are looking to start off strong during their season opener at home on Thursday, December 4. They will face off against Lynbrook High School at 5:30 pm.