Alameda’s AJ Torrez enjoying ever moment as his prep wrestling journey nears its end

LAKEWOOD — Senior Night is always special.

It was no different Thursday night at Alameda International Junior/Senior High School. Alameda’s boys wrestling coach Frank Trujillo talked about each of his seniors and every senior took their turn on the mic before the dual against Conifer.

“Very exciting. We’ve finally come to the end for these four years for our seniors,” Trujillo said after the solid 51-24 team victory over Conifer. “We had seven of them out here tonight. It was exciting to talk about what they have accomplished over the past four years and what they are accomplishing this year as well.”

Alameda has mounted plenty of team success winning back-to-back Class 4A Jeffco League titles in 2023 and 2024 before the Pirates left the Jeffco League. The Pirates came close last season to having its first individual state wrestling champion since 2017.

AJ Torrez was runner-up in the 3A 132-pound classification. Jefferson senior Samuel Rosales pinned Torrez in the first period giving Rosales a third individual state championship.

“Coming up short last year really hurt me. Hard work is going to pay off this year,” Torrez said about a hopeful return trip to Ball Arena for the third time in his career. “I’m excited to get back on that arena floor.”

Torrez fittingly was the final match Thursday night. The senior scored a second-round pin of Conifer’s Caden Kittay in the 138-pound match to give the Pirates five straight victories to finish the night.

Trujillo said that Torrez will have the same approach as he did last year getting to the title bout.

“As soon as that match was over last year at (Ball Arena) and he was runner-up, we were working the next day,” Trujillo said. “The experience that he has going to state as a freshman, the upset as a sophomore and not making it to state and then finish as the state runner-up as a junior, the experiences of those ups and downs are going to push him to get to that next level.”

Not matter what happens in the next month leading up to the state tournament Feb. 19-21 in downtown Denver, Torrez will go down as one of the most successful Alameda wrestlers in the program’s history.

“It’s been a quick and long four years,” Torrez said who has over 100 victories on the mat. “I remember when I was a freshman I was like, ‘What until I’m a senior.’ Now that it is here it went faster than I ever imagined. You really what to take it year-to-year and not rush anything.”

Torrez is leaning on his hard work he has put in over the years to hopefully be the first individual state wrestling champion from Alameda since Fabian Estrada won the 3A state title at 195 pounds nearly a decade ago in 2017.

“I was part of the youth program here when Alameda had its state champ. I just want to be the first one in a long time to win it for my school, myself and my family,” Torrez said. “It’s been my only goal since I was 4 years old.”

Alameda will close out its regular season with the Les Mattocks Tournament at Lincoln High School on Saturday, Jan. 24, and the Eagle Valley Tournament the following weekend to get ready for regionals.

“I just want to work as hard as I can,” Torrez said of what he plans to do before regionals and state. “Not worry about the outcome. Worry about the journey to the outcome. I want to enjoy every step and every second that I have.”