For the past several seasons now, Dolores County High School has been right at the top. They have won or finished high in the San Juan Basin League Duals, have placed high at the Western Slope Regionals and they have finished among the top 10 schools in Class 2A Wrestling Tournament.

However, this year the Bulldogs will definitely have a rebuilding year. They are giving up a bunch of weights with vacancies. They lost four quality wrestlers to graduation last May and have only two returning from appearing at last February’s State Tournament.

"We definitely have a young team," DCHS head coach Shane Baughman commented. "I knew it was going to be like this with only three returners. We are in just one of those rebuilding years. But the future looks bright because we have a good eighth grade class coming up."

Kyle Riddell, 112 pounds, finished second place at state but looks to be a strong candidate to go right back in that title match. Casey Spitzer, 125, qualified for State but just missed placing by a match.

"Kyle will likely be wrestling at that weight. Casey will probably be dropping down to 119 before they have to find their weight. Kyle has a goal of winning State. I think he can achieve it if he works hard. Casey wants to place and I think he can do that," DCHS head coach Shane Baughman commented.

Randy Curtis, 130, is another State qualifier who is back.

"He was at 130 last year and will be back at that weight this year. He is a good wrestler and has a good chance to make another trip to State," Baughman remarked.

Freshmen Matt Beanland and David Hannay will battle it out at 103. Riddell and Dan Williams at 112. Spitzer will probably be at 119 with freshman Trinity Cressler at 125. Curtis will be at 130 with first-year sophomore Vern Hassell at 135. But then the Bulldogs skip a bunch of weights until 215. First-year wrestler Kyle Krafka will be at that spot. First-year frosh Alden James will be the heavyweight position.

Heavyweight Bill Ransom moved away and another wrestler did not come out which hurt the team’s depth situation.

Baughman says Mancos is probably the team to beat with Nucla a close second as far as the San Juan Basin League is concerned. Hayden, Mancos, and Nucla are the teams to beat at Regionals.

The Bulldogs finished fourth out of six teams at the recent Bayfield Wrestling Classic. They placed 14th at the Kayenta Tournament over the weekend, Dec. 8-9. The Bulldogs will travel to the Bloomfield Tournament Dec. 15-16 to end the 2000 part of the slate.

The 2001 portion features Pagosa Springs Tournament Jan. 6, Shiprock-Durango double dual in a home meet Jan. 11 (actually at Cortez Middle School), Paonia Tournament Jan. 13, Grand County Invitational in Moab, Utah, Jan. 20, San Juan League Duals in Nucla on Jan. 25, and Terry Rockwell Memorial in Dolores on Feb. 3.