DURANGO — They must feel like an old Timex watch, "they took a licking but kept on ticking."

The Montezuma-Cortez High School varsity wrestling team lost all but one of the lighter and middle weights but won most of the heavier weights during a Southwest League dual Thursday night, Jan. 18, against rival Durango in DHS Gym. The Panthers lost the team score 57-23.

The young, depleted and wounded Panthers will head to Rifle today, Jan. 20, to compete in the annual Rifle Tournament which will have a different format than past years. Cortez will wrestle against Moffat County, Delta, Steamboat Springs, and Rifle in duals. The top wrestlers in each bracket will go into a wrestle off for final placings.

"Missing two wrestlers (state qualifier Lyle Benally, 112, sick; and 145 Nick Martinez, ineligible) plus all our freshmen, I knew we weren’t going to win," MCHS head coach Mike Allison said following the match. "We were just too young across the board. Our inexperience showed."

The bright spot was at 119 pounds where state qualifier Tyler Gray won by pin over Durango’s Marcus Madril. Gray went right after Madril with a takedown and then a near fall but Madril was saved by the buzzer in the first period for a 5-0 lead. Gray worked his legs well against Madril and scissored him for a near fall and an 8-0 at the end of the second period. Gray then used his upper body with a half-Nelson to pull Madril over and pin him in 4:39.

"I thought Tyler did a good job," Allison remarked. "He is really coming along to where I thought he should be by now."

The Panthers did not win again until 160s. Dan O’Neal dominated Durango’s Kirby Beegles. O’Neal dropped Beegles with a high road and then cradled him. Beegles tried to roll out but went too far over and O’Neal nearly pinned him. O’Neal led 5-0 at the end of the first period. O’Neal scored quickly with a near fall, then did a cross-face cradle and put Beegles’ shoulders to the mat in 2:05.

"O’Neal is looking very good right now. He’s doing all the right things," Allison said.

Cole Allison, who was a state champ at 160 last year, had no problems with Durango’s Barry Rapp at 171. Allison made a reversal and then almost pinned Rapp twice in the first period for an 8-0 lead. In the second, he took Rapp down and made a half-Nelson, wrapped his legs around him for a near fall and turned him over the opposite way for another near fall. He won by technical fall with 50 seconds left in the second period.

"I was not all that pleased with Cole because I thought he should have pinned him. We needed pins, not points," Coach Allison remarked.

Cortez heavyweight Elias Lehi, coming off an injury, looked good in his bout against Durango’s Tyler Roses. Lehi spun and spun and spun until he got position. He singled him and then scored on a reversal and pinned him in 15 seconds.

"Elias is a wrestler people need to watch. He is getting stronger and stronger. He’s very deceptive in what he can do," Allison said.

Although he was eventually pinned, 103-pounder Richard Yake was in a good match against Durango’s Ryan Boyce, who was a state qualifier last year. Yake trailed 3-4 at the end of the first period and 4-5 at the end of the second. But Boyce finally pinned him in 4:53.

Richard Meany filled in for ailing Benally at 112 and faced Durango’s Kevin Sutherlin, a state placer from a year ago. Sutherlin led only 1-2 at the end of the first period. But Meany got into trouble and while trying to get up with his legs in the air, actually pinned himself in 2:35.

Kade Fox took on another veteran from state in Kyle Swain at 125. Swain dominated the young Panther grappler and led 1-9 at the end of the first. He got Fox into a cross-face cradle and pinned him in 2:20. Durango’s Robbie Torres won by forfeit at 130.

Dallas Reed, another freshman, was dropped with a fireman’s carry and pinned in 41 seconds by Durango’s Colton Waters in the 135-pound contest.

Jared Carver, a regional qualifier for MCHS a year ago, took on defending state champ Bryson Webber at 1450. Webber took Carver down but Carver escaped. Webber made a reversal and led 1-4. In the second with Webber down, Carver could not hold on and Webber escaped. He then rolled out and turned Carver over with a half and pinned him in 3:27. By that point the Demons had a commanding 36-6 lead on the scoreboard.

P.J. James was pinned in 3:21 in the 145-pound bout against Durango’s Kerry Schwettman. Kyle Archibeque, 152, wrestled well despite losing 0-7 to DHS’s Ryan Elworthy. Ryan Gray, 189, lost by fall in 2:10 to Demon Dan Elworthy. Michael LeCompte, 215, lost by fall in 2:30 to DHS’s Sean Rice.

In Class 2A, Dolores County and Dolores competed in the Paonia Tournament last weekend (Jan. 13). The Bulldogs’ Kyle Riddell captured first place at 103, Casey Spitzer took third at 119, and Randy Curtis came in fourth at 130. Matt Beanland, 103, went 1-2, Trinity Cressler, 125; Vern Hassell, 135; and Kyle Krafka, 215, all went 1-2. Jake Williams, 112, went 2-2. Derek Thompson, 215, continues to be impressive as he won.

"It was a good tournament because we got to see several schools who will be in our Regionals. It gave me a good idea of where we stand right now," DCHS coach Shane Baughman said. "I think Kyle is wrestling very well right now and looks right on track for state (Feb. 15-17 in Denver)."

Dolores County "hosted" Durango JVs and Shiprock in a double dual at Cortez Middle School Gym on Jan. 11. The Bulldogs are forced to hold meets elsewhere because Bulldog Gym is condemned.

Against the Demons, 103 David Hanney won by pin in a JV match. That was his first win ever. Riddell, 103, took on Boyce and won by technical fall. Beanland, 103, won a JV match. Williams won by pin. Spitzer won by pin over Madril. Cressler won by pin but Curtis was decisioned by Swain. Hassell won by pin and Krafka was decisioned by Rice.

Against Shiprock, Riddell won by pin; Spitzer by pin; Cressler was pinned; Curtis won by decision; Hassell by pin; and Krafka was decisioned.