Mancos wrestlers again will be tough

Mancos wrestlers again will be tough

Dec. 1, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

Look for another outstanding wrestling season for Mancos High School.

The Blue Jays, again, should be right in there chasing a Class 2A San Juan Basin League title and make a run at the State Championships come this February.

MHS has 24 wrestlers out for the varsity this year for fifth-year head coach Travis Bryant.

"We are looking at trying to fill a whole squad (all the weight classes)," Bryant commented. "If everything goes as planned we should have a complete team. We should be tougher than nails in the middle weights. Even in the upper weights and the lower weights we will be solid. We have a good bunch of returners and a good group of kids coming in. Some of them don’t have a lot of experience but they are hard workers."

Look for the Blue Jays to have some depth, again especially in the middle weights.

"Having competition in the wrestling room will only make us better competitors," he added.

The Jays, who finished last year in third place at the State Tournament and only 10 points out of second and 20 out of first, have several veterans who competed at State. For the record, the Jays are the defending league champs and regional runner-ups (Hayden won that one).

The leader of the bunch is senior Scott Koppenhafer who took second place a year ago. Koppenhafer also was state runner-up his sophomore year and placed sixth as a freshman. He is signed and sealed to go to Adams State College in Alamosa next fall. Kop wrestle at 145 pounds this year.

Sophomore Anthony Mestas took fourth at State a year ago. Sophomore Vince Bazille took sixth place last year. Senior Jakob Tallent was a State qualifier as were junior Kelly Mitchell, and junior Kevin Schlemmer.

Freshman Ian Mullikin, who has wrestled at the middle school level for two years, should be at 103 but he could move up a weight. Freshman Justin Horrocks, sophomore Vince Bazile, soph Scott Yost, Keith Alexander, sophomore Brandon Baumgardner all are battling at 103-112. Bazile, Yost, and Baumgardner all have varsity experience. At 119 are Mestas, frosh Billy Kramer, and junior David Auscencio. Junior Chase Davis is holding down 125. Several battling at 130-135-140 with junior Cody Montoya, junior Joe Plunkett, senior Nathan Orona, and senior Matt McGuire.

At 152 will be Mitchell. Tallent, senior Victor Rosales, and junior David Malinsky are at 160 but one or more of those could drop down. Senior Chad Mitchell is at 171. Junior Jeff Roland is at 189. Junior Josh Seymour is a candidate at 215, and heavweight Schlemmer.

"I think it is a good schedule. We will face some quality teams. It is a competitive schedule and I hope we can do well. Just seeing some of the northern schools before we get to State will give us an idea of what to be prepared for. We will see different styles. We have some great teams along the Western Slope. Our league will be bettre balanced and more schools will fill squads all the way down. Dolores County and Nucla both will be tough," he added.

The Jays will open the 2001-02 season by competing all day this Saturday, Dec. 1, at the Bayfield Tournament. Bayfield should be much improved from a season ago. It is guided by former legendary Aztec High School coach Herb Stinson who led the Tigers to 11 straight New Mexico state team titles.

They head to the Cedaredge Tournament Dec. 8 and then to Gunnison for the Duster Dual Meet Showdown on Dec. 15. They host Montezuma-Cortez High School JVs at home on Dec. 19, their final event before the Christmas-New Year’s break.

Coming back after the holidays, the Jays compete in the Nucla Tournament on Jan. 5. They will get a first-hand look at their league-mates. They head down to Shiprock, N.M., for the Navajo Nations Tournament on Jan. 11-12. The Grand County Tournament in Moab, Utah, is slated for Jan. 19. The Jays will host Monticello, Utah, on Jan. 22. The Ignacio Tournament is slated Jan. 26. The Blue Jays host Bayfield in a dual on Jan. 29.

The Terry Rockwell Tournament in Dolores is set for Feb. 2. Normally, that has been the last regular-season tournament of the season but this year it will the San Juan Basin League duals at Norwood on Feb. 7.

Regionals is slated for Feb. 15-16 at a site to be determined. State is set for Denver’s Pepsi Center Feb. 21-23.