Blue Jays capture another team wrestling tourney title

Blue Jays capture another team wrestling tourney title

December 11, 2001

STAFF REPORT

CEDAREDGE — Mancos High School’s wrestling team continues to be impressive. The Blue Jays won their second tournament title of the season this past Saturday, Dec. 8, by winning the Cedaredge Tournament. Montezuma-Cortez High School takes fourth at big Monument Valley Tournament.

The Jays captured the Bayfield Tournament crown last week.

"We are really wrestling well right," MHS head coach Travis Bryant said. "They did just awesome as a team. I couldn’t be happier."

Mancos led the tourney with 195 points. Hayden came in second with a distant 146 and Gunnison placed third at 128.

Vince Bazile (112 pounds), Anthony Mestas (119), Chase Davis (125), and Scott Koppenhafer (145) all win individual championships. Bazile won by pin in the first round in the final match of the day. Mestas also pinned in the first round of the title match. Davis won by close decision 9-7 in his finals. Koppenhafer, one of the top wrestlers in the state, dominated his match in the finals, winning 14-0.

Ian Mullikin (103) came in second as did Cody Montoya (135), Kelly Mitchell (152), and Victor Rosales (160). Taking thirds were Justin Horrocks (112 as an independent), Jakob Tallent (171) and Jeff Roland (215). David Auscencio (130), Nathan Orona (140), and Chad Mitchell (189) all came in fourth.

Joe Plunkett (135), Brandon Baumgardner (119) and David Malinski (160) all wrestled as indenpendents but did not place.

No Outstanding Wrestler awards were made at this tourney.

"It was a very good tournament for us. We got to see to some schools in the northern part of the Western Slope," Bryant added.

The Jays will compete in the Duster Dual Meet Showdown in Gunnison all day this Saturday, Dec. 15.

"It was at this tournament a year ago where I felt we came together as a team. This is a good tournament because some Front Range teams will be there," Bryant said. Mancos is the defending champs of this tourney.

The Panthers came in fourth place behind Monticello, Utah; Bloomfield, N.M.; and Mesquite High School (Arizona).

Tyler Gray, 130, was voted the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament. Gray, who took third at State in Class 4A last Februrary, is wrestling very well right now. He won the title at that weight class with a 7-0 record. He recorded four pins and had two wins by technical fall.

Lyle Benally, 125, who placed second in the voting for Outstanding Wrestler, finished the day with a 9-0 record. He had five pins and a T-fall. He beat a defending New Mexico State champ and highly-regarded Casey Spitzer of Dolores County en route to the title.

Cody Dennison (103) came in second place with a 4-2 mark. Jared Sanders (135) placed third with a 7-2 record. Ryan Meany (112) came on strong at the tourney and finished fifth at 5-2. Andy Spruell (152), and Connery Benally (160) both placed sixth while Travis Spruell (145) grabbed seventh and Matt Ott (119) came in eighth.

"We came in fourth out of 31 teams. That is a nice accomplishment for this team. This was a good tournament because we got in a lot of matches. We got to see a lot of different wrestlers. It was very competitive," MCHS head coach Karl McGee said.

The Panthers will compete in a dual at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, against Grand County at Moab, Utah. They will then head to the Warrior Classic all day this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 14-15. It is hosted by Central of Grand Junction High School. The tournament annually draws some of the best high school wrestlers in the Four Corners, if not in Western United States.

"I think Benally and Gray have an outstanding shot at winning their weights. Dennison, Sanders, Meany and the Spruell brothers all have an outside shot at placing," McGee commented.