Prep wrestling teams to compete at large tournaments

Prep wrestling teams to compete at large tournaments

December 15, 2001

BY JIM THOMAS
Journal Sports Editor

The four area high school wrestling teams will be busy, beginning today, Dec. 15, with a lot of tournament action.

Montezuma-Cortez High School is coming off a fourth-place finish at the Monument Valley Tournament in Kayenta, Ariz. The Panthers wrestled against Grand County in Moab, Utah, Thursday night.

They then traveled to Grand Junction to compete in the rugged 25th annual Warrior Classic, hosted by Central of Grand Junction High on Friday and today. The tournament is being held at Brownson Arena at Mesa State College.

Tyler Gray, 130 pounds and one of the top wrestlers in Colorado, has a good chance to place, if not win, the large tournament. Gray was tabbed the Outstanding Wrestler of the Tournament for the middle weights. Gray, who took third at State in Class 4A last Februrary, is wrestling very well right now. Last week he won the title at that weight class with a 7-0 record. On the season, so far he is undefeated with a 10-0 record.

Lyle Benally, 125, who placed second in the voting for Outstanding Wrestler a week ago also has a good chance to win or at least place high.

Cody Dennison (103), who came in second place lst week, Jared Sanders (135), who placed third, could do well at the Warrior. Ryan Meany (112), Travis Spruell (145), Andy Spruell (152), and Connery Benally (160) all have an outside opportunity to place. The top six receive awards.

Moffat County High School will try to become the first team to win three consecutive Warrior Classic titles. The Bulldogs, who won the Class 4A state championship in February, return 13 of their 14 wrestlers, six of whom were state medalists, including defending state champion Ty Weber.

Arvada West and Standley Lake, considered to be Class 5A state title contenders this year, could figure in the championship race. Moffat County, which is nationally ranked by Amateur Wresting News, will also get a look at one of its 4A challengers in Alamosa. There are 14 ranked teams and 61 ranked wrestlers from Colorado competing in the tournament.

Five defending state champions — Chris Nissen of Standley Lake, Kyle Sand of Arvada West, Brandon Meis of Alamosa, Albert Jaramillo of Monte Vista and Weber — will compete for Warrior Classic titles. Defending Warrior Classic champions Jaramillo, Trent Randall of Meeker, Kyle Kostur of Moffat County and Dusty Vaughn of Montrose are also back.

The tournament will include three teams from New Mexico (Farmington High, Piedra Vista of Farmington, and Rio Rancho) and one from Utah (West Jordan) along with some of the best Colorado teams in 5A, 4A and 3A. Fruita Monument, Grand Junction High, Palisade, Montrose, and Delta will be at the tourney.

Mancos High School is coming off winning its second straight team tournament title on the young season. The Blue Jays won the Bayfield Tournament two weeks ago and won the Cedaredge Tournament last weekend. They will compete this Saturday at the Duster Dual Meet Showdown in Gunnison.

"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.

"We are really wrestling well right," Bryant added. "They did just awesome as a team (last week). I couldn’t be happier."

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 by 14-0 decision.

"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.

Dolores is coming off taking fourth at the Sargent Tournament which was held last weekend. Five of them placed.

Heavyweight Derek Thompson, one of the top wrestlers in Colorado, continues his dominating performance on the mat. He beat the 1999 State heavyweight champ from Sanford in the finals. Shawn Everett, 145 pounds, captured first place with three pins.

Colter Dunagan, 189, took second with a 3-1 mark at the tourney. He had a full 16-man bracket to work his way through.

Casey Garvin, 171, and Tyler Hicks, 215, both placed fourth.

"This is an excellent tournament for us," Dolores head coach Bill Kralicek commented. "We wrestle against teams that are our size. We get to see a lot of different teams, mainly from the San Luis Valley. I thought our guys wrestled well."

Kralicek said he is pleased with the progress his wrestlers are making.

"They are coming along. I realize it is early in the season, but sometimes it’s frustrating for me because I know they can wrestle better than what they are doing," he added.

Dolores will compete at the two-day Bloomfield (N.M.) Tournament all day today.

"This is a big tournament. We will see a lot of different teams. I’m going to enter some of them at the junior varsity level and some at the varsity level. I want them to be able to wrestle against others who are at their capabilities. I don’t want to go there and just get beat up on by some of those large New Mexico teams. That doesn’t do us much good," he added.

Dolores County competed last weekend at the Monument Valley Tournament and several wrestlers performed well, according to coach Shane Baughman.

Kyle Riddell (119) captured second place after losing a hard-fought 1-2 decision in the finals. He finished the tournament with a 6-1 record. Casey Spitzer, 125, captured third. He beat a New Mexico state champ and Benally of Cortez (in a seeding match). He went into the consolation bracket but pinned his way back through to finish the tourney with a 7-1 record.

Jake Williams (103) came in third place with a 6-1 record. Baughman said that was quite a nice surprise. Landon Putnam (112) came in fifth place with a 3-3 mark. Matt Beanland took fifth at 119 with a 6-3 record. Drew Buffington (130) competed as an idependent and took seventh with a 4-4 record. Randy Curtis (135) grabbed fifth at 5-3. Kyle Krafka (189) finished in eighth at 3-4.

"It was tough all the way," Baughman said of the Monument Valley Tournament. He said he pleased with Riddell and Spitzer.

"Some of the younger ones are coming around. As a whole, I thought the team did pretty well," he added.

The Bulldogs are also competing at Bloomfield. He said he will put his veterans in the varsity pool and put some of the younger ones in the junior varsity division. However, Baughman did say he plans on putting a couple freshman into the varsity pool.