CENTER – This year’s Valley Classic High School Wrestling Tournament made history this past weekend at the CHS Gym with a record number of teams competing.
“There were 29 teams,” said Center coach Rodney Mondragon. “It was a great competition. Many of these 2A teams have been able to see what they will see at the state and regional levels. It was huge for a lot of them.
The tournament also attracted a few bigger schools highlighted by the eventual champion Eaglecrest team.
“Eaglecrest, a 5A school, came through and ended up winning the tournament,” Mondragon said. “Salida is a 3A school. We had seven or eight league games where we had top-flight guys going head-to-head. You can’t beat it.
Eaglecrest scored 200 and a half points and had nine individual finishes. The Raptors, however, had no individual champions.
North Fork was second with 181 points and had seven finishes. Sam Ware was the only Miner to win a championship by pinning Eaglecrest’s Riley Neumeyer in 49 seconds.
Centauri did the best of any local school in attendance as the Falcons placed third with 169 points. Centauri had six placements including two champions. Erik Mestas won the 175lbs championship by pinning Eaglecrest’s Ladainian Gordon in 1:59, and Josh Polkowske was first at 165 after pinning Crowley County’s Skeater Baker in 2:51.
The Falcons had another finalist in Riley Valdez who was second on 120.
Centauri’s other placings included Diego Hernandez who was fifth on 132, Ivan Lopez who was fifth on 144 and Skylar Montage who was fifth on 190.
Monte Vista finished in fifth place with 137 and a half points. The Pirates also had six placers and were led by Kevin Cisneros who was the champion at 144 lbs. Cisneros won in a 5-0 decision over North Fork’s Lane Stroh.
They had a second place finish in Jacob Pacheco who was second at 150.
The other Monte Vista winners were Jeremiah Baumgardner fourth with 157, Damian Lopez fourth with 126, DeAngelo Archuleta fifth with 138 and Jaxon Martinez fifth with 175.
Center took seventh place with 126 points. The Vikings had seven cashes, including a finalist in Martin Palma who took second place at 157 pounds.
Also in center were Aaron Valadez who was third on 144, Andre Meraz who was fourth on 150, Jordan Duran who was fifth on 106, Jesus Valadez who was fifth on 165, Chayse Bouet who was sixth on 132 and Francisco Villa who was sixth at 113..
Sargent placed 17th with 55 points, and Farmers had a finish in Trenton Lovelace who took third place at 215 lbs.
The remaining SLV teams in attendance saw Sierra Grande/Centennial in 26th with 11 points, Antonito in 27th with eight, and Del Norte and Mountain Valley in 28th with seven.
The standout wrestlers were Buena Vista’s Caleb Camp in the lowerweights and Salida’s Drew Johnson in the upperweights.
CLASSIC OF THE VALLEY
Team scores
Eaglecrest 200½, North Fork 181, Centaur 169mancos 140, Monte Vista 137½Buena Vista 130, Center 126Trinidad 123 ½, Delta 120 ½, Salida 97, Limon 80, West Grand 78 ½, St. Mary’s 77, Crowley County 75, Fowler 74, Merino 67, Ssilver 55John Mall 52, Olathe 49, Las Animas 31, Byers 30 ½, La Veta 30, Primero 16, Soroco 14, Rye 13, Sierra Grande/Centenario 11AAnthony 8, Del Norte 7, Mountain Valley 7Custer County 4.
League matches
106 – Waitley Sharon (Fowler) blocks Derreck Buford (Crowley County), 2:51
113 – Traven Sharon (Fowler) Dec. Sam Johnson (Salida), 5-2
120 – Coen Schmidt (Merino) major dec. Riley Valdez (Centaurs)10-1
126 – Campo Caleb (Buena Vista) Dec. Anthony Isek (St. Mary’s, 3-1 (SV)
132 – Eddie Bowman (Trinidad) Dec. Levi Martin (Mancos), 5-4
138 – Dillon Burford (Crowley County) blocks Brandon Vannest (Mancos), 5:14
144 – Kevin Cisneros (Mount Viata) dec. Lane Stroh (North Fork), 5-0
150 – Dominick Cuccinnelli (St. Mary’s) stalled Jacob Pacheco (Monte Vista)2:35
157′ – David Arellano (Buena Vista) blocked Martin Palma (Centre), 4:22
165 – Josh Polkowski (Centaurs) blocked Skater Baker (Crowley County), 2:51
175 – Erik Mestas (Centaurs) blocked Ladanian Gordon (Eaglecrest), 1:59
190 – Gabe Schubarth (Limon) Dec. Marcel Gordon (Eaglecrest), 9-6
215 – Drew Johnson (Salida) blocked Jake Armijo (Trinidad), 0:55
285 – Sam Ware (North Fork) blocks Riley Neumeyer (Eaglecrest), 0:49
Matches for third place
106 – Adonias Cantu (Eaglecrest) blocked Dawsen Drozdik (Delta), 1:58
113 – Payson Pene (North Fork) blocks Matthew Valdez (Delta), 2:15
120 – Ethan Diaz (Eagle Crest) Dec. Andrew Isek (St. Mary), 11-4
126 – Aijah Gabaldon (Eagle Crest) blocks Damian Lopez (Monte Vista), 2:19
132 – Bernard Espinoza (John Mall) blocks Peyton Armstrong (North Fork), 4:51
138 – Tyler Frank (Merino) Dec. Charlie Miller (North Fork), 4-2
144 – Aaron Valadez (Center) blocked Kyle Kincaide (Delta), 3:30
150 – Colton Montoya (Buena Vista) Dec. André Meraz (center), 3-2
157 – Thayne Lundy (Eaglecrest) blocks Jeremiah Baumgardner (Monte Vista), 1:46
165 – Keon Bandy (Limon) Dec. Wyatt Howell (West Grand), 9-5
175 – Cole Dainty-Guilfoyle (Mancos) blocks Ahren Schubarth (Limon), 4:07
190 – Colten Vannest (Mancos) blocks Isaiah Cosby (John Mall), 0:52
215 – Trenton Lovelace (Sargent) pinned Cody Netherton (Las Animas), 0:24
285 – Blake Terryberry (West Grand) blocked Elliot Sam (Mancos), 2:43
Games for fifth place
106 – Jordan Duran (Center) dec. Trevor Piatt (Olathe), 7-0
113 – Jaedynn Pham (eagle crest) Dec. Francesco Villa (Center)6-3
120 – Alex Mattinez (Trinidad) blocked Kyle Chaffin (Delta), 0:24
126 – Jon Yapoujian (Byers) coach. Calhoun Hill (Salida) crash, 16-0, 3:18
132 – Diego Hernandez (Centaurs) by def. finished Chase Bouet (center)
138 – DeAngelo Archuleta (Monte Vista) blocked Derrick Sievertsen (North Fork), 1:41
144 – Ivan López (Centaurs) major dec. Joe Probst (West Grand), 15-7
150 – Gabe Rangel (Eaglecrest) blocked Daniel Owens (North Fork), 3:38
157 – Brayden Nix (La Veta) blocks Chase Ripley (Olathe), 2:01
165 – Jesus Valadez (center) major dec. Jakob Carver (North Fork), 15-4
175 – Jaxon Martínez (Monte Vista) blocked Andrew Kaus (Merino), 3:23
190 – Editing Skylar (Centauri) pinned Eli Mock (Olathe), 2:11
215 – Gavin Unrein (Fowler) blocks Eli Flowers (Buena Vista), 3:42
285 – AJ Bowman (Trinidad) blocks Oscar Gonzales (Byers), 3:36
