The boys pinned five Scorpions in their dual, but fell 48-30 to New Mexico’s defending state champion and top-ranked squad.
“We wrestled hard,” said DHS head boys coach Robert Finneseth. “I’m extremely happy with the way we wrestled up and down the line.”
Farmington started the dual with a pin at 113 pounds, but Jacob Fenberg tied the match with a second-period pin at 120 for the Demons. Fenberg scrambled out of an ankle pick and got the first takedown with a single leg. Then he stuck Julian Juarez at the 1:41 mark.
Cole Pontine gave DHS a 12-6 lead by pinning Diego Chavira with a cradle at 126 pounds. Pontine built a 7-0 lead with a pair of takedowns and a near fall. Chavira almost reversed Pontine to his back, but used an illegal hold. After the scare, Pontine locked up a cradle to get the win.
At 132 pounds, Chris McGrath escaped with 15 seconds left in the match to send it into overtime. Sterling Allison, who was dinged a penalty point for leaving the match to throw up in the third period, got a takedown in the extra period to win by decision 8-6.
Farmington picked up pins at 138 and 145 to take a 21-12 lead in the dual.
Payson Albrecht, however, kept DHS close with a first-period pin at 152.
Farmington got another pin at 160.
The 170-pound bout featured Tyler Woodworth, who is ranked No. 2 at 160, and Ivan Smith, who placed third at state last year in New Mexico. Woodworth almost got a late takedown in the first, but the wrestlers went out of bounds. In the second, Smith built a 5-0 lead with a pair of near falls. Woodworth locked up a cradle in the third, but Smith flattened out to avoid getting turned and later escaped. Woodworth got a late takedown, but ended up losing, 6-2.
At 182 pounds, Ben Belt pinned Xander Vincent in the second period to cut Farmington’s lead to 30-24. The Scorpions, however, won the next three matches by pin.
“A lot of kids are wrestling up to fill the weights,” Finneseth said. “They still go out and wrestle hard and do it with a big heart because they know it’s all about the team.”
The dual ended at 106 pounds, and Ryan Dugan ended it on a bright note for DHS. Dugan took down Chianti McCabe and pinned him with a reverse half at the 45-second mark for the final tally.
Three Durango girls also wrestled the Scorpions, each wrestling in the dual and an exhibition match. Amiah Hanson wrestled six matches last year, and is the most experienced wrestler for the DHS girls.
Hanson (136), Carli Piccoli (118) and Sydney Vasser were pinned in the dual, but Hanson and Piccoli came back and won their exhibition matches by pin.
“They did great. Farmington has a really great program for boys and girls, so we knew they’d be tough matches,” said DHS head girls coach Kyle Hanson. “I think it’s so fun to see the ladies take a risk, and wrestling is taking a pretty big risk, but I feel they’ll see a great payoff.”
The coach said the team has 10 girls out this year and after some injuries heal up and other girls get enough practices in, more of them will compete.
On Saturday, both the DHS boys and girls will wrestle at the dual tournament in Bloomfield, New Mexico.
The Demons began their season at Grand County High... Click here to read full article
ARTICLE SOURCE:
