The Pagosa Springs High School Pirate boys’ wrestling team began its season last weekend competing in the Wolverine Classic held at Bayfield High School on Saturday, Dec. 7.
“It was good to get back in competition this last Saturday,” coach Dan Janowsky wrote in an email to The SUN.
Janowsky mentions that six varsity wrestlers competed and finished eighth out of 11 in the team standings, with Monticello, Utah, taking first place.
Colton Lucero earned first place in the 150-pound weight class, Taylor Hancey took third in the 165-pound weight class, Antonio Quezada placed third in the 285-pound weight class, Anthony Manzanares finished fifth in the 118-pound weight class, Stetson Osborn placed sixth in the 132-pound weight class and Tucker Jacobson finished in sixth place in the 138-pound weight class.
Lucero won his first match with a technical fall score of 18-1 in one minute and 42 seconds. In round 2, Lucero won again by a technical fall with a score of 15-0 in 1:22. Lucero won by a technical fall again in round three by a score of 16-1 in 2:37 and received a bye in the fourth round.
In the fifth round, Lucero won by technical fall with a score of 15-0 in 1:44 to take first place.
Janowsky commented in an interview that Lucero has been working hard to improve certain skills over the past year.
“He’s worked hard on getting better in a couple of positions that gave him trouble last year,” the coach said of Lucero.
Hancey won his opening match by a 20-7 major decision, then won the following round by pinning his opponent in 1:44.
Hancey then pinned his next opponent after 2:26, moving on to the first-place match, in which he was pinned by his opponent after 4:34.
Quezada won his opening match by pinning his opponent after 40 seconds and received a second-round bye.
Quezada was pinned in his third-round match in 3:30, and was pinned in his fourth-round match after 2:40.
Manzanares lost his only match by technical fall with a score of 16-1 in 3:41.
Chris Rafferty also competed in the 285-pound weight class, losing his opening match by being pinned by his opponent in 3:30. Rafferty was pinned in his second match as well, this time after 53 seconds.
In his third match, Rafferty pinned his opponent after 47 seconds and received a fourth-round bye.
Rafferty was pinned in the fifth round match by his opponent after 40 seconds.
Osborn lost his opening match after getting pinned in 59 seconds. In his next match, Osborn lost by technical fall with a score of 19-0 after 4:09.
Osborn then pinned his next opponent in 58 seconds, lost the following match by technical fall with a score of 17-1 in 5:06 and then lost in the fifth-place match after getting pinned by his opponent in 58 seconds.
Jacobson lost his opening match by technical fall with a score of 18-2 in 3:48.
He was then pinned by his opponents in the next three matches, placing him in the fifth-round match, which he won by pinning his opponent in 1:23.
Janowsky explained the first tournament of the year helps identify areas that need improvement for the remainder of the season.
He mentioned that, in a broad sense, the Pirates have been working on their takedowns over the past week.
“We’re gonna get everybody better on their feet because those three-point takedowns are such a confidence and momentum builder,” Janowsky said.
The Pirates will be back in action this weekend competing in a tournament held at Columbine High School in Littleton on Saturday, Dec. 14, with matches starting at 8 a.m.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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