Yuma’s wrestlers seem to get better every week.
The Indians are at Wiggins for a tournament on Saturday after a great showing in Lamar last Saturday.
“We wrestled really well at Lamar,” coach Rory Lynch said.
Yuma finished second in the 17-team field. Lamar won its own tournament with 278 points, 99 ahead of Yuma, but the second-place Indians’ 179 points were 58 ahead of third-place Crowley County’s 121. County Line was fourth with 107, and Fowler fifth with 103.
“I think we’re in really good condition,” Lynch said. “Now we’re going to try to maintain that.
“We’ve been drilling more on transitions, and it’s getting better for sure,” he added.
Six Yuma wrestlers reached the finals, with John Smith and Braden Smith both winning their weights, and two more finishing third, along with two in fifth place.
J. Smith, a sophomore, earned his championship at 113 pounds. He had a bye into the
B. Smith, a junior, got his championship at 126. He had to go all four rounds, getting a 48-second pin to begin his day, followed by a third-period pin (4:17) of Limon’s Kellen Kappel in the quarterfinals. He got another third-period pin (4:39) against Lamar’s Sergio Mendoza in the semifinals. That set up a championship match with Baca County’s Levi Hancock. The Yuma junior dominated, winning a major decision, 13-2.
Four other Yuma wrestlers also reached the finals.
Alec Holtorf at 120 rolled to pins over Trinidad’s Roman Wade (2:47) and Crowley County’s Raina Watkins (4:24) in the first two rounds, then gutted out a 10-9 decision over Lamar’s Julian Avila in the semifinals. He ran into Trinidad’s Alberto Felthager in the championship, this time losing a one-point decision, 4-3.
Blaze Brophy had a bye into the 132-pound quarterfinals, where he won by fall (3:23) over Lamar’s Cyrus Madrid. The junior won by fall (5:07) in the semifinals against Ellicott’s William Wood. His opponent in the championship was Lamar’s Zane Rankin, highly-ranked in Class 3A. He handed Brophy a 7-2 loss.
Jose Ruiz made a run to the finals at 195. The sophomore opened in the quarterfinals, getting a 45-second pin of Dumas’ (TX) Andre Garbalena. He won by fall (3:08) in the semifinals over Dumas’ Victor Hernandez. He ran into Crowley County’s Jaden Harris, dropping a 7-2 decision.
Lars Sims rolled to the finals at 285. The sophomore had a first-round match, pinning Ellicott’s Carlos Galaviz in 39 seconds. He won by fall (1:29) over Burlington’s Isaac Mantey in the quarterfinals. Sims and County Line’s Chase Stolzenberger battled to a 1-1 tie in regulation in the semifinals, but Sims came through with the sudden death win in overtime, 3-1. However, he then was pinned in the first period by Lamar’s Sy Spitz in the championship.
Senior Cayden Lynch went 3-1 while placing third at 182, including a 5-0 decision over Baca County’s Justin Wright in the third-place match.
Joey Ross won his first two matches, lost in the semifinals, then won two more to go 4-1 and take third at 145.
Jesus Sanchez went 4-2 to place fifth at 138, and Brandon Mendoza went 3-2 to place fifth at 285. Will Marshall wrestled at 145, Tyler Allen 152, and Louden Blach 160. Zeke Martinez wrestled in the JV bracket at 145, and Yahir Trejo was injured in his first match at 152.
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