With the regional championships just one month away, the Dolores and Montezuma-Cortez wrestling programs kicked off the 2023 portion of the schedule with an elevated level of excitement and urgency.
Both programs saw a jolt in participation this season, and now have navigated through the early season injuries to show off the extent of their muscle in their postseason push.
Dolores, competing on their home mat for the first time this campaign, entertained M-CHS and Monticello in a tri-dual match to help the Bears test their mettle in the 2023 lid lifter.
Both DHS and M-CHS shook off the holiday rust in fine fashion in a packed DHS Fieldhouse, with both programs picking up some individual victories in the midweek matches.
Among the Bear standouts entering his final season for the red-and-black, senior Ethen Robson continued his pursuit of lofty goals with a pin victory over Marcus Harris of M-CHS in the 190 lb. division.
For Robson, it’s been a long road back, but a worthwhile challenge to recover from a shoulder injury that limited his participation on the mat.
“It’s been a good comeback so far,” said Robson of his journey from offseason surgery, “and I’ve been working my hardest to get back to where I want to be.”
That goal, most notably, is a return to the state championships, where Robson took part during his eighth-grade season. The Ball Arena floor in Denver takes only sixteen competitors in each weight division of the four Colorado boys wrestling classifications, and after a strong run for Dolores wrestling during the middle of the 2010s, Robson hopes that he and some of his teammates can seize a coveted spot in the three-day event over the weekend of Feb. 16-18.
Under head coach Casen Eldredge, Robson joins senior Braden Schmittel in helping take charge of the Bears program, including leading several newcomers to the sport.
“He [Schmittel] and I have been doing this for most of our lives,” said Robson of his senior teammate, “and we’ve done our best to show the younger guys some tips about how to get better. The biggest thing, though, has been to have a positive attitude.”
Schmittel put on a show in one of the most competitive matches of the evening. Trailing for most of the opening three minutes in his bout at 144 with Monticello’s Tyson Wheeler, Schmittel scored a takedown to take his first lead of the match at 7-6. The Bear senior built the advantage to four points, before Wheeler turned the tables and scored a pin in the thrilling encounter.
As for his head coach, Robson credits the connection built during the football season, where Eldredge serves as one of the assistant coaches, as to why the Bears now have larger numbers than during previous campaigns.
“Coach talked to a lot of guys, encouraging them to come out and give wrestling a shot,” added Robson, “and we’ve seen a lot of improvement on the mat from day one to now – especially from the new guys.”
Meanwhile, M-CHS turned in plenty of solid efforts for head coach Ryan Daves’ squad, with Rusty Snyder picking up a takedown in a sudden death session with Monticello’s Treydon Harris to secure a win at 113. Panther senior Ryan Pipkin won a 138 bout over the Buckaroos’ Josh Wheeler, while junior Airoughn VanGrandt went the full six minutes to hold off Zac Thayn of Monticello at 144.
The Panthers’ Rickie McDonald added an emphatic pin of Monticello’s Talon Black at 165 to punctuate a strong night for the Panthers in the circle.
“It’s all been about dedication,” added Robson, “sticking with it, even when it’s difficult – that’s what has kept me going through the challenges.”
The Panthers took on a weekend full of action at the Shiprock Garrison Spencer Memorial Duals, while Robson and Dolores traveled to Norwood for the Maverick-hosted invitational.
