SAN JUAN COUNTY, N.M. — From the start of Farmington Piedra Vista’s 2018 Panther Classic on Dec. 22, it was pretty obvious none of the teams attending had any hope, based solely on numbers, of upsetting the meet’s hosts.
Piedra Vista’s primary platoon piled up 205 points. Even 5A Piedra Vista’s “Silver” squad did well enough to place sixth with 68.5 points, behind New Mexico 4A programs Santa Fe Pojoaque Valley (69.5), Gallup Miyamura (84.5), Kirtland Central (92) and 3A Bayfield (96).
The only other Colorado crew traveling to Jerry A. Conner Fieldhouse, Mancos tallied 34 points and closed out the 2018 half of their winter with an eighth-place finish, led by some wrestlers who should provide the program with a good foundation in 2019.
Junior 220-pounder Nic Dan ended the 2A Bluejays’ day with a fifth-place finish after pinning Bayfield junior Connor Krug in just 52 seconds, giving him a 3-2 record. He also pinned Piedra Vista Silver team member Gerardo Caro (0:25, second period) and Pojoaque Valley’s Kenneth Arenas (0:32, first).
Via a pin of Piedra Vista Silver 160-pounder Isaiah Gonzales, 32 seconds into the third period, sophomore Colt Fury finished his day 2-2 but was Mancos’ top placing wrestler, with a third-place finish. Fury also scored 13 of the Bluejays’ points. Fury will begin the new year standing 6-6 overall. Dan, who supplied 11 of the Bluejays points, is at 3-4 overall, and sophomore Ty Everett will begin 8-12 after a 2-2 Classic run that produced seven points at 126 pounds.
Both of Everett’s wins — a 75-second pin of 4A Grants, New Mexico’s Darin Medina, and a 9-6 decision over Silver member Johnathan Gomez — came in the consolation rounds, saving him fifth place.
Freshman Trevor Paquin (3-14) went 0-4 at 120 but placed fifth, while junior 145-pounder Andrew Ruatti (3-16) went 0-3 and finished sixth.
Mancos’ first competition in 2019 will come Jan. 12 at Pagosa Springs’ Rocky Mountain Invitational.
