Montezuma-Cortez has strong showing at Rocky Mountain tournament

Panthers finish 10th, behind Bayfield

No team at the Rocky Mountain Wrestling Tournament could match host team Pagosa Springs High School.

The Pirates cruised through their home tournament and piled up 253.5 points to win the event Saturday in Pagosa Springs. Aztec placed second with 195.5 points and Monticello, Utah, rounded out the top three with 165 points. Nineteen teams competed at the tournament.

The Wolverines finished ninth with 79.5 points, followed by Montezuma-Cortez in 10th with 67.5 points, Durango was 11th with 50 points, Ignacio placed 12th with 47.5 points and Mancos finished 13th with 44 points. Dolores ended up 15th with 22 points and Dove Creek was 19th with 3 points.

Cortez’s Matthew Broughton (138) and Casen Allmon (138R) placed second, Shawn Higgins (120) placed fifth, Stevie Fuentes (126) finished sixth, and Anthony Abeyta (126), Kael Buffington (106) and Austin Featherman (113), Swayde Noyes (182) and Kerwin Tom (170) were all seventh.

Mancos’ Cameron Fury (182) placed second after a 16-4 loss to Pagosa Springs’ Colton Castro. Ty Everett (106) and Kaleb Hargraves (195) were sixth for the Bluejays.

Dolores’ Austin Hackney (126) placed fifth, Bryan Escarcega (285) was sixth, and Zander Eichner (120) and Cael Schmitel (160) were eighth.

No wrestlers from Dove Creek placed. Rhette Quackenbush (120) recorded the only points for the Bulldogs with a pin against Ignacio’s Hunter Robbins.

Bayfield’s Dylan Pickering (113) and Daniel Westbrook (220) placed third, Shane Moore (160) was fourth, Jake Sandrey (145) finished fifth, John Foutz (195) came in seventh, and Trey McKee (132) and Jason Schneider were eighth.

Durango’s Kaleb McMunn (160) placed third, Ben Finneseth (138) finished fourth, Owen Eicher (106) placed fifth and Dominique Maestas (182) was sixth.

Ignacio’s Cesar Pedregon (182) and Dustin Sanchez (152) finished fourth, Randy Herrera (285) placed fifth and Skieler Grooms (138) was seventh.

Jan 18, 2018
M-CHS grapplers compete at Alamosa