Montezuma-Cortez High School announced Tuesday that wrestler Matthew Broughton and the team’s coaching staff will receive a police escort through town as they head to the Colorado state tournament on Wednesday morning.
According to an email from Debra Ramsey, Broughton and the coaching staff plan to leave the high school at 8:50 a.m. Wednesday and drive west on Seventh Street, north on U.S. Highway 160, then east on Main Street through Cortez. Athletic Director David Robinson said the group, which includes all three wrestling coaches, will travel together in a school district minivan. The trip will be funded by the district’s sports budget.
Last year, the MCHS district sent four athletes to the wrestling tournament. Robinson said this has been a more difficult year for the team.
“It’s been a tough go for our wrestlers, just because of the number of top-notch kids in our region,” he said.
Broughton, a junior wrestler competing at 138 pounds, gained a berth to the tournament with a second-place finish. He dropped an 8-2 decision in the regional championship match to Olathe junior Clay Yarnell. As a team, Montezuma-Cortez finished 12th of 13 teams, with 66 points.
Dove Creek High School qualified two wrestlers for the state tournament. Freshman Gage Bailey won the 2A Region title at 106 pounds with a 16-10 decision win against Dolores junior Cameron Chavez. Dove Creek senior Rhett Quackenbush placed fourth at 113 pounds to qualify after losing a 10-0 major decision in the third-place match to Hotchkiss freshman Robert Cochran.
In addition to Chavez, Dolores High School qualified 120-pound senior Austin Hackney, who placed fourth. He lost his third-place match via first-period pin to Cedaredge freshman Trey Geyer.
Mancos High School also is sending two boys to state and plans an escort Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. In the 2A Region, Cameron Fury placed second at 182 pounds, and Kaleb Hargraves placed second at 195 pounds. Fury, a senior, lost the regional championship match in a second-period pin to Nucla junior William Gabriel. Hargraves, also a senior, was pinned in 15 seconds in the championship match by Hotchkiss senior Devin Curtis.
Cedaredge won the 2A Region 1 meet held at Delta High School with a score of 228 points. Mancos was eighth with 62 points, Dolores was ninth with 50, and Dove Creek took 10th with 39 points.
On Thursday, weigh-ins for classes 2A and 3A are scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the Denver Pepsi Center. Preliminary rounds are scheduled on 10 mats from 3-6:15 p.m., according to the Colorado High School Activities Association.On Friday, quarterfinals are scheduled for 9:30 a.m., followed immediately by first-round consolation matches. Second-round consolation matches begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by semifinals at 7 p.m.On Saturday, third-round consolation matches begin at 10 a.m., followed immediately by semifinal consolation matches. Fifth- and third-place matches begin at 1:30 p.m., followed by the finals at 6:30 p.m.
