Slowly but surely, the Mancos High School wrestling team is rounding into form, just as head coach Grant Hobbs predicted.
"We will see huge progress in these guys, I can almost guarantee you that," Hobbs has said.
As if to prove their energetic head coach right, the Bluejays wrestled impressively in Dove Creek at the Bulldog Invitational on Dec. 14, placing two wrestlers on the podium, while showing team-wide improvement.
Leading the Bluejays with a second-place finish in the 145-pound division, sophomore Andrew Morgan looked like a different wrestler, coming back strong from a tough opening week that saw him finish 1-4.
"The kid turned it around completely," said Hobbs, discuassing Morgan's wrestling. "We showed him a few different moves. He used one very well."
Also performing well for the Bluejays, sophomore Everett Strazza-Whalen finished fourth in the tournament's 170-pound division.
Other grapplers hitting the mat for the Bluejays were junior Rudy Archuleta, sophomore Austin Howerton and freshman Hunter Kocourek. Although none of the three placed, each wrestled respectably. Archuleta finished 1-2, Howerton finished 0-2 and Kocourak finished 1-3.
"We're progressing great," said Hobbs, summing up his team's performance. "Each week, we improve in all aspects. "It's going to continue to be that way. Hopefully, we're the most competitive we can be towards the end of the year."
After participating in a scrimmage against Cortez and Dolores on Dec. 17, the Bluejays will travel to Farmington to compete in the Piedra Vista Tournament on Dec. 21.
"The kids are really working hard," said Hobbs. "It's become more of a family and that's what it takes to have success in wrestling."
