GOLDEN — Golden wrestling coach Dave Sauer couldn’t have described Jefferson’s boys wrestling team any better.
“A well-oiled machine,” Sauer said after Jefferson thumped Golden 69-0 in the first of three dual matches Thursday at Golden High School. “They are disciplined and good kids. They are fun to watch.”
Sauer, 21st year coaching at Golden, has seen how Oscar Fonseca has turned the Saints into one of the premier wrestling programs in Jeffco and Class 3A over the last decade and a half. Jefferson is closing on capturing its 200th dual victory since Fonseca took over the program 15 years ago.
“I told Oscar when he first took over there to just hang in. Don’t quit. Don’t be like the rest of them and quit,” Sauer said. “He hasn’t.”
Jefferson is currently the No. 3 ranked team in Class 3A in Tim Yount’s On the Mat rankings. The Saints have a handful of wrestlers atop the individual rankings, led by 2-time state champion Angelo Lozado at 126 pounds.
“I’ve been happy with how Angelo has wrestled this whole year,” Fonseca said following Lozado’s two victories via pins Thursday night. “He hasn’t taken a single practice off. Everyday he is the first one in working hard at a 6 a.m. practice. The kid is ready to go.”
Lozado was looking to become the Saints first 3-time individual state champion last year, but lost in the semifinals at state down in Pueblo. The senior has put behind him the disappointment of losing a chance to join the elusive 4-timers club in Colorado. He is focused on winning another state title down at Ball Arena in less than a month.
“I think I can push a little harder. I my cardio mainly,” Lozado said of where he is at heading into the homestretch of his senior season. “I feel like my technique is there. Just fixing a few things on top and in neutral to get more setups.”
Lozado looked sharp going up against Wheat Ridge junior Dante Limon in the dual that the Saints won 66-18. Lozado never trailed winning the 132-pound match with a 2nd-period pin.
“It was tough. I was mentally preparing myself because I knew it was going to be a tough match,” Limon said about going up against the 2-time state champion.
Limon and Lozado had faced off earlier this season at a tournament. Lozado took a 1st-period pin in the first time around. Limon strung it out a little longer Thursday night, but Lozado still managed a 2nd-period pin to take the win.
“He has a lot of muscle and is pretty strong,” Limon said who is ranked No. 4 in the 4A 132-pound weight class. “I was trying to getting him a little tired.”
Lozado will go down as one of the most decorated wrestlers ever to come out of Jefferson not matter what happens at state this year. The senior gives a ton of credit for his success to the culture and dedication inside the Saints’ wrestling program.
“It’s been good since I was a freshman,” Lozado said. “This team had grown a lot. It is the coaching staff mainly. They get us prepared. Winning 200 duals is a big accomplishment for Jefferson.”
Jefferson will most likely hit the 200-mark during the Lakewood Dual Tournament coming up on Saturday, Jan. 29.
“It’s been great having James Vogel (Jefferson assistant coach). He has been with me every step of the way. We have a great coaching staff,” Fonseca said after the Saints picked up dual wins 195 and 196 Thursday night under his guidance. “Our community, our kids, it means a lot to have a stable program. We have been stable for years and continue to be stable. Our coaching staff is having fun watching our wrestlers become better on and off the mat.”
Capturing a state championship or runner-up trophy wouldn’t define all the accomplishments under Fonseca’s watch at Jefferson, but it would definitely be a permanent and physical reminder.
“Maybe one day,” Fonseca said of hoping bringing some team hardware from the state tournament. “That is what we are shooting for. We just got to keep working. We know what success looks like. We just have to keep working.”
Sauer’s wrestling program is no stranger to making history through hard work. Sauer’s daughter — Brooke — became the first female wrestler to qualify for the Colorado state tournament back in 2006, long before girls wrestling became a CHSAA sanctioned sport a few years ago.
The history-rich wrestling program at Golden honored assistant coach Marv Slusser on Thursday night before the final dual match of the night between the Demons and Farmers. Slusser is stepping down as an assistant coach after 15 years at Golden.
“Marv is the soft side,” Sauer said of his assistant coach. “I’ll get on a kid and he’ll put his arm around them. That is the balance that him and I have. We think a lot a like. We can just look at each other and know what’s going on.”
Wrestlers and Golden fans were given t-shirts in honor of the many years Slusser has given to the Demons’ wrestling program.
“He is a dedicated coach,” Sauer said. “I can always rely and count on him. Marv has always been there.”