Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
Rocky Mountain’s Roman Ortiz, left, wrestled Thompson Valley’s Mike Berg in the 152-pound championship match. Ortiz won on a 3-0 decision. (Brian Miller)
LAFAYETTE — There wasn’t a single individual standing atop the podium Saturday evening who wasn’t reveling in the moment of winning a prestigious wrestling tournament like Top of the Rockies.
That said, thoughts were already starting to drift to potentially standing on a different podium next month.
With the state wrestling tournament fast approaching, the Top of the Rockies at Centaurus High School offered a glimpse into the future. From Broomfield’s Phil Downing, who will be seeking a fourth state title, to top-ranked Arvada West seeking its first team crown in more than two decades, the two-day experience at Centaurus was a good barometer for what could be in store Feb. 20-22 at Pepsi Center in Denver.
“It feels good because this is the premier tournament in the state of Colorado. (Centaurus Athletic Director) Paul Roper does an amazing job and he needs to be credited with that work,” Arvada West assistant coach Mark Schmidt said. “It gives us a little bit of confidence, but next year, no one is going to remember who won this tournament. They’ll remember who won the state tournament.”
The Wildcats, who currently top the Class 5A On the Mat rankings, dominated the weekend. Arvada West finished with 200 points to outdistance Thompson Valley (155.5) and Broomfield (144).
Bennie Pachello brought home the team’s only individual title in his first trip to the tournament with a 9-3 decision over Pueblo South’s Marcus Martinez at 132 pounds. Schmidt said he believes it’s the team’s first-ever champion at Top of the Rockies.
“I feel like if we wrestle like we did at this tournament at state,” Pachello said, “then we’re going to bring home a state title.”
Arvada West had three others reach the finals in addition to Pachello and a handful of additional placers. The team won on Saturday despite the fact that coach Ron Granieri is serving a school-imposed sanction based on a violation of CHSAA rules. Both Granieri and the team are on restriction from the postseason, though the school is currently working on a plan to have both removed from restriction.
Downing’s contest with Miguel Barreras of Rio Rancho (N.M.) in the 160-pound final may have been the match of the night, judging by the crowd’s reaction. Downing trailed 4-3 before getting a penalty point and a reversal with 6.2 seconds remaining in the third period to post a 6-4 victory via decision.
“I knew I had to pull something out of me to come up with the win,” Downing said. “I dug down deep and just scored the last two points I needed.”
With regionals just three weeks away, Downing’s thoughts are already on the postseason and trying to join the elite four-time state champion club.
“I feel like I’m in the state finals sometimes. I think about it that much,” Downing said. “It’s nerve-wracking and it’s a lot of pressure, but I just need to do what I need to do win it and it will all take care of itself.”
Another former state champion who took home first Saturday was Cherry Creek’s Mitch Finesilver. The senior edged Cheyenne East’s Brody Cress 6-5 at 126 pounds.
“It feels awesome. That’s the gameplan the whole time – just go in, score points,” Finesilver said. “My team … I couldn’t have done it without them.”
Finesilver’s twin brother Zach, advanced to the finals at 138 pounds before falling to Bryce Meredith of Cheyenne Central (Wyo.) 12-7. Younger brother Matt was also a finalist at 113 but fell 7-0 to Legacy’s Ryan Deakin.
“It’s great. I love it,” Mitch Finesilver said of having his siblings competing Saturday night. “It’s always awesome to see your family do well.”
Other champions included Pomona’s Tomas Gutierrez at 106 and Josh Rosales at 120; Colton Adams of Scottsbluff (Neb.) at 145; Rocky Mountain’s Roman Ortiz at 152; Omaha North’s (Neb.) JaCobi Jones (170) and JaVaughn Perkins (182); Cheyenne East’s Tevis Bartlett at 195; Grand Island’s (Neb.) Chase Reis (220); and Broomfield’s Austyn Harris at heavyweight.
Meredith and Perkins were voted as the tournament’s Outstanding Wrestlers.
[divider]
Results
Team Scores: Arvada West 200, Thompson Valley 155.5, Broomfield 144, Rocky Mountain 130, Cheyenne East 129, Cherry Creek 120.5, Omaha North 118, Pomona 116, Scottsbluff 113, Grand Island 106.5, Pueblo South 105.5.
Championship Matches
106: Tomas Gutierrez, Pomona, dec. Cody Fatzinger, Arvada West, 6-0
113: Ryan Deakin, Legacy, dec. Matt Finesilver, Cherry Creek, 7-0
120: Josh Rosales, Pomona, pin Steven Lahnert, Cheyenne East, :57
126: Mitch Finesilver, Cherry Creek, dec. Brody Cress, Cheyenne East, 6-5
132: Bennie Pachello, Arvada West, dec. Marcus Martinez, Pueblo South, 9-3
138: Bryce Meredith, Cheyenne Central, dec. Zach Finesilver, Cherry Creek, 12-7
145: Colton Adams, Scottsbluff, dec. Payton Tawater, Arvada West, 5-4
152: Roman Ortiz, Rocky Mountain, dec. Mike Berg, Thompson Valley, 3-0
160: Phil Downing, Broomfield, dec. Miguel Barreras, Rio Ranch, 6-4
170: JaCobi Jones, Omaha North, maj. dec. Mason Harms, Cherry Creek, 13-2
182: JaVaughn Perkins, Omaha North, pin Zach Stodden, Broomfield, 2:58
195: Tevis Bartlett, Cheyenne East, pin Devin Rothrock, Arvada West, 5:09
220: Chase Reis, Grand Island, pin Jacob Ornelas, FL, 3:40
285: Austyn Harris, Broomfield, dec. Brett Schaeffer, Cheyenne East, 3-1, OT
Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
A on-going list of college wrestling commitments from boys high school athletes in Colorado’s class of 2014. Send additions, along with position and weight, to rcasey@chsaa.org.
Bear Creek senior PT Garcia, right, measures up Greeley West senior Adrian Delacruz in the first period of the 132-pound championship Saturday night. Garica, two-time state champion, had the quickest pin (1:20) in the title bouts. (Dennis Pleuss)
ARVADA — The Arvada West Invitational has had the reputation of being a “mini-state” wrestling tournament with the high caliber of competition it assembles.
The 50th version of the annual tournament was no exception.
“It’s pretty deep,” Pomona senior Josh Rosales said after his 9-5 victory over Bear Creek senior Jaysen Yakobson in the 120-pound final. “There has always been a ton of talent here. The toughest teams and the toughest kids.”
Arvada West senior Tony Silva-Bussey gets up after pinning Cherry Creek senior Mason Harms in the 170-pound championship match Saturday night. A-West took three individual title, along with winning the team championship at the 50th annual Arvada West Invitational. (Dennis Pleuss)
This week’s On The Mat wrestling rankings provided by Tim Yount had Arvada West, Rocky Mountain, Ponderosa, Pomona and Cherry Creek as the top five in 5A. All were at Arvada West High School on Saturday, along with No. 7 Chaparral, No. 9 Fountain-Fort Carson and No. 10 Grand Junction from 5A. Not to mention the No. 2 team in 4A, Thompson Valley.
Top-ranked A-West will for sure keep its top ranking after pulling away from Thompson Valley late in the tournament. The Wildcats won three individual titles to overtake the Eagles for the tournament team title.
“Our goal was to win it, make a statement,” A-West senior Tony Silva-Bussey said after scoring a third-period pin of Cherry Creek senior Mason Harms in what was a bout between the No. 1 and 3 ranked wrestlers in 5A at 170 pounds. “We are showing we are one of the best in 5A.”
The Wildcats other two individual champions were junior Payton Tawater (145) and junior Devin Rothrock (195). A-West had a tournament-high nine wrestlers place in the top four.
“It’s one of those practice rooms that you dream about going into,” said Silva-Bussey about A-West’s team depth. “At every weight there is someone to challenge you.”
The top-ranked wrestlers were sure up to the challenge in the championship finals. All 10 wrestlers who were ranked No. 1 in 5A won their matches, including senior PT Garcia, a two-time state champion from Bear Creek.
In his final A-West Invitational, Garcia looked like a true seasoned veteran. The senior was loose and enjoying the moment, even helped out during a third-place match being the towel tapper to let the referee know the period was over.
Thompson Valley sophomore Parker Simington, left, tries to break the grip of Arvada West junior Payton Tawater during the 145-pound championship bout Saturday. Tawater took a 8-4 decision. (Dennis Pleuss)
“I’ve definitely matured,” said Garcia, who scored the quickest pin (1:20) in the title matches. “When I was a freshman in this tournament I remembered I was really nervous. I didn’t perform my best. I eventually learned to go out relaxed, calm, focused and have fun.”
Legacy sophomore Ryan Deakin had a blast staying undefeated with a 27-0 record, while defending a tough opponent in Thompson Valley sophomore Vladyslav Kazakov in the 113 final. Deakin, who placed third at state last year at 106, was one of five unbeaten wrestlers who left A-West with their unblemished records intact.
The other four undefeated wrestlers are Garcia (21-0) and Rothrock (13-0), along with two Rocky Mountain grapplers — 138-pounder Danny Murphy (21-0) and 152-pounder Roman Oritz (21-0).
“I’m just focused on the wrestling,” Deakin said about not focusing on staying undefeated. “The wins and losses will take care of themselves.”
Ortiz, a junior, stayed undefeated after a tight match against Fountain-Fort Carson senior Rashawn Benford. The No. 1 and 2 ranked wrestlers at 152 pounds in 5A had already faced off once this season. Ortiz got the better of Benford again with a 3-1 decision.
“This time both were trying to figure out each other’s weakest spots. I knew (Benford) was going to come back with fire wanting to beat me this time,” Ortiz said. “I just kept my ground and did good against him. I’ll probably meet him in the state final.”
In the final championship match, Coronado senior Joe Hunt nearly pulled off the biggest upset of the night. Hunt had No. 1 ranked Dane Drimmer almost pinned in the first period. Drimmer was able to get the better of Hunt, pinning him midway through the third period.
[divider]
Results
Team:
1. Arvada West 193.5
2. Thompson Valley 179
3. Rocky Mountain 150.5
4. Cherry Creek 105.5
5. Coronado 98
6. Ponderosa 91.5
T7. Chaparral 82
T7. Pomona 82
9. Grand Junction 62
10. Greeley West 61.5
T11. Bear Creek 51
T11. Central Grand Junction 51
T13. Grandview 43
T13. Legacy 43
15. Fountain-Fort Carson 42
16. Brighton 32
Championship matches:
106: Hunter Matney, Ponderosa, dec. Cody Fatzinger, Arvada West, 6-4
113: Ryan Deakin, Legacy, dec. Vladyslav Kazakov, Thompson Valley, 5-1
120: Josh Rosales, Pomona, dec. Jaysen Yakobson, Bear Creek, 9-5
126: Mitch Finesilver, Cherry Creek, major dec. Vincent Casados, Arvada West, 15-1
132: PT Garcia, Bear Creek, fall Adrain Delacruz, Greeley West, 1:20
138: Danny Murphy, Rocky Mountain, dec. Zach Finesilver, Cherry Creek, 6-2
145: Payton Tawater, Arvada West, dec. Parker Simington, Thompson Valley, 8-4
152: Roman Ortiz, Rocky Mountain, dec. Rashawn Benford, Fountain-Fort Carson, 3-1
160: Jacob Trujillo, Grand Junction, dec. Konnor Schmidt, Rocky Mountain, 8-1
170: Tony Silva-Bussey, Arvada West, fall Mason Harms, Cherry Creek, 5:08
182: Dylan Gabel, Ponderosa, fall David Eusea, Thompson Valley, 3:20
195: Devin Rothrock, Arvada West, tech-fall Luiz Perez, Rocky Mountain, 20-4
220: Dan Macoubrie, Rocky Mountain, dec. Daniel Chavez, Pomona, 7-0
285: Dane Drimmer, Chaparral, fall Joe Hunt, Coronado, 5:03
Arvada West freshman Cody Fatzinger, top, works on turnover over Ponderosa freshman Hunter Matney during the 106-pound championship match Saturday night at the 50th Arvada West Invitational. (Dennis Pleuss)Legacy sophomore Ryan Deakin takes a look at the clock while staying on top of Thompson Valley sophomore Vladyslav Kazakov in the 113-pound championship match Saturday. Deakin was one of five wrestlers to leave the Arvada West Invitational with their undefeated record intact. (Dennis Pleuss)Pomona senior Josh Rosales, left, takes a look up to the clock during his 120-pound championship match against Bear Creek senior Jaysen Yakobson on Saturday night. Rosales won a 9-5 decision. (Dennis Pleuss)
Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
Pueblo South’s Isaac Naro. (Courtesy of Jerry Sisneros)
PUEBLO — The history of high school wrestling in Pueblo is storied. Since 1949, wrestlers from Pueblo have captured 69 individual state championships. But none of those wrestlers had the opportunity Isaac Naro has.
Naro, a sophomore at Pueblo South High School, has the chance to become the Steel City’s first four-time state champ. South has won a Pueblo-best 23 individual state wrestling champs.
“I do like the pressure because it gives me more mental toughness to practice harder and train harder because everybody is coming at me now,” Naro said. “I know I have to work even harder to get back to that state championship match and make history.”
Naro put himself in this position with his stunning performance at the Class 4A state tournament last February at the Pepsi Center in Denver. He concluded his improbable state tourney run by shocking Pueblo Central’s Sonny Espinoza 5-2 in the 132-pound finals.
Naro. (Courtesy of Jerry Sisneros)
“It is just crazy,” said Naro moments after he beat Espinoza. “I’m just so excited right now. I did my best out there and listened to my coaches. This is just incredible.”
Espinoza had a 2-0 season record against Naro before state. He beat Naro 17-2 at the Pueblo East Invite in December 2012 and 7-3 last January in a dual.
Espinoza, now a freshman wrestler at the University of Northern Colorado, is Pueblo’s all-time prep wrestling wins leader at 163.
“The more I look back on it, the more I realize how cool it was to be there and Sonny was a very good wrestler,” said Naro, who finished with a 28-5 record last season. “I lost to him twice before that and it was a good feeling to beat him in the finals where it counted the most.”
This season Naro hasn’t missed a beat.
He is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A at 138 pounds by On The Mat and is sporting a 12-1 record. South also is ranked No. 4 in 4A and is vying for its fourth state wrestling crown.
The Colts won state in 1997, 2004 and 2005 — all in Class 4A. South also has finished second in state three times in 1999 (Class 5A), 2006 (Class 4A) and 2012 (Class 4A).
“I’ve had a good season, but I know I can get better,” Naro, 15, said. “I can’t take anything for granted. I need to work harder and harder each day at practice.”
(Courtesy of Jerry Sisneros)
Naro’s only blemish this season was a 5-3 overtime loss to Rocky Mountain’s Danny Murphy in the finals of the Warrior Classic in Grand Junction last month.
“This year the biggest thing is Isaac is healthy,” veteran South coach Jerry Sisneros said. “He had a lot of nagging injuries last year. Plus, he had a great offseason lifting weights and he’s stronger and a year older. He’s just a very good wrestler who also keeps himself in every match.”
Marcus Martinez, a senior who is ranked No. 2 at 132 pounds, concurred with his coach.
“Isaac is a great teammate,” said Martinez, a state runner-up at 120 pounds a year ago. “He always works hard in the room and brings intensity. He just has some moves that are really unique that you don’t see very much and they are hard to defend, especially when you are on the bottom. In our room, everybody is focused on doing what they can do to help us win state. It would mean so much if we could win state.”
Naro has been honing his wrestling craft since he was 5 years old.
“I love how wrestling teaches you mental toughness and teaches you life lessons,” the 5-foot-8 Naro said. “I love getting in there and having fun with my friends. Hopefully, if I keep it up I will be able to get a college scholarship for my wrestling skills. That would be cool.”
Tim Yount of On The Mat provides weekly wrestling rankings for teams and individuals in all weight classes. To see individual rankings, you can subscribe to On The Mat’s full rankings.
To subscribe via PayPal, choose your subscription option on this page click on the corresponding PayPal button. To subscribe by mail or fax and pay by personal check, click here for a printable subscription form. Email Tim Yount at tim@onthematrankings.com with questions.
To purchase individual weeks of the rankings (as opposed to the entire season), you will need to use the printable subscription form and pay by check. The season ranking subscriptions are offered at a discounted rate.
Three of the state’s best wrestling teams will be on display in a big-time inter-classification meet on Friday when Thompson Valley hosts Pomona and Brush.
The host Eagles are ranked No. 2 in the most recent Class 4A rankings provided by On The Mat. Pomona is ranked fourth in 5A, while Brush is No. 1 in 3A.
“It should be a great night of wrestling,” Thompson Valley athletic director Ernie Derrera wrote in an email.
The triangular meet begins at 5 p.m. at Thompson Valley High School.
“We will wrestle in a rotating format so that no team is sitting out for a length of time,” Derrera said.
For example, Brush will wrestle Pomona at 106 pounds, Thompson Valley vs. Brush at 113, and Pomona vs. Thompson Valley at 119.
