LAFAYETTE — If there was a theme Saturday night for a number of wrestlers at the Top of the Rockies tournament, it was “unfinished business”.
Take Pueblo East’s Jace Trujillo, for example. The junior was on his way to defending his state championship last February, only to stumble in the state semifinals. Trujillo eventually finished fifth, which was more than enough motivation to get the Eagles standout going this summer.
“It was kind of devastating for me. I was so determined to work my butt off and just get that last one, but I just didn’t have it in me. I had no energy,” Trujillo said. “It pushed me this year to go the fullest.”
Trujillo edged city rival Josiah Nava of Pueblo County in the 120-pound final Saturday night at Centaurus High School in what was arguably the match of the night. Trujillo and Nava went back and forth in a match that included five reversals, scoring a late takedown and near fall to win 13-10.
“I just kept attacking and kept going as hard as I can,” Trujillo said. “Trying to get my moves, get my shots. I had to control the match and do whatever I can to keep him down.”
Pueblo County still came out on top as a team though. The Hornets, backed by titles from Brendon Garcia and Nathan Bonham, scored 202.5 points to easily finish first. Pueblo East (166), Grand Junction (160.5), Poudre (144.5) and Ponderosa (121) rounded out the top five.
“Coaches love the competition, and we love it just as much,” Bonham said. “That’s what all the training and hard work is for, stuff like this. Come and face the best teams in Colorado.”
Like Trujillo, Bonham came up just short a year ago as a sophomore. Bonham lost in the 120-pound title match at state, 2-0.
“We look at that as motivation for us,” Bonham said. “Come out here and do better than we did last time.”
Bonham pinned Adams City’s Nicholas Gonzalez in three minutes, 38 seconds at 126 pounds. Garcia won by a 6-4 decision at 113 pounds over Pueblo East’s Andrew Lucero. Dante Garcia was second at 220 after an injury forfeit.
“It was a great match. I wrestled him last week and he beat me,” Bonham said. “The kid’s great. During the match, I just knew I had to keep up with my scrambling. I knew it was going to be a hard match coming into it.”
The outstanding wrestlers were Monarch freshman Vince Cornella (106 pounds) in the lower weights, and Ponderosa’s Cohlton Schultz (285) in the upper weights.
Grand Junction’s Josiah Rider (152) and Seth Lathum (182) captured titles for the Tigers, who were the top 5A team. Dylan Martinez was second at 145 after falling 7-1 to three-time defending state champion Jacob Greenwood of Poudre.
Lathum scored a 17-1 technical fall over Legacy’s Drian Hays after losing to Hays in the third-place match at state last year.
“I’m getting better this year and I know the work I’m putting in in the room and outside the room is going to show,” Lathum said. “I’ve just been trying to bust my butt in that wrestling room, working out and doing what I have to win matches like this that I lost last year.”
Lathum said placing fourth two years in a row was an eye-opener for him, and the senior already has 30 wins this year. As for the team, Grand Junction continues to serve notice that it may be the team to beat in 5A. The Tigers were second to Pomona last February.
“We’re there as a team. We dualed Pomona and beat them, we beat them in tournaments,” Lathum said. “We’re there, and we’re very capable of it. It’s just everyone showing up at the Pepsi Center and doing what they can to get us a team championship.”
Ponderosa claimed three titles Saturday night, including the one by Schultz at heavyweight. The junior pinned his way through the tournament, including a fall at 1:44 over Rocky Ford’s Greg Garcia in the finals.
Parker Benekas (170) and Jayden Woodruff (195) also won titles. Benekas posted a 4-2 decision over Adams City’s Christian Powell in his first match at that weight; Woodruff also pinned his way through the tournament, including a pin in 1:01 Saturday night.
Both Mustangs finished second at state a year ago.
“I want to win so bad, me and Jayden both,” said Benekas, who moved up a weight class to get bigger for college. “We’ve been really working hard this season.”
Pomona’s Theorius Robison (132) and Colton Yapoujian (138) finished first to help the Panthers place sixth. Cornella earned a 19-5 major decision at 106; Lakewood’s Gabe Dinette won 4-2 at 160; and Mason Watt won via injury forfeit at 220.
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Top of the Rockies
At Centaurus High School
Top 10 Team Scores: Pueblo County 202.5, Pueblo East 166, Grand Junction 160.5, Poudre 144.5, Ponderosa 121, Pomona 120.5, Broomfield 117, Legacy 104, Grandview 101.5, Monarch 97.
106 – Vince Cornella, Monarch, maj. dec. Paul Garcia, Scottsbluff (Neb)., 19-5
113 – Brendon Garcia, Pueblo County, dec. Andrew Lucero, Pueblo East, 6-4
120 – Jace Trujillo, Pueblo East, dec. Josiah Nava, Pueblo County, 13-10
126 – Nathan Bonham, Pueblo County, pin Nicholas Gonzales, Adams City, 3:38
132 – Theorius Robison, Pomona, dec. Darren Green, Broomfield, 16-11
138 – Colton Yapoujian, Pomona, dec. Cole Polluconi, Monarch, 2-1 UTB
145 – Jacob Greenwood, Poudre, dec. Dylan Martinez, Grand Junction, 7-1
152 – Josiah Rider, def. Parker McQuade, Monarch, via injury forfeit
160 – Gabe Dinette, Lakewood, dec. Orion Gutierrez, Rio Rancho (NM), 4-2
170 – Parker Benekas, Ponderosa, dec. Christian Powell, Adams City, 4-2
182 – Seth Lathum, Grand Junction, tech. fall Drian Hays, Legacy, 17-1
195 – Jayden Woodruff, Ponderosa, pin Edward Chavez, Rio Ranch (NM), 1:01
220 – Mason Watt, Broomfield, def. Dante Garcia, Pueblo County, via injury forfeit
285 – Cohlton Schultz, Ponderosa, pin Gabe Garcia, Rocky Ford, 1:44.
The 2017 all-state football teams are presented by CHSAANow.com, ColoradoPreps.com and MaxPreps.
These teams were created following a lengthy process which included nominations from leagues, and then a vote of head coaches across the state.
Players were placed onto the first-team, second-team and honorable mention based upon the number of votes they received. In 5A-1A, spots were reserved for linemen and one kicker/punter, while 8-man reserved spots for linemen.
CHSAA does not determine who makes or doesn’t make the team; they are created entirely from the results of the coaches’ vote.
Green Mountain’s Trey Towndrow (12) has a shot contested by Centaurus juniors Nate Totel and Nick Vaver. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
LAKEWOOD — Centaurus put a damper on Green Mountain’s home opener on the boys basketball court late Thursday night.
The Warriors defeated the Rams 53-42 in the opening round of Green Mountain’s annual Paul Davis Classic. It was also the home debut for Rams’ new coach Mike Puccio, who graduated from Green Mountain in 2000.
“I feel since it was our first home game we were a little tense. A little nervous,” Green Mountain senior Alex Telles said. “We just didn’t shoot good, plain and simple.”
Centaurus held Green Mountain to just 14 free goals. The Warriors (2-1 record) went on a key 9-0 run after the Rams cut the Centaurus lead to 40-39 with a bucket from senior Lucas Rosen with 2:34 left in the fourth quarter.
Junior Nick Vaver led the way for the Warriors. He went 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and hit a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter. He finished with a team-high 13 points.
Green Mountain senior Alex Telles spots up from 3-point range. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
“This was a good test for us. We were down a couple of our guys,” said Centaurus coach Travis Maron, who only suited only eight players in the win. “I always want to see how we respond when the ball doesn’t bounce our way. We found a way down the stretch tonight.”
Juniors Joe Lynch (12 points) and Quinn Rubin (10 points), along with senior Ian McGuire (8 points) gave the Warriors a nice balanced scoring attack that Maron said he is looking for all season.
Centaurus faces Rifle in the semifinals of the tournament at 8 p.m. Friday at Green Mountain High School.
“There are good teams here,” Maron said. “Big physical teams. It’s fun to be down here.”
It’s nearly a completely different look for Green Mountain from its 10-14 season last year. The Rams graduated eight seniors. Telles and Rosen are the only two returning varsity players for Green Mountain.
“We need to think about the loss, but we also need to forget about it,” Telles said, pointing out the Rams play five games in the next two weeks. “This loss won’t define us.”
Green Mountain (2-1) is back on its home court Friday at 5 p.m. against Denver West in the consolation semifinals. The Rams got off to a 2-0 start to the season with wins over Pueblo Centennial and Prairie View to start the Puccio-era at Green Mountain.
Green Mountain coach Mike Puccio takes over his alma mater this season. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
Puccio played at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling and finished his playing career in 2005 playing at Colorado State University-Pueblo.
He started his coaching career in 2002 for the Colorado Chaos club basketball program. Puccio also served as an assistant coach under John Anderson at Golden High School and was the junior varsity coach at Green Mountain during the 2006-07 season when Rudy Martin was the Rams’ varsity coach.
Puccio spent one year as an assistant coach for Standley Lake’s boys basketball program before taking over the head varsity job with the Gators for nearly a decade.
“We’ve got a long ways to go,” Puccio said as he takes over his alma mater. “We have a lot of great kids. They work hard. We just have to get better.”
Telles (13 points) was the lone Ram to reach double-digits in the loss to Centaurus. Seniors Nate Davis (9 points) and Rosen (7 points) were the next leading scorers for the Green Mountain.
“The goal is always to hang a league banner,” Puccio said of his goals in his first year back with the Rams. “That might seem crazy with only two returning varsity players, but that is our mentality. We expect to compete and win.”
Centaurus junior Maliek Swain (23) goes up strong against Green Mountain senior Doal Dhieu on Thursday night. (Dennis Pleuss/Jeffco Athletics)
