DENVER – Despite a rough start to the tournament and a strong start by Eaton, the Alamosa High School boys wrestling team managed to make a comeback to finish in second place at the Class 3A State Tournament this past weekend at Ball Arena.

The Reds ended up winning the championship with 149 points. The Mean Moose scored 119 ½ - 19 ½, points ahead of third-place Fort Lupton.

“After Thursday night, I was really thinking second was out of reach also,” said Alamosa coach Rusty Johnson. “But the guys strapped it on and fought back. We just had a really, really bad round. One bad round and that’s what happens at this tournament. I think all in all, we wrestled well. Eaton just wrestled lights out. They were ready to go and they put it to us.”

Not only did Alamosa finish second, it also had six state placers including two state champions.

Jeremiah DeLaCerda successfully defending his 106-pound championship with a 7-0 decision over Skyview’s Andrew Pedragon, and Uriah Martinez defeated Fort Lupton’s Josiah Gonzales by a 7-5 decision.

“It was amazing just to come back here to Ball Arena and compete again and have a chance to win again” DeLaCerda said.

“I envisioned it every day and dreamed about it every night,” Uriah said. “I was not going to let that one get taken away from me.”

DeLaCerda got a takedown to begin the match and take a 3-0 lead after the first period. He started the second period in the down position but got an escape and then a takedown. Neither wrestler scored in the third period.

Uriah got off to a good start with a takedown in the first period, but Gonzales got an escape. Uriah started on the bottom to begin the second period and Gonzalez turned him for four near-fall points. But Uriah recorded a reversal to tie the score at 5-5 at the end of the period.

Uriah was again on the bottom to begin the third and he got a point as Gonzales was called for excessive stalling violations. Uriah then got an escape to secure the victory.

For DeLaCerda, his second straight championship marked the end of his wrestling career. He is proud of his wrestling experiences.

“It just amazing,” DeLaCerda said. “Just the journey and what it took coming from the bottom to come to the top.”

Uriah is a junior and is looking to defend the championship next year.

“I want to repeat in a more dominant fashion I hope,” Uriah said. “My goal next year is to intimidate my opponents.”

Also placing for the Mean Moose were Pablito Rodriguez who took third at 132, Anthony Meder who was fifth at 120, Daniel Martinez who was fifth at 144, and Tony Griego who was sixth at 150.

Rodriguez won his final match as he pinned Alameda International’s Mukhtat Hashimi in 3:53. Meder won by injury default over University’s Ayden Arellano, Daniel Martinez won by 8-4 decision over Skyview’s Anthony Gonzalez, and Griego lost to Bennett’s Ethan Jordan in 2:37.

The rest of the Alamosa state qualifiers saw Jovanny Mendoza (190) and Aaron Jordan (285) eliminated in third round of consolation, Jonovan Gutierrez (113), and Ryan Cordova (165) eliminated in the second round, and Jonathan Olsen (126), Caleb Quintana (157) and Max Dokson (215) eliminated in the first round.

The Mean Moose graduate a few seniors this year but have several coming back next season.

“We are losing Tony Griego and Jeremiah,” Johnson said. “We had six placers so we have more back and five more qualifiers, so we’re going to return nine guys with state experience next year. But it’s going to be a dogfight every year.

“I have a bunch of numbers at the middle school,” Johnson added. “Honestly, I had a terrific class this year. I had some really good guys who were freshmen, they just couldn’t crack that line-up, because our lower weights were so good. There should be room for room for a couple of them next year.”

Centauri

The Falcons finished in 22^nd place with 31 points and had one state placer in Spencer Smith. Smith finished in fifth place at 190 pounds. He won his final match by a 7-2 decision over Timnath’s Ivan Hochhalter.

The rest of the Falcons included Aiden Knecht (144) and Noah Weyers (150) eliminated in the third round, Noah Chavez (120), Dorian Quintana (215) and Aaden Quintana (285) eliminated in the second round, and Caden Casias (132) eliminated in the first round

Class 3A team scores

Eaton 149, Alamosa 119 ½, Fort Lupton 100, Mullen 98 ½, Jefferson 82, La Junta 81, Valley 75 ½, The Classical Academy 72, Bennett 69, Gunnison 61, Holy Family 59 ½, Weld Central 57 ½, Fort Morgan 55 ½, Platte Valley 50 ½, Brush 47 ½, Salida 47 ½, Alameda International 44, Delta 44, Berthoud 54, Resurrection Christian 40, Wellington 36 ½, Centauri 31, Skyview 29 ½, Pagosa Springs 27 ½, Pueblo Centennial 27, Abraham Lincoln 26, Bayfield 19, Elizabeth 19, Timnath 18, Grand Valley 17, James Irwin 16, University 16, Strasburg 15, Basalt 9, Montezuma-Cortez 8, Florence 6, Rifle 6, Lamar 5, Middle Park 5, Woodland Park 3, Coal Ridge 1, Conifer 0, Denver West 0, John F. Kennedy , Sierra 0, Sterling 0.