Part of the Durango wrestling family will have a chance to get together Thursday when Durango High School visits Bayfield High School for a local dual.
DHS is coming off a disappointing showing at the Top of the Rockies in La Jara, while BHS just got back from a spirited run at the Sand Devil Classic in Page, Ariz.
It’ll be the shortest trip of the year for the Demons, who have needed to stay overnight for their last two competitions.
DHS head coach John Gurule let his team rest for the first part of this week in practice to recover from all that time spent on the road.
“They needed it after about eight days of travelling in the last two weeks,” he said on the eve of the dual.
The Demons will be without Matthew Lavengood for the second consecutive competition because of a shoulder injury. He was feeling better than over the weekend, according to Gurule, but the coaching staff decided to hold him out of Thursday’s dual.
“We want to give our opponent the best team Durango can offer,” he said. “But with regionals coming up so soon, we felt it was better to get him as healthy as possible.”
His absence eliminates a marquee matchup with Bayfield’s Ryan Nava, who’s finished first at 120 pounds in his last two tournaments.
BHS has competed with six wrestlers for most of the season, so a victory in a dual meet is unlikely for the Wolverines.
They’ve maintained throughout the season that their focus is more on individual matches and the team’s attitude.
“We’re going to approach it a lot like we did for Pagosa (Springs),” BHS head coach Todd McMenimen said Saturday after the Sand Devil Classic. “What we can do is win the six matches that we have.”
More than any individual matchup, though, Thursday gives the local wrestling community a chance to come together.
“It’s not only good for our kids to wrestle the local talent, it’s good for our kids and for our fans,” Gurule said. “It’s good for our wrestling family to cheer on other family members.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
