John Foutz got the Bayfield High School wrestling team off to a strong start when he pinned his opponent in the 220-pound matchup in Tuesday’s Class 3A Intermountain League dual-meet at Montezuma-Cortez High School. The rest of the Wolverines followed suit, as Bayfield earned its first league win of the season, 47-24.
“I thought we wrestled pretty well,” said BHS head coach Todd McMenimen. “There were areas where we could have done better, but overall, I am pleased with where we are at. Cortez had a few open weights, and we were able to pick up points that way, but we also had some good matches. John Foutz started out with a pin, and we got a few more forfeits and got rolling from there.”
Foutz got back on track after he took third at the Rocky Mountain Invitational in Pagosa Springs on Saturday, as he pinned Devan Frost. Also for Bayfield, Xander Hovenstine pinned Jaquin Laner at 132 pounds, and Dylan Pickering scored a technical fall win against Caden Cote at 138 pounds. Kobe Prior of Bayfield also pinned Casen Allmon at 160 to end the match.
The Panthers were able to get a few key wins. At 120 pounds, Shayden French of Bayfield was pinned by Jayven Valdez. Bayfield’s Hunter Anderson (126) and Jayden Vagneur (152) used nearly all five minutes of the allotted time for injuries, and after getting back on the mat, both lost. Anderson fell to Austin Featherman, and Vagneur fell to Ethan Root. Deegan Barnes was pinned by Anthony Abeyta at 145.
“It was a good performance from our guys that got pins,” McMenimen said. “I thought Pickering went back to his traditional stuff and tilted his way into a tech fall. Deegan Barnes looked really good in the first period, and should have had three takedowns, and easily could have had a pin. He got caught in the second period and lost, but still fought hard. Kobe Prior continued to add on from what he did in Pagosa, and his first-period pin was good to see.”
The boys will travel to Florence at 9 a.m. Saturday the Mel Smith Invitational at Florence High School, while BHS’ female wrestlers will travel to Utah for an all-female event.
“Again, we definitely have some things to work on,” McMenimen said. “But it’s the first couple of weeks in February that we’re shooting for, and tonight was a step in the right direction.”
bploen@durangoherald.com
