Bayfield’s John Foutz and Daniel Westbrook got their goats on the final day of the Colorado High School Activities Association’s state wrestling tournament Saturday at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
Foutz took fourth in the Class 3A 195-pound bracket after he rebounded from Friday night’s semifinal defeat. Westbrook did the same in the 220-pound bracket for the Wolverines.
In the morning session in the semifinal consolation bracket, Foutz defeated Caleb Janowsky from Pagosa Springs, as they met for the fifth and final time this season. Foutz bested Janowsky in an 8-2 decision, and, after he felt under the weather all of Friday, the junior responded in a big way.
“The match after a semifinal loss can be a trap, and you have to be ready to battle,” said BHS head coach Todd McMenimen. “John responded well against Caleb, and he looked a lot stronger there. He had some good moves to pick up points early and earned the win.”
Foutz won the season series 3-2. He knew his opponent for the third-round matchup as well. It was Delta’s Gauge Lockhart, who denied Foutz a spot at state as a sophomore in the regional tournament.
In Westbrook’s semifinal consolation match, he was able to finally get the best of Alamosa’s Austin Trujillo, who defeated Westbrook last week in the regional final. Westbrook was supposed to wrestle Trujillo on senior night at BHS, but the Mean Moose wrestler dodged him.
In Saturday’s match, Westbrook came out firing and was aggressive to earn a pin 38 seconds into the second period.
“Honestly, it was personal,” Westbrook said. “Waking up this morning, I was still upset from last night. I wanted to give it everything I had today because I knew, regardless, it was my last day of my high school career, so I just went out and tried to dominate. When I saw it was going to be Trujillo, I just went into the mindset that I wasn’t going to lose.”
Westbrook’s third-place match opponent was also a familiar face. It was Atsamaz Pliev of Sierra, who Westbrook beat in the quarterfinals at the buzzer.
Pliev responded to the loss with two quick pins in the consolation bracket and pinned Westbrook in 38 seconds.
“In Daniel’s match, he got off to a bit of a slow start, and I think he was expecting it’d be another three-period match,” McMenimen said. “But, still, he battled as always, it just didn’t go his way there. It wasn’t the way that Daniel planned his last match, but he knows how hard it is to get here going up against top-notch competition this deep into the tournament. He is one of a very select few who could say he’s a two-time state placer in the state of Colorado. He represented his community and high school extremely well, and I think he realizes how special his career has been.”
Westbrook, as he left the Pepsi Center one last time, was grateful for his time wearing the purple and gold.
“I was a bit sad knowing it was my last match for Bayfield,” Westbrook said. “But mostly, I was just proud. After everything that’s happened, pride is the main thing that comes to mind when you leave a place as special like this. It’s been a phenomenal experience to represent my town, my school and myself. It’s just one of those things that you just can’t not be proud of.”
In Foutz’s match against Lockhart, the BHS junior held a lead after the first period. In the second, he was caught off guard with a throw move. He was pinned at the 3:45 mark of the match.
“John couldn’t get his hip positioning just right, and that happens with the best guys,” McMenimen said. “He got caught, and heading into it, I thought that the only way that John could lose was if he got caught in that move, and that’s exactly what happened. But John knew how hard he fought to get here, and I think there’s a fire lit under him already and he wants to respond next year.”
Foutz was also motivated by the loss and learned a lot this season.
“It’s a pretty decent year, and I’m proud of it,” Foutz said. “I really thought I grew a lot as a person and as a wrestler, and I’m motivated now going into next year. I know what it’s going to take to get back here, and it’s going to be a fun but uphill battle. But I’m looking forward to it.”
McMenimen was most proud of how every Wolverine wrestler grew throughout this season.
“I’ve been a football and wrestling coach since 2001, and this is probably the funnest year I’ve had in wrestling,” McMenimen said. “The camaraderie has been tighter than any team that I’ve been a part of. It’s an eclectic mix of personalities, and seeing the grow the way they have has been really special. From where we started three months ago to the final day of the state tournament, it’s been a season full of growth. Just looking to moving forward to get ready for next year and doing this journey all again.”
The other area team on the final day was Ignacio, which had one wrestler in the Class 2A consolation bracket’s quarterfinals. Cesar Pedregon lost his 182-pound third-round consolation matchup in a 9-6 decision to Jesus Diaz of Trinidad. Pedregon was one match away from ensuring a podium spot. The Bobcats sent six up to Denver, but none placed. Durango High School also didn’t have a state placer for the fourth consecutive year.
bploen@durangoherald.com
