The Durango High School wrestling team went 3-2 at the Bobcat Duals on Saturday in Bloomfield, New Mexico, falling only to New Mexico’s top-ranked 4A and 5A teams, Aztec and Farmington.
“The kids had a great day,” said DHS head coach Robert Finniseth.
Durango beat Los Lunas 57-15 to start the day.
The Demons then beat Kirtland 63-18 to advance to the championship bracket with Bloomfield, Aztec and Farmington.
DHS squared off with the hosts from Bloomfield first and escaped with a tight victory, 41-40. Payson Albrecht (152), Tyler Woodworth (170), Ben Belt (182), James Storm (195), Will Knight (220), Ryan Dugan (106) and Jacob Fenberg (120) all picked up wins for DHS in the dual.
The Demons then wrestled Aztec. Both teams won seven matches, but an unsportsmanlike penalty ended up being the difference in the dual, and Aztec prevailed, 41-39.
“The Aztec dual was fierce,” Finniseth said. “It was definitely a heated match.”
Oren Moore (145), Woodworth (170), James Storm (182), Belt (195), Dugan (106) and Cole Pontine (126) all pinned their opponents for the Demons.
At 113 pounds, however, Aztec’s Bryson Valdez took Durango’s Izik Garrett down and cut him free a few times before pinning him. After the match, the Garrett didn’t shake Valdez’s hand, and DHS was penalized two team points. An unnamed Durango assistant coach then yelled at the ref to call it both ways, and Durango got dinged another team point.
Durango finished the day against Farmington. Finniseth couldn’t recall the exact score, but said he moved some guys around to get them matches so the Scorpions won by more than in their first dual against DHS.
Belt, who normally wrestles at 182, bumped up to 195 and squared off with the No. 2- ranked Zeke Borunda. Belt nearly had a takedown in the first period, but it ended scoreless. In the second period, Belt got on the scoreboard first with a takedown but got reversed and the match went into the third tied, 2-2. A third-period takedown by Borunda ended up being the difference.
“That was arguably one of the better matches of the day,” Finniseth said. “I’m proud of Ben; he wanted to go up and wrestle that big guy.”
The coach also said Fenberg had a good weekend. “He wrested great this weekend again,” Finniseth said. “He ran into a couple of horses, but didn’t back down one bit.”
The Demons will next compete in Grand Junction this weekend at the Warrior Classic, known as one of the toughest tournaments in Colorado. “It’s a good tournament; it’s hard,” Finniseth said. “We’re looking to get some kids on the podium.”
It also will be the last time DHS competes in the Warrior. Next year, the Demons will instead compete at a big dual-meet tournament in Arizona where the wrestlers will be guaranteed some more matches.
