BAYFIELD – Both Bayfield and Durango High School got exactly what they were looking for out of Thursday’s wrestling dual.
The Demons turned in a bounce-back performance after underachieving at the Top of the Rockies tournament last weekend in La Jara, while the Wolverines showed fight in adverse circumstances.
DHS won the dual 57-11 on the strength of seven BHS forfeits and also outscored the Wolverines 15-11 in terms of the actual matches wrestled Thursday at BHS.
“We were working on three things this week: compete, wrestle and being aggressive,” DHS head coach John Gurule said. “I thought we accomplished those goals (Thursday night).”
BHS struck first, however, at 113 pounds.
Cody Speece pinned the Demons’ Devon Pound with 1 minute, 28 seconds remaining in the third period after leading 8-7 entering the frame.
“I feel like I should have been more aggressive with my takedowns,” said Speece, son of Dan and Tina Speece.
Hunter Hall got one back for the Demons when he pinned Taylor Winch with 1:04 remaining in the third period at 126 pounds.
The 132-pound bout provided plenty of excitement between Cole Gustavson and Cash Snooks. Gustavson led 7-4 after two periods and ended up winning 11-8, but he had to fight off a late charge by Snooks, who put Gustavson in several dangerous situations.
“I was thinking, ‘I just need to last through the match,’ because I was pretty tired,” said Gustavson, son of Catherine and Dan Gustavson. “I felt like I was wrestling slow – should have pinned him earlier.”
Colter McMenimen finished off a workmanlike 15-0 technical fall victory over the Demons’ Joe Crawford in the second period of their 138-pound match.
Diego Martinez pinned the Wolverines’ Gus Roberts with six seconds remaining in the first period at 145 pounds to close out the dual.
“I’m pleased with how we wrestled pretty much everywhere,” BHS head coach Todd McMenimen said.
Ryan Nava missed the dual with flu-like symptoms, but McMenimen expects to have his 120-pounder back for their next competition.
The already shorthanded Wolverines will have to wrestle for the rest of the season without Clay Crawford, however. The Wolverines’ 126-pounder suffered his third concussion in eight months at the Sand Devil Classic last weekend in Page, Ariz., and won’t compete for the rest of the year.
“Between parents and a doctor’s visit and stuff they determined, that was the best decision for him,” McMenimen said. “He’s going to stay committed and travel with us, which I’m glad to have for his leadership.”
BHS will pack two more competitions into the next two days: BHS will wrestle Ignacio High School in a dual at 6 p.m. Friday in Ignacio, then will compete in the Butch Melton Invitational at 9 a.m. Saturday in Ignacio.
“We need this push,” coach McMenimen said. “This is the extent of the wrestling we’ve got heading into regionals.”
The Demons, on the other hand, are taking a break.
They won’t wrestle this weekend after travelling for eight days in the last two weeks.
“It’s actually very nice,” Gurule said. “We’re due for a weekend off.”
DHS will return to the mat Feb. 8 for a dual at Montezuma-Cortez High School.
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
