The strength of the 2021 Durango High School wrestling team was evident in the middle weight classes Thursday.
Tyler Woodworth claimed a 6-1 decision win against Grand Junction’s Mason Sanders at 160 pounds followed by a fast first-period pin from Ben Belt at 170 pounds against River Mulvey, and suddenly the Durango Demons had stormed back with a chance to win a Southwestern League dual-meet against a very good Grand Junction Tigers team.
After the Demons earned a forfeit win at 182 pounds, the score showed Grand Junction out front 38-27 with two matches left to wrestle.
But the visiting Tigers earned a hard-fought 8-2 decision with at 195 pounds from Calvin Atkinson against Durango’s James Storm to clinch the victory before a 220-pound match between Austin Curfman of Grand Junction and Miguel Stubbs of Durango.
An exhausted Stubbs wasn’t able to secure an escape point after starting from the down position in the second period. Curfman got his escape quickly in the third. Curfman then avoided being taken down, though he couldn’t get one of his own. The 1-0 decision win for Curfman gave the Tigers a 44-27 victory.
Durango earned three wins in matches contested. Along with Belt and Woodworth, Chris McGrath picked up a pin 1 minute, 36 seconds into the first period against James Waegli at 132 pounds.
“It’s few and far between Durango gets to wrestle at home,” Woodworth said. “Any chance we have to wrestle here, it’s incredibly nice to be in the main gym at home, even if our fans are having to watch from home.”
It was the first of only two home matches this season for the Demons. Tournaments are not allowed because of COVID-19 health protocols, so teams are limited to dual and tri-meets during a shortened seven-week season.
Normally by this point in the year, wrestlers have had two full months under their belt to get in shape and drop weight classes. This year, there is no easing into the season.
“A lot of our kids are gassing, and we have a lot of new wrestlers in the room trying to find their technique and drive and their style and everything,” Woodworth said. “We’re working on getting guys on the mat, building their confidence and building them along the way. For us veteran wrestlers, it’s the conditioning we are lacking for the most part.”
After an opening forfeit at heavyweight, Grand Junction rolled off four consecutive wins. Tanner Roahrig pinned Dillon Harris at 106 pounds 1:06 into the first period. Landon Scarbrough followed with a pin of Jacob Fenberg 1:47 into the second period at 113 pounds, and the Tigers led 12-6 on the scoreboard.
Andrew Leyba, ranked seventh in the On The Mat Class 5A 120-pound rankings, rolled to a 14-0 first-period lead, and a quick reversal four seconds into the second period gave him a 16-0 technical fall win against Durango’s Kealan Clifton.
At 126, Colton Romero followed with a 6-1 decision win against Riley Belt that had the Tigers in front 20-6.
McGrath then earned his big win at 132 before a great match at 138 pounds between Grand Junction’s Able Martinez and Durango’s Jacob Rowe.
Rowe earned a 2-1 lead with a big slam of a takedown in the first period before Martinez escaped. Martinez and Rowe exchanged reversals in the second period, but it was Martinez who had a 6-4 lead going to the third period.
Suddenly down 12-4 in the third, Rowe fought hard for a takedown in the closing seconds, but a left shoulder injury stopped the clock with five seconds to go. Rowe would have to take an injury forfeit, and the six points gave Martinez’s Tigers a 26-12 lead.
Then it was time for Grand Junction’s Kieran Thompson to take the mat. The 2020 Class 5A state champion at 132 pounds met Durango’s Payson Albrecht. Ranked No. 2 at 145 pounds by On The Mat, Thompson worked his way to a 9-0 lead after one period and the pinned Albrecht 1:15 into the second period.
Cale Moore took the mat at 152 for Grand Junction and got a quick first-period pin of Durango’s Dale Harris, and it was 38-12 on the scoreboard before Woodworth and Belt got on the mat for the Demons.
Woodworth, ranked fifth in Class 4A at 160, earned a takedown in the first period and led 2-0 going to the second. With Sanders in the down position in the second, three times the match was stopped for a bloody nose on Sanders. He would eventually earn one escape point to end the period. Up 4-1 going to the third, Woodworth earned a third-period takedown to secure a 6-1 decision.
“I felt pretty good, but I was gassing pretty hard,” Woodworth said. “I have asthma now. It started last season, so I am learning how to manage that still. Coach is doing a good job whipping us into shape in this short season and managing our technique. Overall, I was happy with it.”
Belt, ranked fourth in Class 4A at 170, wasted no time in grabbing a single-leg takedown of Mulvey and earned a pin 1:32 into the first.
“I was a little bit upset because I felt like, as a team, we left some points on the mat,” Belt said. “But our team knows that it could have been a lot closer. So when I got out there, I went out with some added anger. I worked my single leg and then just focused on being mean.”
That would be the end of the success for DHS on the night. It came after Durango showed well Saturday in a 39-36 loss to Grand Junction Central following a 54-27 loss to Montrose. That was one day after DHS beat Hotchkiss 61-17 and Mancos 43-30. The team will travel to Delta for a tri-meet Saturday against the host Panthers and Grand Valley.
“We are a bit behind on conditioning, but we’re going to get there. It’s a short season, and we are trying to make the most of it,” Belt said.
jlivingston@durangoherald.com
