Matthew Lavengood kept the same facial expression all day Friday.
Through two wins, the Durango High School senior wrestler didn’t smile, didn’t fist bump, didn’t hug.
He has his eyes set on bigger goals at the Colorado High School Activities Association Class 4A State Championships on Friday at the Pepsi Center in Denver.
“I’m not going to be content until I’m at the top of the state podium. Then it’s time to celebrate,” said Lavengood, son of Steve and Tamra Lavengood.
Lavengood needs just one more win to accomplish that.
He pinned Abraam Arreguin-Almanz of Mitchell with 1 minute, 14 seconds remaining in the second period of their 120-pound quarterfinal to advance to his first semifinals.
Niwot’s Tommy Stager tried to take Lavengood down often in the match but never could, as Lavengood won 6-1.
He picked up those points on two reversals and a takedown.
“I’ve never wrestled that kid before,” Lavengood said. “I was confident my stuff was going to work.”
If he can get his stuff to work one more time against Thompson Valley’s Thad Kazakov, Lavengood will be the state champion.
Hunter Hall took an early 5-0 lead over Pueblo County’s Chris Sandoval in their 126-pound quarterfinal, but Sandoval scored the next 15 points for a 20-5 technical fall victory.
Hall’s luck in sudden victory after a dramatic win Thursday ran out on the back side Friday.
He led 12-4 at the end of the second period, but a late near fall by Mountain Vista’s Braden Perkins tied the match at 17, as the third period expired.
Perkins scored a takedown in the overtime period for the win.
Cameron Jacobs lost his second consecutive match via pin when Lewis Palmer’s tanner Hunt took him down with 1:06 left in the second period.
The loss ends Jacobs’ freshman season.
Tristan Martinez stayed alive with a 6-1 win over Roosevelt’s Derek Golden.
Martinez led 4-1 after two periods and clinched the victory with a late takedown.
William Tomsic from Pueblo Central ended Martinez’s stay at the Pepsi Center by pinning him with 19 seconds remaining in the second period.
Patrick Cunnion rebounded from a surprising first-round pin with a workmanlike 6-2 victory over James McCowen of Cheyenne Mountain.
Cunnion turned a 0-0 tie after the first period into a 3-2 lead after the second.
He dominated the third period against Palmer Ridge’s Max Althouse in the consolation second round.
The match was tied at 4 after two periods, but Cunnion racked up the next eight points to advance to Saturday.
“I think that’s my style of wrestling. I want to be aggressive the hwole match, but that’s something I’m constantly working on,” said Cunnion, son of Kelly and Peter Cunnion. “(Thursday) was heartbreaking, to say the least. If I can’t get my state title that was working for, I’ll go for third. I got fourth last year, so it’s one step better, and it’s better than nothing.”
Consolation wrestling for Class 4A begins at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, and the finals start at 7:15 p.m.
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
