DENVER - Imagine having the majority of more than 17,000 fans, many rooting for neither side in particular, vehemently voice their disapproval of you. That was freshman Theorius Robison of Arvada's Pomona High last Saturday night inside Pepsi Center. The Class 5A 126-pound champion lost his squad a point in the standings for unsportsmanlike antics after defeating Greenwood Village Cherry Creek senior Josh Finesilver, a three-time qualifier who finished his career 129-25.
Now imagine having hundreds, if not thousands of those same fans, shout you out for showing class in not only a win, but a loss - in a state championship match, no less. That was Bayfield's Ryan Nava.
Unable to wriggle out from underneath Gilcrest Valley's Zach Damian at the edge of the mat following a single-leg takedown, Nava was pinned at the 1:30 in the Class 3A 145-pound finale's first period. The Wolverine junior not only embraced the Viking senior, but then assisted the referee in raising Damian's hand in triumph before leaving the mat.
Damian (the bracket's #1 seed) finished his final season 35-8 overall, and Nava (the #2) an impressive 38-5. Nava beat Denver Mullen sophomore Dimitris Flores 13-6, Keenesburg Weld Central soph Jimmy Laconte 8-6, and then Colorado Springs Christian senior Jake Bedford 12-7 in the semifinals to set up the showdown.
Excited to simply place last season, the BHS junior's determined facial expression while awaiting the awards presentation could be summed up in one word, or number: 2017.
With only three other qualifiers into the 2016 CHSAA Class 3A state wrestling championships, BHS still managed a top-20 result, tying Rifle for 18th place with 35 team points. Damian and VHS went on to amass a winning 144, with Pueblo Dolores Huerta Prep (119.5), Berthoud (97.5), Olathe (94) and Delta (65) rounding out the standings' top five.
Individually, sophomore 126-pounder Garrett Beebe had probably the most difficult opening draw of Bayfield's quartet. He lasted into the second period before Edgewater Jefferson's top-seeded junior Kyle Cisneros finally pinned him at the 1:01 mark. Beebe then proved a tough out in a 7-6 loss to DHPH soph Rodney Atencio and finished his year a solid 33-13. Cisneros went on to take the weight's title and finished 48-4.
Senior Taylor Winch lost by pin to Erie junior Ernest Quintana 45 seconds into the second period of his initial 138-pound contest, but recovered to stick Bailey Platte Canyon junior Christian Zimmerman in an elapsed 2:46. Unfortunately Winch's season then came to an end via pin against DHPH senior Christian Guerrero-who went on to save the Scorpions fifth at the weight and finish 36-7, while Winch checked out at 18-7.
Shutting the whole show down with a trip to the 285-pounders' podium was Sam Westbrook.
He was rerouted away from the title in the quarterfinals-10-5 by Mullen's Sam Deseriere. Earlier in the tourney, he defeated Alamosa soph Preston Duran 6-3. BHS' heavyweight survived his first consolation-bracket bout 4-3 over OHS senior Felix Pena. He then downed Lamar senior Lucas Montgomery 5-1 and CSCS senior Eric Allen 5-2 before edging Manitou Springs junior Julian Sanchez 2-1 to finish his own junior season in third place at an awesome 43-3.
Deseriere, who'd eliminated Westbrook in last season's consolation rounds, went on to amazingly escape a near-pin against Montezuma-Cortez's Victor Perez in the championship clash to eventually pin the Panther and determine first and second place. The Mustangs, however, only managed a tie for 24th (with CSCS and Gypsum Eagle Valley) in the team standings, with M-CHS right behind in 27th.
CLASS 3A TEAM STANDINGS: 1.Gilcrest Valley 144, 2.Pueblo Dolores Huerta Prep 119.5, 3.Berthoud 97.5, 4.Olathe 94, 5.Delta 65, 6.Eaton 64, 7.Lamar 63.5, 8.Keenesburg Weld Central 61.5, 9.La Junta 55, 10.Alamosa 50, 11.Fort Lupton 48, 12.Denver Sheridan 45, 13.Mead 41.5, 14.Kersey Platte Valley 39, 15.Edgewater Jefferson 38, 16.Craig Moffat County 37.5, 17.Florence 36.5, T-18.BAYFIELD & Rifle 35, 20.Colorado Springs The Classical Academy 34.5.
21.Sterling 32, T-22.Brush & Steamboat Springs 31, T-24.Colorado Springs Christian/Gypsum Eagle Valley/Denver Mullen 29, 27.Montezuma-Cortez 26, 28.Manitou Springs 23, 29.Broomfield Holy Family 20.5, 30.Parachute Grand Valley 18, T-31.Denver West & Salida 17, 33.Arvada Faith Christian 16.5, 34.Erie 16, 35.Trinidad 15.5, 36.Strasburg 15, T-37.Bennett & Greeley University 10, 39.Denver North 8, 40.Bailey Platte Canyon 7, 41.New Castle Coal Ridge 4, T-42.Basalt & Watkins Ridge View Academy 3, T-44.Estes Park & Pagosa Springs 2. (Not scoring: Evergreen Clear Creek, Granby Middle Park, Frisco Summit.)
