Not expected to replace inactive senior Austin Littlefield in the middle of Aztec, New Mexico's wrestling lineup, Bode Wooley still aptly imitated the NMAA's defending Class 5A, 152-pound State Champion last week.
"Very proud of Bode," head coach Monte Maxwell had said. "He's wrestling better and better every week, making great strides."
And Bayfield junior Jason Schneider had the unlucky honor of facing him twice in three days.
Victim of a 17-1 technical fall in the teams' Jan. 4 dual, held at Aztec's Koogler Middle School, Schneider again saw the eager sophomore at the 2018 Rocky Mountain Invitational on Jan. 6 in Pagosa Springs.
And Schneider again was tech'd in the third period, losing 17-2 with seventh place at stake. Still, even with a 1-3 record at the RMI, Schneider managed to earn the Wolverines five team points towards what ended up being a ninth-place total of 79.5.
Aztec, meanwhile, amassed 195.5, a count which trailed only the hosting Pirates' 253.5. Monticello, Utah, earned third place with 165 points, Centauri took fourth back to La Jara with their 143, and 5A Bloomfield rounded out the standings' top five with 113.5.
Improving his own record to 14-0 this winter, Bloomfield's Michael DeHerrera managed to deal junior Daniel Westbrook another head-to-head defeat in the semifinals at 220 pounds, scoring a pin 25 seconds into the second period, but the Wolverine (19-5) recovered to stick AHS' Jared O'Toole, whom he'd pinned during the 63-9 interstate loss at Aztec, and then defeat Pagosa's Nolan Stretton by a close 3-1 score and save third place.
At 113, freshman Dylan Pickering (10-4) went 3-1 and placed third by beating Bloomfield's Jacob Benedict 9-2. Sophomore Shane Moore went 1-2 at 160, but scored fourth-place points, and sophomore John Foutz earned seventh-place points at 195 by going 2-2 and pinning PSHS' Hunter Smith in 96 ticks.
Senior Jake Sandrey (17-4) overcame an injury-default loss to PSHS' Tate Hinger in the second round to win his next three matches and salvage fifth at 145 by pinning Bloomfield's Gerald Wiza in an elapsed 3:57.
Junior Colby Baker finished 1-2 at 120 pounds, while freshman Trey McKee went 1-3 at 132 but ended up placing eighth. Senior Garrett Beebe (18-5) won his first match at 138, but was then disqualified against 4A Durango's Ben Finneseth and forfeited out against PSHS' Grant Aucoin.
Preparing for a difficult test at this weekend's Mel Smith Husky Invitational in Florence, Ignacio finished 12th (47.5 points) in Pagosa Springs, led by the fourth-place results of Dustin Sanchez at 152 and Cesar Pedregon at 182. The former went 1-2, pinned by Bloomfield's Luke Whitley just two seconds from seeing a second period, and the latter also went 1-2 with his RMI ending underneath Aztec's Malcolm Altisi 39 seconds into the second.
Heavyweight Randy Herrera broke even at 2-2, and earned fifth place via pinning 2A Dolores' Bryan Escarcega in an elapsed 4:20. Former Bear Skieler Grooms took seventh at 138 pounds, going 3-2 overall with a first-round tech of 2A Del Norte's Natalie Benavides, and pins of Bloomfield's Sterling Rightmire and 3A Monte Vista's Zach Hindes, improving his first-year IHS record to 7-3.
Hunter Robbins unfortunately finished 0-2 at 120, and Micah Westbrook did likewise at 160.
Bayfield will compete at a 3A Intermountain League dual at Centauri Thursday night, Jan. 11, then travel to Pueblo to compete at Centennial High School's Bulldog Invitational on the 13th.
