As a wrestling rookie, Micah Cornelia knew mistakes would be made and things wouldn’t always go as planned. Friday evening was one of those times.
Looking to punctuate Bayfield’s dual victory over nonleague Walsenburg, the junior 190-pounder worked up a 7-2 lead on Panther sophomore Gabe Vigil through the first two-minute period.
Having been precariously close to being pinned earlier, but somehow able to use his legs to worm – all the while with Cornelia attempting to squeeze him downward – out of the circle, Vigil wriggled out from beneath during the last 15 seconds of the second and not only earned two reversal points, but also a two-point near-fall.
Cornelia again faced strong resistance during the third period but was ultimately able to stick Vigil’s shoulders down for good with a fraction under 20 ticks left (officially at 1:41 of the third) in regulation – finalizing a 63-6 win for the Wolverines.
“Practice was hard,” Cornelia said when asked about the buildup for the last home dual of the 2023-24 season. “We were struggling, we were sweating, all trying to get into this mood on Senior Night. And most of all, carry it for our seniors; have them on our backs.”
Seniors Donovan ‘Dante’ Candelaria, Dawson Lewis, Daxson Michaeli and Keaton Pickering were recognized alongside their parents.
Junior 120-pounder Payton Montgomery beat freshman Matthew Dominguez by 19-2 technical fall in the third period, upping BHS’ lead to 17-0, and Pickering followed suit with a 14-6 major decision victory over freshman Taylor Torres at 126.
“You hate to see it go,” Pickering said, of his last high school bout inside the building. “To have your whole family and friends out here watching, it’s really nice … but … you know, it’s one of those bittersweet moments. As a freshman you’re always thinking that it’s never going to come but when it does it hits pretty hard.”
Junior Logan Valencia won by forfeit at 132 pounds, putting Bayfield up 27-0 and sophomore Reese Appenzeller tacked on another six team points by pinning WHS soph Silviano Gonzales 53 seconds into their bout at 138. Junior Giovanni Aldretti then got Walsenburg on the scoreboard by pinning Coan Naranjo 1:45 into the first period at 144.
Preceding Cornelia-Vigil, sophomore 175-pounder Justin Westbrook then pinned WHS sophomore Traegen Christensen in an elapsed 3:07 – helping Bayfield end the action by winning five of the six contested weights.
“We definitely went at it a lot harder, especially getting closer to regionals,” Vigil said. “We’re pushing our limits in practice, been working on harder techniques, and the mood over here was really tense; we were all focused.”
After calling it a night, the two teams were to compete at Ignacio’s Butch Melton Memorial Invitational the next day.
LADIES LIMITED: In the opening girls’ dual the Lady Panthers, owning a 4-3 edge in forfeits, won 28-18 with sophomore 120-pounder Eruka Peterson taking the lone head-to-head clash by 16-8 major over Lady Wolverine sophomore Bailey Blouin.
