Grand Junction Central High School

     32 teams from 4 states.  Nine state champions. Seven returning tournament champions.  It all adds up to a recipe for competition.  Big-time competition.  The Warrior Classic Wrestling Tournament at Grand Junction Central High School this past weekend gave the Eagle Valley Devils grapplers all the competition they wanted.  “We took some lumps, but we will get better as a result.  The Warrior is just a tune up for regionals and state,” said head coach Ron Beard.

     As a team, the Devils finished about the middle of the pack, but four individuals brought home medals.  Senior Chris Harvey made it into the championship match at 160 pounds.  He lost 3-2 to Cole Johnson of Hotchkiss.  Johnson was a runner-up in state and the Warrior Classic last season.  “Chris had his goal set to be undefeated this year, but with this loss he can now focus his sights on winning a state title,” said assistant coach Luke Cross.

     Junior Brendan Best finished in 4^th place at 171 pounds.  His two losses came to wrestlers who have both finished 2^nd at the state tournament previously.  “Brendan wrestled great.  He knocked off some great wrestlers and his losses were very close,” said Beard.

    Seniors Jimmy Benavides and Mason Ewing both brought home medals for 5^th place.  Benavides’ losses were both by one point margins to wrestlers ranked number two and number three in the state.  Ewing’s road to 5^th place went through possibly the toughest route of the tournament.  Ewing faced Quentin Fuentes of Roosevelt in the semi-final match.  Fuentes is looking for his third state title this year and has signed a letter of intent to wrestle for college powerhouse Oklahoma State.  Ewing lost 5-1, but was the only wrestler to go the distance with Fuentes.  The Roosevelt wrestler pinned three of his opponents and won by technical fall in the finals match.

    Senior Bo Archibeque won three matches and Freshman Joey Bajza won one match.  The other Devils were eliminated after 2 losses.  Trent Book and Herman Hogue had the misfortune of wrestling defending Warrior and State Champions in the first round to start off their Warrior experience.

   The Devils host the Eagle Valley Invitational after the Christmas break on January 7^th.  Rifle, Olathe and Cherokee Trail are a few of the featured teams at the event.  Senior Kylan Kottenstette will hopefully be back in the line-up by then after nursing a football injury for the past six weeks. 

    On the junior varsity scene Josh Wamboldt finished second, Chad Strakbein fisnished third, and Aaron Kerst finished in fourth place at the Fruita Monument Invitational Tournament.