DENVER • Florence wrestlers Nate Halpin and Matt Addington are in position to repeat as Class 3A state champions.

Halpin (42-6) scored an 8-4 decision over Rye’s Brandon Padilla in Friday’s semifinals at the Pepsi Center to punch his ticket into tonight’s 135-pound final against Monte Vista’s Adam Garcia.

Addington, a state champion at 140 last season who beat last year‘s 152-pound champion Tyler Miles of Grand Valley in the quarterfinals, followed suit with a 17-2 technical fall over Monte Vista’s Adam Heredia in the 152-pound semifinal.

Halpin beat Padilla for the third time in two weeks, but this one was a little tougher and a lot more rewarding.

“(He) feels like my practice partner. He’s got my moves, I’ve got his,” Halpin said.

On Friday night, like before, Halpin had just a few more.

In all, Florence, which brought 11 wrestlers to the tournament, has five still in competition entering today’s final round.

One person who won’t join Halpin and Addington in the finals is Discovery Canyon’s Nick Adams. The sophomore 125-pounder was pinned by Platte Valley’s Clay Flot in 5 minutes, 3 seconds.

“You can say that anybody can be beat on any given day and that you have to have your best wrestling,” Discovery Canyon coach Ron Sukle said. “We didn’t tonight.”Also, The Classical Academy’s Jared Goad lost his 215-pound semifinal match to Brush’s Jacob Hunter and drops into today’s consolation bracket.

Forward Jacques Lamoureux (21) had one goal in Air Force’s 4-3 win over Holy Cross on Friday night at Cadet Ice Arena. Photo by KEVIN KRECK, THE GAZETTE