State wrestling: Pine Creek in good shape to win 5A crown
DENVER • Pine Creek took care of business on the second day of the state wrestling tournament Friday at Pepsi Center advancing four wrestlers to the state finals, putting it in the driver’s seat for the team title.
Pine Creek put six wrestlers in the semifinals, three more than the next-best teams, Pomona, Mountain Range and Fountain-Fort Carson. In all, eight Eagles are still alive in the championship and consolation brackets.
Eagles freshman Trenton Watson started the semifinal round with a particularly important 6-4 decision over Pomona’s Travis Torres in the 106-pound bracket. With Watson leading 4-3 after the first period Torres chose the bottom position to start the second, but Watson kept him on the bottom the whole 2 minutes, then scored a takedown in the third to open it up and held on for the lead.
Watson, who has been wrestling since he was 4 years old, has not been overwhelmed by the big stage and has exceeded expectations. Reaching the semifinals was just another piece of the puzzle.
“It’s just another match I needed to win,” Watson said. “It’s one step closer to a state title and a title for the team.”
The team title is looking ever more likely as the brackets narrow.
In the 132 semifinal, Geordan Martinez stretched his unbeaten record to 36-0 in typically dominating fashion. Martinez has pinned all three opponents so far with a 2-minute, 41-second fall over Prairie View’s Alec Wyatt. Martinez followed his usual formula with a quick takedown and five near-fall points before sticking Wyatt.
“I knew he had a real good throw, so I tried to stay away from that,” Martinez said. “It was a big win, not only for me but for my team.”
Jerry McGinty followed Martinez in the 138 semifinal with a 16-2 major decision over Prairie View’s Luis Bejarano. After suffering through a painful opening round on an injured knee, McGinty looked strong and unfazed by the injury.
Brandon Tribble continued to wrestle well and scored a 4-3 decision over Thornton’s Nathanial Guerrero to earn a berth in the 195 final.
Eagles coach Billy Gabel was pleased to have four in the finals, but was not ready to claim the title just yet.
“There are so many points in the back door (of the consolation bracket), I don’t know,” Gabel said. “We need our guys (in the consolation bracket) to come back and place third. I know what kind of heart my guys have and they will battle back.”
Having those four gunning for the state title won’t hurt either.
Fountain-Fort Carson’s Seth Wilson, top, and Ponderosa’s Thad Gallegos grapple in their 5A 170-pound match at the Colorado state high school wrestling tournament, Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, in Denver. Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
FFC’s Tracy Hancock reacts after his loss to Thornton’s Nathaniel Guerrero in their 5A 195-pound match at the Colorado state high school wrestling tournament, Friday, Feb. 17, 2012, in Denver. Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS