Awarded the opportunity to go out in their most familiar sport, two Bobcat now-graduated seniors will represent Ignacio High School once more at the 61st Colorado High School Coaches Association All-State Games.
To be held June 8-12, primarily on the campus of Adams State University in Alamosa, Colo. this year’s action will include boys’ and girls’ basketball, cross-country, football, softball, spirit (cheer/dance), volleyball and wrestling – in which IHS fans will be able to watch Lorenzo Pena and Ethan Appenzeller compete one last time as prep-level athletes in the all-star dual.
Second place at 145 pounds at the season-ending Class 2A State Championships back in February, Appenzeller went 38-5 overall his senior season while Pena went 37-5 and placed third at 160.
At press time, the list of selected grapplers also included four 3A State Champions (Alamosa 113-pounder Isaiah De La Cerda, Gypsum Eagle Valley 138-pounder Noah Hermosillo, Fort Lupton 126-pounder Jody Sandoval II, Gilcrest Valley 145-pounder Aaron Trujillo), three 2A State Champions (Norwood 152-pounder Hayden Harris, Rocky Ford 106-pounder Jacob Rodriguez and 132-pounder Cody Venem), and two 4A State Champions (Grand Junction Central 170-pounder Erminio “E.J.” Barrera, Pueblo County 195 pounder, Donavon Rincon).
Three Class 4A State runners-up (Colorado Springs Cheyenne Mountain’s Zac Baker at 160, PCHS’ Justin Davis at 138, Pueblo South’s Elias Manzanares at 170) are also scheduled to be in the mix, along with 3A Parachute Grand Valley’s Evan Hoff (2nd at 220), 5A Aurora Cherokee Trail’s Ezequiel “Zeke” Silva (2nd at 195), and 5A Brighton’s Tanner Aitken (2nd at heavyweight).
Rounding out the honored all-senior set are: G.J. Central’s Riley Garner-Orr, CMHS’ Zachary Garrard, Steven Hooks and Luke White, EVHS’ Raul Lopez, 4A Greeley Central’s Andrue Rojas, RFHS’ Enriquez Romero, 3A Manitou Springs’ Julian Sanchez, 5A Colorado Springs Palmer’s Dre-Son Scruggs and 5A Greeley West’s Xavier Vasquez.
The action is set to begin at 2:00 p.m. Friday, June 9, inside ASU’s Plachy Hall, following the Games’ official opening ceremonies at noon.