Bobcats clinch three titles in Norwood
Denied by COVID-19 quarantine procedures a chance to compete in one last Butch Melton Memorial Invitational inside IHS Gymnasium the previous Saturday, one could see Jeremy Roderick was happy to be back in uniform as the Bobcats began warming up for action Thurs., Feb. 3, prior to the Norwood-hosted San Juan Basin League Championships.
And though the senior heavyweight, as expected, had no opponent, just having his hand raised in victory could prove an invaluable morale boost towards ramping up his energy – and perhaps the whole team’s as well – for the upcoming Feb. 11-12 Class 2A-Region I Championships in distant Buena Vista.
Only the top four per weight will see the 2022 CHSAA State Championships, Feb. 17-19, inside Ball Arena in Denver.
Roderick’s unopposed SJBL title gave Ignacio – ninth out of 14 teams at ‘The Melton’ – a total of three, with junior 145-pounder Keaton McCoy also winning unopposed – save for a 9-4 exhibition loss to NHS’ Gage Owen, eventually the champ at 152, at which IHS freshman Kendrick Nossaman placed third after losing to Dolores’ Braden Schmittel by first-period pin.
Able to stick Nucla’s Arthur Connelly 1:37 into the third period in one 170-pound division semifinal, senior Tyler Barnes met up with Mancos’ Cole Dainty-Guilfoyle in the final round. And after a mutually-scoreless first two-minute period, Barnes scored a reversal from bottom position early in the second and pinned down both the Blue Jay and first place 58 seconds in.
One of two 126-pounders present, Asher Gallegos fell behind 5-0 after one period to MHS’ defending State Champion (at 113) Levi Martin, and was eventually pinned 1:21 into the second as the Jays logged a fourth title in as many lower weights.
IHS’ Cayle McCoy went 1-1 at 106 pounds, narrowly defeating Dove Creek’s Jaydon Bailey 6-4 in the third-place bout, but John Riepel went 0-2 at 160 – losing by pin to Mancos’ Ayden Mathews with 15 ticks left in the first period, then 14-6 to Nucla’s Jamar Rankins.
With girls across western Colorado gearing up for their own regional to be held in Grand Junction, only two competed at the SJBLs. 118-pounders Audrey Roderick of Ignacio and Valentina Tarini of Dolores squared off twice against each other, with Tarini prevailing by pin in 22, then later 26 seconds. Lady ’Cats Lexy Young and Faye Hackett were also in attendance, but neither faced an opponent.
Winning ten of 13 actual matches, and 12 of 15 (including forfeit victories) overall, MHS emerged as the circuit’s kings.
SJBL CHAMPIONS
106 – Dillon Eichner, Mancos; 113 – Isaiah Martinez, Mancos; 120 – Trevor Paquin, Mancos; 126 – Levi Martin, Mancos; 132 – J.W. Nasland, Nucla; 138 – Jarret Sinks, Norwood; 145 – KEATON MCCOY, IGNACIO; 152 – Gage Owen, Norwood; 160 – Ayden Mathews, Mancos; 170 – TYLER BARNES, IGNACIO; 182 – Lane Greenlee, Mancos; 195 – Gage Buffington, Dove Creek; 220 – none; HWT – JEREMY RODERICK, IGNACIO.