A year after sending a convoy of Bluejays to the 2A state championships, Mancos wrestling returns a bevy of talent as the Jays seek to continue their dominance in the Southwest Colorado wrestling scene.

Six Bluejays featured on the mats at Ball Arena in Denver last February, plenty of whom are back for the pursuit of individual and team titles throughout the 2022-23 campaign. Under the guidance of head coach Ty Penning, Mancos controlled the field at Dove Creek’s Dawg Fight on Saturday, Dec. 10, laying down the gauntlet as the team to beat for Western Slope small school wrestling programs.

The Jays won all their dual matches in a restructured meet in D.C., with one after another picking up individual victories en route to a team title.

Seniors Isaiah Martinez and Ayden Mathews, both state qualifiers a year ago, comfortably picked up wins at the Dawg Fight, with Martinez posting three victories to pace the Bluejays effort. Mathews picked up one of the three podium finishes for Mancos at last year’s state championships, taking fourth overall in the 160-pound weight division.

Juniors Cole Dainty-Guilfoyle and Dillon Eichner also collected multiple victories in Dove Creek, while classmate Levi Martin won in his lone action of the day – as the trio also look for returns to the state tournament. Martin finished third in his sophomore campaign after winning the title as a freshman.

Sophomore Brandon Vannest continued a strong start to his sophomore season, tallying three wins over the weekend, while Elliott Sam (two wins), Colten Vannest (one win), and Quinton Martinez (one win) rounded out the victories on the mat for the Jays.

Mancos took top spot in the Dawg Fight, edging Dove Creek, which placed second as a team in the competition.

The strength up and down the roster for Penning’s crew has caught the attention of the rest of the state, as the Jays have four individuals ranked in the state’s top four in their respective weight classes. As a team, On the Mat rankings have the Bluejays ranked sixth in the 2A classification, in the early season polls.

The Bluejays will wrap up the 2022 portion of their schedule with an out-of-state trip to Fort Defiance, Arizona for the Veterans Memorial Invitational over the weekend of Dec. 16-17, before gearing up for some strong challenges when action resumes after the holiday break.