Their sights can’t be set much higher.
Expectations are sky-high for a talented bunch of Mancos High School wrestlers a year after the Bluejays competed for a regional title, sent several wrestlers to the state meet and brought home a state crown with Levi Martin.
The state is taking notice. In this year’s season-opening poll from On the Mat, the Bluejays checked in at No. 5 in the 2A classification. On the Mat also lists sophomore Levi Martin, wrestling at 120 pounds this season, to win a second state title. Meanwhile, classmate Dillon Eichner, who finished fourth at 106 pounds last season, is favored to contend for a state championship.
The team adds to the mix a wealth of talent that includes senior Chase Moore and juniors Ayden Mathews and Lane Greenlee, who all played on the state’s runner-up team in eight-man football.
With depth up and down the weight classifications, Mancos appears poised to contend for a San Juan Basin League title and make a run at the regional and state levels.
The Jays, already with a trip to Moab under their belt, will travel to the Pete and Ina Gomez Tournament in Walsenburg to face 2A power John Mall and other schools before the new year.
In 2022, the Bluejays will go to the Rocky Mountain Tournament in Pagosa Springs on Jan. 8, before a series of dual matches help them gear up for the SJBL Championships on Feb. 3 in Norwood. The regional meet follows on the second weekend in February, with the state championships at Ball Arena in Denver one week later.
Three state qualifiers for Montezuma-Cortez High School all graduated, including honorable mention all-state wrestler Anthony Abeyta. But even with the turnover, head coach Shad Bellmire has enough experienced and rising wrestlers to be competitive in the 3A classification.
M-CHS opened its season in Grand Junction at the Colorado Mesa University Duals on Dec. 4. They’ll make a return visit for the Warrior Invitational on Dec. 17 and 18.
The Panthers will host Bayfield on Jan. 13, and Pagosa Springs on Jan. 27. The season culminates on Feb. 11 and 12, when the Panthers take part in the regional tournament, with aspirations for individual qualification into the state championship the following weekend.
Dolores opened last season with ambitions of offering both a boys and girls wrestling season. After a year with light numbers, the Bears hope to build back their strong wrestling tradition this year.
The Bears are set to travel to John Mall Dec. 17 and 18, before a big tournament in Ignacio at the end of January. The Bears will also vie for supremacy in the SJBL in early February before traveling to Buena Vista for the regional tournament.
The Bears girls program kicks off Dec. 11 in Bloomfield, before matches set in early January against Alamosa and Ignacio. The SJBL meet will be competed over the weekend as the boys, with regionals and state in the single-classification girls wrestling tournaments falling in mid-February.
The Dove Creek Bulldogs held their own in the SJBL last year, and had a number of Bulldogs on the edge of state qualification. They hope to push a number of wrestlers to the next level, as they get primed for some big matches during the regular season.
Dove Creek hosts its annual Dawg Fight on Dec. 11, before traveling to Gunnison to open 2022. A quad match at home in late January will prepare the Bulldogs for the SJBL and regional tournaments in early February.
