Eagle Valley grapplers edge Battle Mountain
Christopher Dillman | Special to the Daily |
Devils-Huskies wrestling
113 pounds — Bailey Beckum, EV, forfeit.
120 — Edgar Morales, EV, pins Humberto Estrada, BM, 5:10.
125 —Mario Delara, BM pins Austin Campbell, EV, 2:08
132 — Colin Stilson, BM, pins Arturo Esparza, EV, 3:15.
138 — Noah Hermosillo, EV, dec. Freddy Morales, BM, 9-8.
145 — Caleb Laisure, EV pins Franco Lopez, BM, 1:14.
152 — Seth Kuhn, EV, forfeit.
160 — Justin Morrison, EV, pins Adrian Rivera, BM, 1:25.
170 — Wyatt Harwood, BM, pins Davis Ward, EV, 1:12.
182 — Cole Miller, EV, forfeit.
195 — Arturo Macias, BM, pins Marco Rodrigues, EV, 2:22.
220 — Hector Machigua, BM pins Gabriel Baldwin, EV, 3:25.
Heavyweight — Dimitrio Velasco, BM dec. J. P. Velasco, EV, 8-4.
106 — Lee Bullock, EV, forfeit.
EDWARDS — Eagle Valley wrestling earned bragging rights for the county with a 45-33 dual win over Battle Mountain on Tuesday in Edwards.
The Devils were without major contributors who were injured from last weekend’s Middle Park Tournament, which they won. Meanwhile, the Huskies gave up four weight classes and 24 points.
However one slices it, Tuesday evening bodes well for both teams as they get going this winter.
“We had a few holes that weren’t great. It wasn’t the best lineup,” Eagle Valley coach Luke Cross said. “But I knew going into this that this was going to be a very tough dual. This is probably Battle Mountain’s best team since I was a senior.”
Give the coach some points for historical knowledge. The last time Battle Mountain beat Eagle Valley in a dual was when coach Cross was a 112-pounder for the Huskies in 2000.
Support Local Journalism
And there haven’t been many close matchups like Tuesday’s since.
Old friends
The marquee bout of the night came at 138 pounds with Eagle Valley’s Noah Hermosillo and Battle Mountain’s Freddy Garcia, both returning state qualifiers and wrestlers who know each other well.
Hermosillo took the early lead with two takedowns and some back points. Midway through the second period, Hermosillo was seemingly in control at 8-3.
Yet back came Morales with a reverse and his own takedown to close to 8-7. Six minutes may seem like a short time while watching. When you’re actually in the bout, it’s a marathon.
Hermosillo got a stalling caution and then surrendered a point to Morales on a penalty for the same, evening the match at eight. Hermosillo, however, did gather himself on the restart, coming out of the bottom position to secure an escape and a 9-8 decision.
“It’s awesome,” Hermosillo said. “He’s been coming to our room in the summer. We’ve been wrestling. He’s a good friend of mine. I know he’s really good. He’s proven it. Being able to beat as good a wrestler as him is a real confidence boost.”
Naturally, both head coaches thought their man could have wrestled better, but we’re only in the second week of December and it’s a long time until regionals in February.
Deja vu
It really does seem that Battle Mountain’s Wyatt Harwood has spent most of his career wrestling a Ward from Eagle Valley. Devin Ward, who finished second in the state last year at 182 pounds, has been Harwood’s usual opponent.
On Tuesday night, it was Devin’s younger brother Davis.
“Never underestimate a Ward,” Harwood said.
He didn’t, dispatching Ward in 72 seconds.
Though it is, as noted early in the season, this was Battle Mountain’s only home event of the season, so it was Senior Night.
The Huskies honored Morales, Harwood and Colin Stilson.
“Every time the boys step on the mat they surprise me,” Huskies coach Angelo Vasquez said. “They make me proud. They’re willing to give everything they have. They fight every second of the match.”
Both teams are on the road this weekend. The Devils are at Grand Junction, while the Huskies are at Florence.
Sports Editor Chris Freud can be reached at 970-748-2934, cfreud@vaildaily.com and @cfreud.
