Parade of pins leads Cimarron-Memorial to Bonanza Duals triumph

Curtis Spence hadn’t posted a big win for Cimarron-Memorial’s wrestling team before this weekend’s Bonanza Duals.

The sophomore 112-pounder got one Saturday.

Spence’s pin in 38 seconds served as a spark for the Spartans, who won three of the next four matches by pin and coasted to a 59-16 win over Canyon Springs in the championship match of the Division II Bracket of the two-day, dual-meet tournament.

Dobson (Ariz.) won the Division I Bracket with a 48-22 win over Alta (Utah). Palo Verde was the top local team in the bracket, defeating the host Bengals 42-28 in the third-place match.

The 2008 state champion Spartans started slowly Friday night, going 1-2 to start the final day in the second division. But Spence, who started wrestling only last year, said his team “rebuilt individually and as a group overnight” to mount the turnaround.

“We’re all really good guys, and (what happened) yesterday is never going to happen again for our team,” Spence said. “We made a commitment to ourselves today that that’s never going to happen again.

“Each person went home and thought a lot about it.”

Pins by Austin Beaman at 171 pounds and Robert Poole at 189 pounds gave Cimarron a 19-6 lead and set the stage for Spence’s match.

Neither fall was as emotional as the 112-pound match, though, for the Spartans.

Spence’s pin led to a 58-second pin by Bronson Ashjian at 119 pounds and then a second-period fall by Adrian Avelar at 125. Greg Brayboy also racked up a pin at 135 in 1:05 for Cimarron.

“It got us going,” Spence said. “We were excited going into the match, but that (chain of three pins) just kind of kicked it off.

“My last match, I didn’t do so well. But this one, I went in going hard, and I thought 'just get this kid.’ I knew that my team needed it, just to make up for my last match.”

Cimarron streaked to the finals with a 70-0 victory over Durango and a 54-18 win over Desert Oasis.

“It’s a step in the right direction, for sure,” Cimarron coach Mike Garcia said. “Victories are always good ... and we definitely needed a dose of confidence. Yesterday was not pretty.

“That’s what happens with young kids ... We’re a work in progress, but our kids are working hard and doing what we ask them to do. We can’t complain, for sure.”

Jorge Castillo racked up a pin at 140 pounds for Canyon Springs, and Luis Calvillo added a third-period pin for the Pioneers.

Palo Verde registered three pins in the Division I third-place match against Bonanza but needed a technical fall by Paul Educate at 140 pounds to seal the win over the Bengals.

The Panthers led 36-22 with Bonanza beginning a comeback prior to Educate’s match, but the senior team captain seldom looked tired en route to his 19-4 win.

“He’s a big senior. He’s the anchor for our team; everyone looks up to him,” Palo Verde coach Scott Nemchek said. “He’s never out of a match.”

Macus Judd recorded a pin in 3:30 at 171, Jordan Hart added a 5:40 pin at 112, and 152-pounder Zarquis Garcia capped the final match with a pin in 1:04 for the Panthers, who rebounded after a 41-29 semifinal loss to Alta.

“Our guys don’t really ever get up. They can be beaten, but they’re never defeated in their minds,”  Nemchek said. “They always love to come back and make the losses into wins. They’re great students of the game.”

Bonanza’s Williams Orchad earned a pin in 5:30 at 103, teammate Tyler Leet supplied a pin at 152, and Adam Mesa added a fall in 1:10 at 215 for the Bengals.

Alta (Utah) 61, Centennial 13
Alta (Utah) 41, Palo Verde 29
Alta (Utah) JV 54, Rancho 30
Bonanza 42, Shadow Ridge 33
Bonanza 40, Centennial 37
Canyon Springs 36, Foothill 35
Canyon Springs 51, Sierra Vista 27
Centennial 51, Silverado 24
Centennial 42, Shadow Ridge 39
Cheyenne 53, Valley 21
Cheyenne 48, Rancho 30
Cimarron-Memorial 70, Durango 0
Cimarron-Memorial 54, Desert Oasis 18
Clark 60, Valley 21
Clark 43, Western 29
Desert Oasis 48, Desert Pines 30
Desert Oasis 34, Desert Pines 3
Desert Pines 45, Durango 21
Dobson (Ariz.) 69, Legacy 9
Dobson (Ariz.) 62, Bonanza 15
Dobson (Ariz.) JV 48, Rancho 22
Foothill 60, Indian Springs 12
Foothill 54, Desert Oasis 27
Foothill 48, Sierra Vista 30
Indian Springs 41, Durango 34
Palo Verde 50, Silverado 27
Shadow Ridge 63, Legacy 12
Sierra Vista 60, Indian Springs 15
Sierra Vista 39, Desert Pines 26
Silverado 47, Legacy 36
Western 42, Cheyenne 31
Western 47, Alta (Utah) JV 36
Division I Consolation, Palo Verde 42, Bonanza 28
Division I Championship, Dobson (Ariz.) 48, Alta (Utah) 22
Division II Championship, Cimarron-Memorial 59, Canyon Springs 16
Division III Consolation, Western 45, Cheyenne 25
Division III Championship, Dobson (Ariz.) JV 48, Clark 30

Cimarron-Memorial 59, Canyon Springs 16

103—Lattana, Cim, d. Garin, 14-5 112—Spence, Cim, p. Ascencio, 0:38. 119—Ashjian, Cim, p. Lopez, 0:53. 125—Avelar, Cim, p. Martinez, 3:06. 130—Montoya, CS, d. Colwell, 14-5. 135—Brayboy, Cim, p. Martinez, 1:05. 140—Castillo, CS, p. Tutino, 5:53. 145—Spielberg, Cim, d. Alcala, 12-3. 152—Bernardino, Cim, p. Smith, 1:42. 160—Calvillo, Cim, p. Hernandez, 4:47. 171—Beaman, Cim, p. Carson, 1:20. 189—Poole, Cim, p. Bruton, 4:53. 215—Valasquez, CS, won by forfeit. 285—Sinyard, Cim, d. Leos, 12-5.

Dobson (Ariz.) JV 48, Clark 30

103—Arce, Cla, won by forfeit. 112—Gongora, Dob, p. Peppes, 1:40. 119—Mellinger, Dob, p. Littlejam, 5:17. 125—Gaukick, Cla, p. Sherwood, 3:49. 130—Chaira, Cla, d. Twinam, 8-5. 135—McMahill, Cla, p. Julios, 1:04. 140—Moncrave, Cla, d. Celaya, 6-4. 145—Hannah, Dob, p. Rasero, 0:30. 152—Serrano, Dob, p. Ougey, 1:02. 160—Maroquin, Dob, p. Huntman, 1:46. 171—Plast, Cla, d. Padilla, 3-1. 189—Yagoab, Dob, won by forfeit. 215—Huffman, Dob, p. Hervis, 1:24. 285—Hamstrom, Cla, p. Berrardi, 1:59.

Palo Verde 42, Bonanza 28

103—Orchad, Bon p. Strobeck, 5:30. 112—Hart, Palo p. Mondragon, 5:40. 119—Costa, Palo, d. Sasse, 16-3. 125—Zellner, Bon d. Hammanstice, 15-6. 130—Harris, Palo d. Garcia, 9-6. 135—Jackson, Bon, d. Leet, 2-0. 140—Educate, Palo, d. Rosas, 19-4. 145—T. Leet, Bon, p. Martinez, 5:49. 152—Garcia, Palo, p. Sampey, 1:04. 160—Castro, Palo, won by forfeit. 171—Judd, Palo, p. McGinns, 3:30. 189—Coffey, Bon, p. Ratliff, 1:10. 215—Mesa, Bon, p. Adams, 1:10. 285—Medina, Bon, d. Mason, 11-6.