WRESTLING: 106-pound talent on display at Bulldog Grappler

By W.G. RAMIREZ LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

10 years ago

Centennial’s Nico Antuna defeated fellow freshman Antonio Saldate of Las Vegas to win ... — Centennial’s Nico Antuna defeated fellow freshman Antonio Saldate of Las Vegas to win the 106-pound title in the Bulldog Grappler at Centennial on Saturday. Antuna was named the tournament’s lighter division Most Outstanding Wrestler. (W.G. Ramirez/Review Journal)

Centennial freshman Nico Antuna works from behind against Shadow Ridge senior A.J. Thai-Bautista during the semifinals of the Bulldog Grappler at Centennial, on Saturday. (W.G. Ramirez/Review Journal)

Virgin Valley freshman Ty Smith (left) ties up with Las Vegas freshman Antonio Saldate during the semifinals of the Bulldog Grappler at Centennial, on Saturday. (W.G. Ramirez/Review Journal)

Virgin Valley freshman Ty Smith (right) stuffs a shot by Shadow Ridge’s A.J. Thai-Bautista in the third-place match of the Bulldog Grappler at Centennial on Saturday. (W.G. Ramirez/Review Journal)

Referee Jimmy Guerino looks in just before Las Vegas freshman Antonio Saldate scores a pin over Virgin Valley freshman Ty Smith, during the semifinals of the Bulldog Grappler at Centennial, on Saturday. (W.G. Ramirez/Review Journal)

The top four 106-pound wrestlers from the Bulldog Grappler at Centennial compete on Saturday, with Virgin Valley’s Ty Smith and Shadow Ridge’s AJ Bautista battling for third place on the far mat, and Centennial’s Nico Antuna and Las Vegas’ Antonio Saldate wrestling for the championship on the near mat. (W.G. Ramirez/Review Journal)

Much of the chatter during this weekend’s Bulldog Grappler at Centennial High School was the cream of the 106-pound crop that would rise in Saturday’s championship bracket.

So it came as no surprise to anyone when participating coaches voted Centennial’s Nico Antuna one of the event’s two Most Outstanding Wrestlers after he captured the 106-pound title, beating Las Vegas’ Antonio Saldate, 13-5.

Shadow Ridge’s Uziel D’Mattus and Brendt Burleson led the charge for the Mustangs, who won the team title with 153 points. Antuna was one of three Centennial wrestlers to win their weight classes — along with Earl Teopaco and David Porter — helping the Bulldogs take second place with 142½ points. Utah’s Desert Hills crowned four individual champions and took third with 131½ points, and Palo Verde’s Josh Pine won the higher division’s Most Outstanding Wrestler award.

But it was the little guys who generated much of the electricity all weekend.

“I think we got a little preview of regionals and possibly even state, looking here at these guys,” Centennial coach Steve Wike said. “We had a thick 106 weight class at this tournament. Other than what we have coming out of the North, I think we got a little preview of what’s gonna be held here in the South.”

And Wike wasn’t only speaking about his freshman phenom, Antuna, who improved to 36-4 on the year after a 7-0 run this weekend. Along with other coaches, Wike agreed the youth movement that has progressed from the Southern Nevada Wrestling Association to high school programs has infused some of the best talent the lightest division has seen in quite some time.

“Those smaller kids are gravitating toward wrestling sooner, and I think it’s a great thing with the numbers we’re having because it’s making the valley competitive in wrestling out of state, as well as in state,” said Mojave coach Gabe Gledhill, who recently hosted an SNWA youth tournament, which attracted more than 500 youth wrestlers. “The Southern Nevada Wrestling Association has done a great job of trying to get programs built at other schools. Now, you’ve got some kids at the I-A level that can compete at the Division-I level, at 106, 113 and even 120.”

Saturday’s first round of championship-bracket action left wrestling enthusiasts with an enticing final four in the 106-pound bracket: Antuna, Saldate, Virgin Valley’s Ty Smith and Shadow Ridge’s A.J. Thai-Bautista. The first three are freshmen, while Bautista is a senior. And along with Foothill freshman Wyatt English, it’s a group that could steal the show in six weeks, at the state tournament.

“One hundred six will be the most exciting weight class, it’s going to be more exciting than we’ve seen in years past,” Las Vegas coach Zach Hocker said. “We had three freshmen here that can all compete in their divisions and in their regions. And when you look at the senior, Bautista, he is a tough, tough wrestler. When you get that type of wrestling, it’s going to make up a real good state (tournament).”

And the parity is glaring among those top five wrestlers, too.

For instance, Antuna is 5-3 this season, against the other four. The only one he hasn’t beaten this season is Smith, a longtime youth rival who fell to 1-4 against those other wrestlers after losing the third-place match to Bautista, who is 7-4 against those competitors. Saldate is 4-6 overall against the group, while English, who did not compete in the Grappler, is 4-4.

“Yeah, 106 is going to be absolute nails; it is wide open in there for everyone,” Shadow Ridge coach Gus Gledhill said. “The kids will have to string together some wins if they want to get into that championship match at state.”

Many of the coaches said the progress and improvements made by SNWA, with tournaments and programs, have helped prepare the wrestlers to compete nationally at an earlier age, setting them up properly once they reach the high school varsity level.

“A lot of these young guys have seen top-caliber wrestling, so they’re not intimidated about being on the big stage here in high school,” Palo Verde coach Scott Nemechek. “They’re very confident.”

Wike said: “The stuff they’re doing, the wrestlers they’re sending up to the high school level, it’s awesome. As a high school coach, I’m super grateful for the youth guys coming up. And it’s awesome because these guys have been wrestling each other for years, and they’re just continuing their competition and rivalries up here.”