Jan.
25, 2005: Uintah Basin Standard
Rated No. 1 1-A Team: Powerful
Altamont Longhorn Mat Crew Edges Rich Rebels
by Aldon Rachele
If you’re a fan of defending 1-A 103 pound
champion, Colton Miles and you were late arriving for the
meet in Altamont, then you missed all the mat excitement
with the Altamont matman using just 14 seconds to put away
Rich’s Cortney Weddison on a pin fall. He helped to pump
up the Longhorns to 48-36 triumph, Wednesday, over Rich in
a rematch of the 2004 1-A State Tournament where Altamont
edged Rich by six points, 187 to 181, for the
championship.
Miles decked Weddison for the takedown and
before the Rich wrestler could count to 14 he was stuck.
It happened so fast that Miles couldn’t recall much of the
contest later on.
“I don’t remember the pin hold. I just put
it on him and got the pin,” said Miles, who is a
sophomore. “It was my goal to be state champion and it was
pretty fun to take state. I beat Skye Marshall of
Panguitch for the championship. He (Marshall) is
19-years-old and still wrestling. I’m looking forward to
going back and defending my state title that I won as a
freshman.”
Miles’ pin was contagious as everyone
following suit with 12 more pins for a total of 13 (one
came in an exhibition match), but the last match of the
evening between Altamont’s Matthew Kofford and Rich’s Zach
Marler at 215 pounds was the most important of all because
a Rebel pin and a forfeit that was waiting for them at 275
pounds would give Rich a 42-42 tie.
The action started off badly for Kofford.
He was down 9-3 after one round, and then rallied to tie
it all up at 9-9 on a neutral, takedown and near fall. He
added another near fall and then locked up Altamont’s win
with a pin of Marler with 28 seconds remaining in the
second round.
“I got him with the half and then put the
pressure on him. It was kind of scary at first, but I had
to win so we (Altamont) could win,” stated Kofford.
Altamont’s other returning state champ,
Nick Samuels of Altamont lost a wild battle with Rich
tussler, Jon Herrera on a pin with 30 seconds left in the
third round.
He fell behind 10-4 to Herrera after one
round, but then powered himself to a 12-12 tie on a
reversal and two near falls. Herrera won the battle for
the takedown with a minute to go and ended it all 30
seconds later.
Samuels joined his dad, Jeff as state
champion in 2004. Jeff Samuels placed first in the 2-A
class years ago for Union High School. Recently, Altamont
pounded Union’s varsity, 60-24 in a dual meet in Altamont.
Earlier this month, Altamont crushed Duchesne in Altamont.
“It was always a goal for me to be a state
champ like my dad,” Nick Samuels said. “I screwed up
tonight. I will get him (Herrera) next time.”
Jake Farnsworth won the 112 pound match
for Altamont on a forfeit, but wrestled an exhibition and
won on a fall with 32 seconds to go in the second round.
Rich tussler, Jake Webb led 7-6 after one round and 9-6
after two. Webb then spun his way to a pin over Altamont
125 pounder, Jordan Thacker with 30 seconds left in the
third round to tie up the meet at 12-12.
Altamont didn’t waste any time getting
back into the lead. They netted four straight pins with
three in the first round for a 36-12 edge. Randy Bird of
Altamont used 49 seconds to pin Rich’s Chris Dalkeessen at
130 pounds and a second round fall by 135 pound, Shad
Thayne of Altamont over Caleb Oldroyd with 1:10 left was
the best news for Longhorn fans. Thayne scored a takedown
and near fall in the first round.
Tyrell Carter, 140, and Casey Iorg, 145,
Altamont, were practically “copy cats or copy longhorns”.
Carter pinned Rich’s Clay Barker in 28 seconds and Iorg
decked Jon Lee in 25 ticks off the clock.
“It was just a half for the pin. I used a
fireman’s carry to set up the fall,” commented Carter.
Iorg stated, “I also used the half. I gave him a shot
(takedown move) and came around to place in the half.”
After a first round pin win by Rich’s
David Herrera, 152, over Altamont’s Maclain Miles, LaDell
Brinkerhoff, Altamont, was the main show at 160 pounds. He
pinned Erik Showalter of Rich with nine seconds left in
the first round for a 42-18 Longhorn lead.
It was first round blues for Altamont with
Zack Argyle of Rich socking it to Altamont’s 171 pounder,
Bobby Mitchell with 19 seconds left and 2004 275 pound
state champ–now at 189–Sean Weston, Rich, dropping Brayden
Oman, Altamont, on a fall at the 1:41 mark to drop the AHS
lead to 12 points at 42-30.
Kofford came through at 215 pounds to put
the win in Altamont’s victory bag, but it isn’t over with
Altamont and Rich expected to battle for all the marbles
at region and state meet action next month.
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