Dec.
5, 2007: The Herald Journal
Supreme Stangs
by Jason Turner
Given the strides it made during the
2006-07 season, there’s little question excitement abounds
in the Logan wrestling program, and rightfully so.
Unfortunately for Grizzlies, there’s a
reason Mountain Crest has won back-to-back 4A state
championships, and the Mustangs proved that Tuesday night
at a nearly-packed Crimson Gym.
Mountain Crest stormed out to a 11-0 lead
and never looked back, rolling to a 56-18 victory over
Logan, as the two schools renewed their rivalry following
a three-year hiatus.
“I felt good. I thought our kids came out
real focused,” MC head coach Davie Swensen said. “I know
Logan was excited to wrestle us, and I think our kids were
excited, too. ... Our kids came out and gave a real good
effort.”
Logan head coach Bo Roundy felt the same
way about his club, although he was hoping to score a few
more points. Regardless, Tuesday’s dual provided the
Grizzlies with the measuring stick they were looking for.
“We know that in order for us to grow, we
have to measure ourselves against the best teams,” Roundy
said. “We know how good Mountain Crest is. ... I
oftentimes look at them and say, ‘What kind of program do
I want?’ Well, I want a program like Mountain Crest’s.”
Which is a program laden with experience,
but one that also has plenty of young talent. Eight of the
grapplers who broke the Mustangs’ varsity lineup were
underclassmen, and several of them shined.
Freshman 160-pounder Joseph Carley was
certainly one of them, as he pinned Logan’s Von Adams with
38 seconds remaining in the opening round. Sophomores
Zabinadi Smethurst (103 pounds) and Tyson Kendrick (125)
also showed their mettle for Mountain Crest, winning their
bouts by fall.
“He’s had a lot of success over the years,
albeit at a different level,” Swensen said of Carley. “But
he’s won a lot of matches and he’s wrestled a lot ... and
he’s a very physical kid for a freshman.”
The Grizzlies also have some youngsters
who are making some early-season noise, especially
119-pounder Jesse Dunn. The sophomore improved to 10-0 on
the campaign with a 7-1 decision over Colby Hamilton.
Dunn went 9-0 at last week’s Carbon Duals,
and looked the part of a confident wrestler Tuesday.
“I gained quite a bit (of confidence),”
Dunn said when asked about the Carbon Duals. “I did a lot
better than I thought I would. I don’t know, I feel I just
came out ready to wrestle.”
As well as Dunn did, it was Logan’s
veterans who scored the rest of the team points against
their rivals to the south. Returning state placers Josh
Thatcher (152) and Brett Kendrick (215) both took their
opponents straight to their back and into a pinning
combination, while Josh Thompson edged Skylar Riggs 4-2 in
arguably the most exciting match of the night.
Riggs nearly caught Thompson with a quick
shot late in the third period, but Thompson did a good job
fending it off.
Thatcher was particularly impressive,
finishing off a game Nate Rigby in the third period.
“I think the secret with him is maturity,”
Roundy said of Thatcher. “He’s gotten tougher mentally and
I think he just seems to have gained some confidence.”
Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, the rest
of the night belonged to the Mustangs. Justin Kohler got
things started by slowly breaking down Chase Carlisle and
then turning it on in the second and third periods,
winning by technical fall, 17-1.
It was an especially satisfying victory
for the senior, who broke his collarbone a year ago and
was unable to compete.
“This year I’ve been practicing hard and
I’m back and I’m ready,” Kohler said. “I’m as ready as
ever and I feel really good.”
After Thatcher and Thompson’s back-to-back
wins, Mountain Crest took control for good, winning six of
the next seven duels, including three by fall. All of a
sudden a 17-9 Mustang led ballooned to 45-15.
In quite possibly the most anticipated
match of the evening, MC’s Ethen Lofthouse proved why he
is the No. 2 ranked junior 160-pounder in all the country.
Lofthouse dispatched of Jordan Ballam by pinning him at
the 1:27 mark.
Seniors Mike Donaldson (285) and Anthony
Trippler (140) also won their bouts by fall for the
Mustangs, while three-time state placer Jake Morrill was
victorious by technical fall. Hayden Snow (189) was MC’s
other winner, using a late takedown and subsequent back
points to earn a major decision.
And although Logan was never able to put
the outcome of Tuesday’s dual in doubt, Swensen is
confident the Grizzlies are going to turn some heads this
season.
“Bo’s doing a great job with this
program,” he said. “He’s got a lot of kids and a lot of
excitement, and they’re definitely going the right
direction.”
A prime example of this is the number of
wrestlers Logan has this year. Thirty-three JV matches
were contested Tuesday, much to the delight of Swensen and
Roundy.
“That’s incredible. That’s a success, No.
1, is the amount of matches that we got,” Roundy said.
“And it might sound silly, but just the fact that Mountain
Crest would wrestle us is a compliment to our program.”
|