Regional wrestling roundup: Defending champ Coronado taking eight to state

Highlights from Saturday's regional wrestling action involving teams from the Pikes Peak region:

5A Region 2

Eight Coronado wrestlers heading to state

At Westminster: Coronado coach Matt Brickell’s wish of qualifying eight for the state tournament looked like it might come up one wrestler short.

But that was before freshman Tyler Zunich won a wrestleback by pin at 120 pounds to be the eighth wrestler entered in next weeks’ state tournament for the defending state champions.

Led by regional champions Adrian Cordova (113) and Devin House (126), the Cougars earned two firsts, two seconds and four fourths, including Zunich’s surprise victory.

“It was sweet,” Brickel said of Zunich’s effort. “That was a tough, little weight class there.”

Cordova, the defending individual state champion at 112 and top-ranked seed at 113, breezed through his first two matches with tech-fall victories before earning a 6-4 decision in the finals against Pomona’s Josh Rosales.

With eight wrestlers headed to Denver, the Cougars are hoping to defend their title.

“Anything can happen,” Brickell said. “That’s the thing. If you get eight guys to the state tourney ... man, people can knock people off. You can be in the mix.”

The Cougars took third as a team in the regional 1.5 points behind Grand Junction. Pomona won the regional.

5A Region 3

Fountain-Fort Carson qualifies six

At Bear Creek: Three Fountain-Fort Carson wrestlers won regional championships and three more qualified for next week’s state championship tournament at Pepsi Center.

Top-ranked Josh Schoenberger won a 13-2 major decision over Boulder’s Axel Wessel in the 182-pound championship to help the Trojans finish second in the region on Saturday.

Jacob Mondragon (126) won a 3-1 overtime decision and Seth Wilson scored a 1-0 decision over Fruita Monument’s Dallas Bernal to claim regional individual titles.

Rashawn Benford (138) and Tracy Hancock (195) finished as runners-up, and Anthony Martin-Walker (153) took third to all qualify for the state meet, which begins Thursday.

The Trojans also had two fifth-place finishers and three sixth-place finishers to finish with 190 points, 22 behind first-place Rocky Mountain.

4A Region 2

Lewis-Palmer, Palmer Ridge each sending seven to state

At Englewood: Lewis-Palmer’s Jack Wyman (170) and Pete Barringer (152) went undefeated in their region to win their respective weight classes, qualifying for state.

Palmer Ridge got regional championships from Andrew Gilles (285), Tyler Thalhammer (126) and Rylen Thalhammer (106).

Lewis-Palmer took second as a team with 188 points, while Palmer Ridge finished third with 169 - one point ahead of Golden. Thompson Valley won the tournament with 301 points.

Mike Hartling (second place, 120 pounds), Darryan Vanderpool (third, 113), Nate Rykerd (third, 132), Jacob Glenn (fourth, 182) and Joshua Glenn (fourth, 195) also qualified for the Rangers.

The Bears also are sending Antero Guy (second, 145), Jeremy Rajkowski (third, 152), Billy Farmer (third, 182) and Erik Guy (fourth, 138) to the state tournament.

Vista Ridge is sending four wrestlers to state – Brandon Poulos (third, 106), Jacob Hawthorne (fourth, 160), Josh Steinert (third, 170) and Quinton Riley (second, 195).

Woodland Park’s Cameron Arias qualified for the state tournament with a second-place finish in the 132-pound division, falling only to Thompson Valley’s Zach Chavez on a 6-3 decision in the finals.

4A Region 4

Discovery Canyon sending 10 to state tourney

At Longmont: Led by regional champions AJ Rees at 113 pounds, Steve Turner (120) and Adrian Mack (170), Discovery Canyon is putting nine wrestlers in the state meet.

The Thunder finished second in the region with 255 points, 30 behind region winner Windsor.

Bryce Oberg (second place, 126 pounds), Garrett Adams (second, 160), David Traynor (third, 195), Tyler Oberg (third, 145), Jon Bratton (third, 220), Tanner Reynolds (fourth, 106) and Robert Martinez (fourth, 132) will join Rees, Turner and Mack at the Pepsi Center in Denver.

4A Region 1

Mitchell’s King headed to state

At Eagle Valley: Brian King, the top-seeded 160-pounder in Region 1 and ninth seed overall, won the regional title to advance to the state tournament.

3A Region 3

TCA, Ellicott sending four

At Bennett: Zach Dillon won the 160-pound regional by technical fall and Daniel Register pinned Ellicott’s Sebastian Silvers in the 182-pound regional to qualify both TCA wrestlers for the state tournament.

TCA’s Jordan Birch (fourth, 106) and Andrew Register (fourth, 138) also earned berths.

Ellicott is sending Brandon Simmons (second, 138), Silvers (second, 182), Cesar Morales (fourth, 126) and Raul Morales (fourth, 160).

3A Region 4

Eight punch tickets for Florence; CSCS sending two

At Dolores Huerta Prep: Florence's James Brown won the 182-pound regional to earn his way to the Pepsi Center for next week’s state tournament. Brown pinned his opponent in 27 seconds.

He’ll be joined by Cal Cole (second, 106), Dillion Bellino (second, 113), Kevin Tuttle (second 185), Scott Sandoval (third, 152), Alberto Rodriguez (third, 195), Conor Ward (third, 220) and Jacob Yslas (fourth, 120).

Colorado Springs Christian School qualified Connor Craddock (fourth, 138) and Cameron Krautschun (fourth, 152).