3A wrestling: Perfection remains within reach for a few

DENVER – Nick Adams cracked a small smile after his semifinal win on Friday, but that didn’t last long.

The Discovery Canyon junior stepped off the mat after a brutally efficient victory and stopped to watch the other 130-pound 3A semifinal match. He wanted to study his future opponent for tonight’s state championship. He seemed a bit perturbed when he was told to move from the side of the mat to behind a barricade, but continued to watch from afar with an intent stare.

Check out photos from 3A state wrestling

Some of Friday’s semifinal winners celebrated with fist pumps and hugs, but Adams has perfection on his mind. He is 43-0 and wants to finish the season on a perfect note.

“If I ended up with a perfect record that would be icing on the cake,” Adams said. “But all that matters is the match tomorrow. I could care less about my record now.”

Adams won a state title as a freshman, finished third last year, and wants to win his second championship tonight.

Adams isn’t the only area wrestler seeking an unblemished mark. Florence’s Matt Addington (49-0) and Dan Barrington, a 4A wrestler from Lewis-Palmer, are also perfect.

Addington, a 160-pounder, is looking to enter an elite club of three-time state champions. Addington has dealt with trying to go perfect before, and has finished the job twice. His 132-match winning streak began after a loss as a freshman in the state tournament.

“It’s a lot of pressure if you think about it,” Addington said of trying to go perfect over a full season. “I just try not to focus on that.”

Florence’s Jacob Cole (112 pounds) and Discovery Canyon’s A.J. Rees (103) will join their teammates in title matches tonight.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re undefeated or not, if you’re a state champ,” Addington said.