Moments after pinning an opponent who defeated him in three previous matches, Roosevelt’s newly crowned 171-pound state champion Nathan Heuer paid tribute to the lesser-accomplished teammates who made Roosevelt’s Class 3A team title possible.
“Everybody came back in wrestlebacks and did their part,” Heuer said. “Those of us in the finals owe them because they did it for us in wrestlebacks.”
Roosevelt wrapped up the title before Saturday night’s finals at the Pepsi Center. Heuer’s squeeze move, flattening the shoulders of Platte Valley’s Kyle Symonds for a pin with 1:09 left in the third period, engendered a satisfaction that eluded the junior in a runner-up finish last season.
The Roughriders finished with 186 1/2 points, followed by Centauri with 125 and Florence with 116 1/2.
The 103-pound match also featured a reversal of fortunes when Lamar’s Josh Jaime escaped the clutches of his longtime rival, La Junta’s Kurtis Romero.
The joy of reaching the finals actually wasn’t tempered by the prospect of facing Romero, who had defeated Jaime six times earlier this season and five times last season in freestyle competition.
“I wanted a rematch in the finals,” Jaime said. “I wanted to see him and beat him in the finals when it counted. It feels like a dream come true.”
With the match tied 2-2, Jaime’s reversal proved decisive, just one week after a 5-1 loss to Romero in regionals.
“I just wanted to go as long as I could on bottom and get a reversal and ride out the last seconds,” Jaime said.
With two seconds left in the 125-pound match, Ethan Martinez of St. Mary’s used a switch-to-a-standup move to beat Centauri’s Phillip Sheridan 2-0.
“I was scrambling,” Martinez said. “I saw an opening so I took it.”
It was Martinez’s second consecutive state title — he won at 119 pounds last season — and it wrapped up a perfect 36-0 season.
Florence’s Matt Addington also finished unbeaten at 36-0 with a 7-1 win over Roose- velt’s Jeff Kielian at 140 pounds. Addington used an Alamosa tip, pulling Kielian by the wrist, then ducking his head under and using his hips to get off the mat and gain leverage.
“He was good on top,” Addington said. “It took a long time to escape from him, but I knew I could do it if I was patient.”
Centauri’s Mitchell Pol- kowske wasted no time wrapping up the 145-pound contest, earning a 19-3 major decision with 1:31 remaining in the second period against Platte Valley’s Jared Cass.
Polkowske (42-0) earned his second consecutive title and undefeated season.
“I knew there was nothing he could do,” Polkowske said. “Not taking anything away from him, but if I do my stuff, there’s nothing he can do.”
Class 3A
Team scores — Roosevelt 186 1/2, Centauri 125, Florence 116 1/2, Gunnison 98, La Junta 98, Lamar 94, Platte Valley 73 1/2, St. Mary’s 73 1/2, Brush 71 1/2, Monte Vista 70 1/2, Olathe 62, Pagosa Springs 57 1/2, Hotchkiss 52, Bayfield 46, Yuma 39 1/2, Eaton 36, Valley 35, Highland 31, Ignacio 29, Trinidad 28 1/2, Weld Central 28, Estes Park 27, Arrupe Jesuit 25 1/2, Bennett 25 1/2, Buena Vista 24, Erie 24, Maitou Springs 18, University 18, Sheridan 17, Strasburg 16, Middle Park 14, Rye 13, Salida 13, Clear Creek 7, Coal Ridge 7, Peyton 7, The Classical Academy 6, Holy Family 6, Cedaredge 5, Lutheran 3, Ellicott 2, The Pinnacle 2, Castle View 1.
103 pounds — Josh Jaime, Lamar, So. (28-12), dec. Kurtis Romero, La Junta, Fr. (38-6), 4-2.
112 — Pablo Mascrenas, Monte Vista, Sr. (19-0), dec. Casey Haga, Ignacio, Fr. (31-8), 18-10.
119 — Jake Eitzen, Estes Park, Jr. (41-1), dec. Cahlen Keys, Centauri, So. (38-5), 15-6.
125 — Ethan Martinez, St. Mary’s, Sr. (36-0), dec. Phillip Sheridan, Centauri, Jr. (35-4), 2-0.
130 — Dan Frank, Roosevelt, Jr. (33-3), dec. Adam Garcia, Monte Vista, Jr. (29-5), 9-0.
135 — Nate Halpin, Florence, Jr. (38-3), tech. fall Edgar Castro, Weld Central, So. (32-12), 16-0.
140 — Matt Addington, Florence, So. (36-0), dec. Jeff Kiellan, Roosevelt, So. (25-15), 7-1.
145 — Mitchell Polkowske, Centauri, Sr. (42-0), tech. fall Jared Cass, Platte Valley Sr. (34-6), 19-3.
152 — Jordan Larsen, Bayfield, Sr. (42-3), dec. Mike Smith, Pagosa Springs, Jr. (32-5), 3-1 OT.
160 — Zach Diaz, Yuma, Jr. (42-5), dec. Bryce Kammerzell, Eaton, So. (39-4), 9-6.
171 — Nathan Heuer, Roosevelt, Jr. (30-5), pinned Kyle Symonds, Platte Valley, Sr. (28-5), 1:09.
189 — David Clark, Platte Valley, Sr. (39-5), pinned Stephan Fox, Lamar, Sr. (35-6), 1:31.
215 — Scott Redden, Gunnison, Sr. (42-4), dec. Michael Beard, Hotchkiss, Jr. (31-9), 3-1.
Hwt. — Austin Kinnison, Highland, Sr. (33-1), dec. Gilbert Martinez, Trinidad, Sr. (31-5), 14-5.
