AURORA | Cooper Mathews’ fantastic debut season in Colorado prep wrestling will conclude with an appearance in the state championship match.
The 106-pounder became the first freshman for the Cherokee Trail program to qualify for a Class 5A state championship match — and eighth all-time — when he dominated his semifinal match Friday evening at Ball Arena to earn a spot in Saturday’s finals.
Mathews (49-6) has been virtually untouchable in his first state tournament with two wins by technical fall to go with a 10-1 major decision victory over Pomona freshman Logan Dellow in the semifinals. His victory set up a championship match against another top freshman, Ponderosa’s Jeremiah Waldschmidt.
In three state matches, Mathews has outscored his three opponents 46-4 and has yet to allow a takedown. He followed up technical fall wins over Legend’s Isack Doumbouya (20-3) in the first round and Eaglecrest’s Blake Saddler (16-0) in the quarterfinals with a decisive victory against Dellow, who he wrestled again after the two met in the championship match of the Region 1 tournament a week prior.
That was just a 7-5 victory, but the rematch was not as close as Mathews got two takedowns in the opening period and then built on it to the victory.
On The Mat projected an all-Aurora championship match 106 pounds, but Grandview freshman JR Ortega couldn’t get through his side of the bracket, as he was stopped in the semifinals by Waldschmidt (24-4), who won a 3-1 decision.
Mathews — who has joined Derek Glenn Jr., Sam Hart, Julian Williams, Matthew Buck, Max Gonzales, Josh Richardson and Zeke Silva — as Cherokee Trail state finalists and aims to join Glenn Jr. and Hart (who both won in 2020) with titles — is one of five Aurora wrestlers who have qualified for the 5A finals, which begin following the Parade of Champions at 5:30 p.m.
Eaglecrest senior Adonias Cantu made the 113-pound final, while Regis Jesuit junior Garrett Reece and Grandview sophomore Jonathan Montes Gonzales meet in the 150-pound final and Grandview junior Charlie Herting is in the 165-pound final.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports
