DENVER | Five Aurora wrestlers — including two first-timers — advanced to Friday night’s semifinals of the Class 5A state wrestling tournament.
Gateway freshman 145-pounder Deyaun Trueblood and Cherokee Trail junior 152-pounder Harley Korte continued to take full advantage of their first trips to the Pepsi Center, as they both moved into the final four.
Trueblood recorded a 10-5 decision over Rocky Mountain’s Danny Clark and Korte outlasted Cherry Creek’s Mason Harms 15-12 to join state veterans Grant Neal of Regis Jesuit (195), Amer Tipura of Overland (220) and Eaglecrest heavyweight Mike Howshar in the 7:15 p.m. semifinal round.
A day after stunning Ponderosa’s Torry Williams in the first round, Trueblood was at it again against Clark, as he took the lead in the second period, built on it with an early flurry in the third and finished it off.
No matter what happens in his semifinal against unbeaten Grand Junction sophomore Jacob Trujillo, Trueblood (39-8) is assured of at least sixth place, the same spot his older brother Brent Willis took in 2009. A Gateway wrestler hasn’t made the medal podium since
Neal (39-3) advanced with an 8-4 decision over Bear Creek’s Corky Phillips, which puts him one win away from carrying on Regis Jesuit’s recent run of finalists. He races Fountain-Fort Carson sophomore Tracy Hancock (29-1) in the semifinals.
Tipura and Howshar each prevailed in all-Aurora quarterfinals, both rematches of wrestlers who met in Centennial League action.
Tipura (41-1) pinned Smoky Hill’s Dexter Bess the first time he faced him, but had considerably more difficulty this time. He need overtime in the rematch against the Buffaloes’ junior, scoring the decisive takedown with 6 seconds remaining for a 4-2 victory.
Howshar pinned Cherokee Trail’s Garrett Zimmerman in the first round when the two heavyweights met three weeks ago, but he also faced a different challenge when they squared off again. Zimmerman had a one-point lead in the second period, only to give up a takedown and near fall to Howshar at the end of the period. The match finished in a 10-5 victory for Howshar (35-6).
Aurora’s semifinal numbers might have been larger, but Gateway senior 138-pounder Josh Butler and Eaglecrest’s 170-pound Adin Puris suffered heartbreaking quarterfinal losses.
Butler will have a longer road if he wants to place in his third trip to state, as he couldn’t hold a late lead against Doherty’s Thaddeus Hayes, who rallied in the closing seconds for an 11-10 victory. Butler (40-5) now must win twice more in the consolation round to be assured of placing in the top six.
Puris had an even more unlikely loss, as he had a 6-3 lead on Fossil Ridge’s Dalton Riba with less than 10 seconds left, only to give up a reversal and two back points before the clock expired in a 7-6 loss. Eaglecrest coach Dan Wrona contended to officials that time had expired before the back points should have been awarded. He was denied and Riba moved on to the semifinals as Puris looked on in disbelief.
Regis Jesuit senior 120-pounder Josh Redman also had a close quarterfinal, falling 5-3 to Arvada West’s Jerry Trujillo.
The first round of consolations followed quarterfinals and only three Aurora wrestlers — Regis Jesuit sophomore Donovan Ronan (126), Eaglecrest sophomore Jake Dugan (132) and Cherokee Trail senior Diego Rogel (170) — were eliminated from the 5A competition with their second losses.
Vista PEAK junior 106-pounder Junior Casillas, Aurora’s only 4A state qualifier, was eliminated with his second defeat in the opening round of consolations.
Seventeen city wrestlers remain alive in the 5A consolation round, which will go through a second round following Friday night’s semifinals.
Two all-Aurora matchups are in the offing in the second round of consolations: Cherokee Trail’s Jalen Reyes (28-13) and Grandview’s Jordan Brown (38-9) will square off at 160 pounds and Eaglecrest’s Trevon Beauford (14-8) and Overland’s Javier Alonso (38-8) will meet at 182 pounds.
Full Aurora quarterfinal and first round consolation results, here.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
AURORA CLASS 5A STATE WRESTLING SEMIFINALS
DENVER | Aurora matchups for the semifinal round of the Class 5A state wrestling tournament, scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Friday at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Aurora wrestlers are bold and uppercased:
145 pounds: DEYAUN TRUEBLOOD, FR., GATEWAY (39-8) vs. Jacob Trujillo, soph., Grand Junction, (44-0)
152 pounds: HARLEY KORTE, JR. CHEROKEE TRAIL (34-11) vs. Randy Boerner, sr., Mountain Range (46-1)
195 pounds: Tracy Hancock, soph., Fountain-Fort Carson (29-1) vs. GRANT NEAL, JR., REGIS JESUIT (39-3)
220 pounds: Jakob Buys, sr., Ralston Valley (15-6) vs. AMER TIPURA, SR. OVERLAND (41-1)
285 pounds: Tony Martinez, sr., Rocky Mountain (28-6) vs. MIKE HOWSHAR, SR., EAGLECREST (35-6)
AURORA CLASS 5A CONSOLATION 2ND ROUND MATCHUPS
113 pounds: SERGIO MARQUEZ, SR., GATEWAY (35-8) vs. JT Stancil, jr., Chaparral (17-4); XAVIER CARDENAS, FR., GRANDVIEW (26-12) vs. Isaac Arellano, sr., Ralston Valley (31-10)
120 pounds: Zach Martinez, fr., Mountain Range (16-16) vs. JOSH REDMAN, SR., REGIS JESUIT (41-5)
132 pounds: JAIME CARDENAS, JR., GRANDVIEW (28-7) vs. Jake Thayer, sr., Chatfield (40-9); BRUNO NICOLETTI, SR., CHEROKEE TRAIL (35-7) vs. Ben Drysdale, sr., Rocky Mountain (31-11)
138 pounds: Taylor Bergquist, soph., Arvada West (38-8) vs. JOSH BUTLER, SR., GATEWAY (40-5)
160 pounds: JALEN REYES, SR., CHEROKEE TRAIL (28-13) vs. JORDAN BROWN, SR., GRANDVIEW (38-9)
170 pounds: Richard Cote, sr., Coronado (33-11) vs. ADIN PURIS, SR., EAGLECREST (34-12)
182 pounds: TREVON BEAUFORD, JR., EAGLECREST (14-8) vs. JAVIER ALONSO, SR., OVERLAND (38-8); TRENT ROGERS, SR., CHEROKEE TRAIL (20-9) vs. Jayden Mosquiera, jr., Arapahoe (36-8)
220 pounds: NICK ELGIN, FR., REGIS JESUIT (15-8) vs. Colt Chatfield, fr., Fruita Monument (16-4); Jerell Nettles, jr., Montbello (20-5) vs. DEXTER BESS, JR., SMOKY HILL (27-9)
285 pounds: Mitch Chism, jr., Pomona (24-17) vs. JOSH VIGIL-HARRISON, FR., GRANDVIEW (25-15); ANTHONY CHILDS, SR., OVERLAND (3-2) vs. Jamin Smith, jr., Douglas County (22-9); Dorean Gonzales, jr., Lakewood (19-13) vs. GARRETT ZIMMERMAN, SR., CHEROKEE TRAIL (29-10)
