DENVER | The Overland wrestling team had one finalist at Saturday’s Les Mattocks/Abraham Lincoln Invitational, but it wasn’t who might have been expected.
Senior 220-pounder Amer Tipura went into the tournament undefeated, but lost a physical clash with Class 5A top-ranked Brian Mayberry of Columbine in the semifinals, but it was senior 182-pounder Javier Alonso who represented coach Bert Dalton’s Trailblazers in the finals.
Alonso became the fourth consecutive pin victim of Eagle Valley’s Ty LaFrambroise in the championship match, but had a strong showing during a 3-1 day and moved his record to 33-5 overall. Tipura and heavyweight Jasari Dixon each finished fourth as Overland scored 56 points, good enough for 17th in the strong 29-team field.
Shorthanded Aurora Central scored seven points to tie for 27th.
A clash of titans took place at 220-pounds as Tipura met Mayberry in a battle of the top two ranked wrestlers in 5A.
The two undefeated wrestlers ended up in the same side of the bracket and both breezed to the semifinal. Each earned escape points during regulation and the match went to overtime tied at 1-1.
Neither wrestler could score in the first overtime, but Mayberry took the lead with an escape in the second overtime and added to it with a takedown to go up 4-1. Tipura had the down position in the third overtime, but only scored when Mayberry allowed him to escape with a second left.
Both wrestlers left the physical match in some agony and both had to forfeit their next matches, leaving Mayberry (23-0) in second and Tipura (37-1) — who forfeited to Lakewood’s Nick Debruyne — in fourth.
Tipura and Mayberry could meet again at the 5A Region 4 tournament at Standley Lake Feb. 15-16.
Dixon pinned one opponent to reach the semifinals, but Chaparral’s Dane Drimmer pinned him in the 1st period to deny him a title shot. Dixon then lost by fall to Jefferson’s Jesse Lucero in the third period of the third-place match.
Reach Sports Editor Courtney Oakes at sports@aurorasentinel.com or 303-750-7555
2013 LES MATTOCKS/LINCOLN INVITATIONAL
Team scores: 1. Thompson Valley 234 points; 2. Chaparral 160.5; 3. Lakewood 132.5; 4. Eagle Valley 106.5; 5. Sheridan 100; 6. Falcon 93.5; 7. Air Academy 90; 8. Jefferson 83; 9. Valor Christian 79; 10. ThunderRidge 78.5; 11. Bear Creek 76.5; 12. Mountain Vista 66; 13. Woodland Park 62.5; 14. Abraham Lincoln 61; 16. Adams City 58; 17. OVERLAND 56; 18. Columbine 43; 19. Wheat Ridge 36; 20. Harrison 28.5; 21. Denver North 27; 22. Montbello 24.5; 23. Denver West 22; 24. Wasson 14; 25. Battle Mountain 13; T26. AURORA CENTRAL 7; T26. Centaurus 7; 28. Green Mountain 2
AURORA CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
182 pounds: Ty LaFramboise (Eagle Valley) pinned Javier Alonso (Overland), 5:37
AURORA THIRD-PLACE MATCHES
220 pounds: Nick Debruyne (Lakewood) won by injury forfeit over Amer Tipura (Overland)
285 pounds: Jesse Lucero (Jefferson) pinned Jasari Dixon (Overland), 4:40
