DENVER | Seth Brown’s state tournament ended before it even got started last year, but the Grandview senior is taking advantage of his next chance.
The 145-pounder qualified for a trip to the Pepsi Center last year as a junior, but an injury in the wake of regionals forced him out of his spot to wrestle downtown, so he stepped on the state mat to compete for the first time Thursday night.
Hitting a rare shot, Brown managed to get an edge on his opponent, Pomona’s Brandon Billips, and hold on for a 4-2 victory to advance to Friday’s quarterfinal round, which is scheduled to begin at 12:45 p.m. He’ll be joined by nine other Aurora first-round winners on a day that saw the city’s contingent of 17 wrestlers from 10 schools finish 10-17 overall.
All 27 Aurora wrestlers will get at least one more match on Friday, with the first round of the consolation bracket — where wrestlers can still work their way back to wrestle for third through sixth place on Saturday — beginning immediately after the quarterfinal session. Championship semifinals are then set for 7:15 p.m. Friday ahead of another round of consolation.
In the last match of the opening night, Brown’s teammate, junior heavyweight Josh Vigil-Harrison posted a 9-3 decision to move into the quarterfinals himself on a 2-2 day overall for the Wolves.
Regis Jesuit’s four state qualifiers also finished 2-2, with twin brothers Donovan and Logan Ronan both posting victories.
Logan Ronan, Aurora’s lone returning state placer, cruised into the quarterfinals with an 18-4 major decision victory in an 152-pounder opener, while Donovan — a three-time state qualifier — prevailed in a 145-pound match stopped several times by blood coming from his opponents’ nose.
Cherokee Trail also had four state qualifiers and one advanced in sophomore Zeke Silva, who moved to 3-0 this season against Ralston Valley’s Tanner Hauptman — his first round opponent — with a pin in the third period.
Among wrestlers with returning state experience, Eaglecrest 138-pounder Dominique Evans ground out a 5-2 decision, Rangeview sophomore Max Gonzales posted an 8-5 decision at 220 pounds and Aurora Central sophomore 182-pounder Juan Fraire — who placed 3rd in his weight at the 2A tournament last season while at Sedgwick County/Fleming — recorded a second-period pin.
In addition to Silva, two other Aurora first-time state qualifiers were victorious in their debuts.
Hinkley junior 120-pounder Rafael Garibay posted a dominating 14-6 victory over Pine Creek’s Lane McAdams, while in 4A, junior Marcus Guerra had little trouble on his way to a 12-1 major decision victory at 132 pounds.
Notes: It was announced in the arena that Grandview was docked a team point for unsportsmanlike conduct due to an unspecified violation, leaving it with three points after the first day…Of the 27 first round matches involving Aurora wrestlers, none pitted two city athletes against each other and neither will the quarterfinal round. The only chance for two Aurora wrestlers to meet is in the 5A 145-pound bracket, where Donovan Ronan of Regis Jesuit and Grandview’s Seth Brown could meet if both make it all the way to the championship match. Some head-to-head Aurora matchups appear likely in the consolation bracket.
Courtney Oakes is Sports Editor of the Aurora Sentinel. Reach him at 303-750-7555 or sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter: @aurorasports. FB: Aurora Prep Sentinel
2015 CLASS 5A/4A STATE WRESTLING TOURNAMENT
5A team scores: 1. Pomona 24.5 points; 2. Arvada West 24; 3. Pine Creek 18.5; 4. Grand Junction 18; 5. Chaparral 17.5; T6. Broomfield 14; T6. Fruita 14; T6. Legacy 14; T9. Coronado 11; T9. Mountain Range 11; T9. Rocky Mountain 11; T12. Cherry Creek 10; T12. Northglenn 10; T12. Ponderosa 10; 15. Poudre 9.5; 16. Lakewood 8.0; 17. Adams City 7.5; 18. ThunderRidge 7; T19. Mountain Vista 6; T19. Ralston Valley 6; T21. REGIS JESUIT 5; T22. AURORA CENTRAL 4; T22. CHEROKEE TRAIL 4; T22. Brighton 4; T22. Denver East 4; T22. Doherty 4; T27. GRANDVIEW 3; T27. HINKLEY 3; T27. Arapahoe 3; T27. Loveland 3; T31. EAGLECREST 2; T31. RANGEVIEW 2; T31. Castle View 2; T31. Centaurus 2; T31. Central G.J. 2; T31. Fairview 2; T31. George Washington 2; T31. Greeley West 2; T31. Heritage 2; T31. Horizon 2; T31. Legend 2; T31. Lincoln 2; T31. Prairie View 2; T31. Prairie View 2; T31. Thornton 2; GATEWAY, SMOKY HILL, Boulder, Chatfield, Fort Collins, Liberty, Monarch, Palmer, Rampart and Rock Canyon no score
AURORA FIRST ROUND RESULTS
106 pounds
5A — Ryan Chauvin, fr., Pine Creek dec. BEN RHOTON, JR., HINKLEY, 6-3; 5A — Brody Lamb, fr., Poudre pinned AXEL PACHECO, JR., AURORA CENTRAL, 5:25; 4A — Jaden Porreco, fr., Discovery Canyon dec. DILAN ESPARZA, SOPH., VISTA PEAK, 7-0
120 pounds
5A — RAFAEL GARIBAY, JR., HINKLEY, maj. dec. Lane McAdams, sr., Pine Creek, 14-6
126 pounds
5A — Daniel Van Hoose, soph., Fruita Monument, dec. JONNATHAN QUIJADA, JR., AURORA CENTRAL, 5-1; 5A — Adam Aguilar, jr., Legend, dec. XAVIER CARDENAS, JR., GRANDVIEW, 8-6; 5A — Jacob Greenwood, fr., Poudre, tech. fall JORDON WHITE, JR., GATEWAY, 19-4
132 pounds
5A — Jason Romero, soph., Pomona, maj. dec. CARL COMPOSANTO, SOPH., REGIS JESUIT, 11-1; 5A — John Daniel, sr., Arapahoe, maj. dec. ARMANDO SANTILLAN, SOPH., GRANDVIEW, 15-2; 4A — MARCUS GUERRA, JR., VISTA PEAK, maj. dec. Poe Di, jr., Littleton, 12-1
138 pounds
5A — DOMINIQUE EVANS, SR., EAGLECREST, dec, Garrett Niel, fr., Pine Creek, 5-2
145 pounds
5A — DONOVAN RONAN, SR., REGIS JESUIT, dec. Josh Turner, sr., Liberty, 11-6; 5A — Josiah Rider, fr., Grand Junction, pinned SERJ CHAVEZ, SOPH., HINKLEY, 2:39; 5A — SETH BROWN, SR., GRANDVIEW, dec. Brandon Billips, jr., Pomona, 4-2
152 pounds
5A — Jared Todd, jr., Heritage, dec. MICHAEL THELEN, JR., CHEROKEE TRAIL, 6-4; 5A — Connor Ventura, jr., Broomfield, pinned JAKE DUGAN, SR., EAGLECREST, 4:51; 5A — LOGAN RONAN, SR., REGIS JESUIT, maj. dec. Jack Huber, soph., ThunderRidge, 18-4
160 pounds
5A— Tyler Turco, sr., Ponderosa, dec. SAM MAES, SR., RANGEVIEW, 6-2; 5A — Idan Peek, jr., Pine Creek, dec. SETH BOGULSKI, JR., CHEROKEE TRAIL, 15-8
170 pounds
5A — ZEKE SILVA, SOPH., CHEROKEE TRAIL, pinned Tanner Hauptman, jr., Ralston Valley, 5:45
182 pounds
5A — Cameron Gonzales, soph., Pomona, dec. ALDIN PURIS, SR., EAGLECREST, 5-1; 5A — JUAN FRAIRE, SR., AURORA CENTRAL, pinned Jay Forsythe, sr., Heritage, 3:24
195 pounds
5A — Derek Coleman, jr., Legacy, pinned CARLOS ZERNA, SR., SMOKY HILL, 0:56; 5A — Matthew Stanley, sr., ThunderRidge, dec. NICK ELGIN, JR., REGIS JESUIT, 5-4
220 pounds
5A— MAX GONZALES, SOPH., RANGEVIEW, dec. Xavier Boccadoro, sr., Horizon, 8-5
285 pounds
5A — JOSH VIGIL-HARRISON, JR., GRANDVIEW, dec. Ian Scott, jr., Monarch, 9-3; 5A — Taylor White, sr., Pine Creek, pinned OREVA KOKA, SR., CHEROKEE TRAIL, 2:18
