AURORA | Jake Dugan has an easy way to tell how the wrestling match in front of him is going to go, get physical with his opponent and see how he responds.
Considering he’s 20-2 on the season, Dugan’s been able to impose his will on just about everybody he’s taken the mat with so far this season.
Lakewood’s Paul Tapia wasn’t ready for Dugan’s physicality during the 152-pounds championship match at Saturday’s Smoky Hill Invitational, which the Raptors’ standout won by a 9-4 matchup that wasn’t as close as the score indicated.
Senior Dominique Evans took the 138-pound championship to join teammate Dugan at the top of the medal podium for Eaglecrest, which finished with a sixth-place total of 108 points. The Raptors had another finalist in Noah Lockyer, who lost to Aurora’s other tournament champion — Vista PEAK’s Marcus Guerra — in the 132-pound title match.
Rangeview managed 90.5 points to finish eighth despite no champions, though sophomores David Nuttall (106 pounds), Deron Solomon (145 pounds) and Max Gonzales (220 pounds) made it finals before falling. Guerra’s championship headlined the day for the Bison, who finished 15th.
Host Smoky Hill was led by Carlos Zerna’s fifth at 195 pounds.
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 SMOKY HILL BUFFALO INVITATIONAL
Team scores: 1. Adams City 135 points; 2. Rocky Ford 127; 3. Douglas County 120; 4. Mountain Vista 112; 5. ThunderRidge 111.5; 6. EAGLECREST 108; 7. Lakewood 104.5; 8. RANGEVIEW 90.5; 9. Loveland 83.5; 10. Mullen 78; 11. Elizabeth 62.5; 12. Fort Collins 62; T13. Boulder 55; T13. Highlands Ranch 55; 15. VISTA PEAK 41.5; 16. SMOKY HILL 35; 17. Chatfield 31
Full championship, third-place and fifth-place match results, here.
Aurora championship matches
106 pounds: Jacob Rodriguez (Rocky Ford) pinned DAVID NUTTALL (RANGEVIEW), 3:59
132 pounds: MARCUS GUERRA (VISTA PEAK) pinned NOAH LOCKYER (EAGLECREST), 2:19
138 pounds: DOMINIQUE EVANS (EAGLECREST) dec. Elias Deaguero (Adams City), 3-2
145 pounds: Keaton Williams (Boulder) pinned DERON SOLOMON (RANGEVIEW), 5:18
152 pounds: JAKE DUGAN (EAGLECREST) dec. Paul Tapia (Lakewood) 9-4
220 pounds: Nate Finnell (Rocky Ford) dec. MAX GONZALES (RANGEVIEW), 3-1 (OT)
Aurora third-place matches
106 pounds: Noah Olivas (Adams City) dec. DILAN ESPARZA (VISTA PEAK), 9-4
113 pounds: STEPHEN RAMIREZ (EAGLECREST) maj. dec. Edgar Esparza (Highlands Ranch), 15-4
120 pounds: Tanner Mooney (Douglas County) pinned ALEC RIVERA (EAGLECREST), 3:30
160 pounds: Michael Ibarra (Mullen) pinned GABE RODRIGUEZ (EAGLECREST), 4:37
Aurora fifth-place matches
132 pounds: Levi Kindt (Douglas County) dec. TYLER SHAVALIER (RANGEVIEW), 6-5
182 pounds: ALDIN PURIS (EAGLECREST) tech. fall Lonnie Veraldi (Highlands Ranch), 20-5
195 pounds: CARLOS ZERNA (SMOKY HILL) won by injury over RYKER PRICE (RANGEVIEW, Unattached)
220 pounds: Jonah Holden (ThunderRidge) dec. ANTHONY MALONE (EAGLECREST), 3-1
285 pounds: Hayden Still (Unattached) dec. HUMBERTO CALOCA (RANGEVIEW), 3-0
