Indians upset ranked Bears

MONTROSE — It didn’t matter that Rifle was ranked 11th in the state and boasted six ranked wrestlers on its roster. It also didn’t matter that Montrose had four freshmen and four sophomores in its roster, either.

What mattered most in MHS’s 40-28 win over the Bears on Thursday night was that the Indians simply wanted it more. With eight individual victories, including four pins, the Indians won their first dual match of the season in impressive fashion.

“That was one of the gutsiest performances I’ve seen in a long, long time, and I’ve been at this a long, long time,” MHS head coach Jack Garrison said. “Anytime you can come out with a win like this, it doesn’t do anything but help your confidence. We faced a team that on paper we probably shouldn’t have, but we beat them anyway.”

The match didn’t start off so hot for Montrose, as it had to forfeit its heavyweight match because it didn’t field a wrestler at that weight class. In the next match at 103 pounds, 10th-ranked Larry Schmueser defeated MHS freshman Drew Schumann 4-2.

Needing points to spark a rally, the Indians got a boost from freshman Max Milner, as he edged out Keaton Deere in the 112-pound match with a 7-6 win. Down 5-4 with 20 seconds left in the third period, Milner scored two points on an escape to take the lead and held on for the victory.

“Max did a super job tonight,” Garrison said. “That guy he faced is a tough kid, and Max fought hard all the way until the end and got the win because of it.”

At 119 pounds, No. 10 Clint Richardson cruised to a 16-6 win over No. 5 James Martinez, dominating essentially the entire match. Rifle responded with wins at 125 and 130 pounds, as the Bears’ Marcus Arroyo defeated Kyle Rogers 18-6 at 125 and Jacob Counts pinned Caleb Christensen at 130 with 18 seconds left in the first period.

Once again, though, the Indians got a big win just when they needed it, as junior Eric Stucky pinned Matt Barrett at 135 pounds. The Bears regained momentum when No. 1-ranked James Conrardy pinned sophomore Josh Pace in the 140-pound match, but from then on it was all Indians.

Behind wins by sophomore Cade Garrison (145), senior Sam Snyder (152), sophomore Braxten Franz (160), sophomore Jordan Passehl (160), junior Clancy Garoutte (171) and junior Chaz Staggs  (189), the Indians were able to take the lead and turn it into a victory.

“This shows we can compete with anybody,” said Snyder, who pinned Dano Fugita in the second period. “We’re getting tough this year more than anything.”

The Indians return to action Saturday when they travel to compete in the Pueblo East Tournament, where Garrison said his team will face its toughest competition of the season.

For now, though, Garrison is letting the Indians enjoy Thursday’s upset victory.

“We’ve got a long season ahead of us, and I don’t want to get carried away with this,” he said. “But we’re doing it one match at a time, one week at a time. When it comes down to it, we find a way to win.”

Contact Robin Washut via e-mail at robinw@montrosepress.com