PUEBLO — The target has been set.
Eagle Valley wrestling went 4-1 at last weekend’s 2A-3A Dual State Championship in Pueblo, and the focus for the next week or so will be on the one loss.
Yes, the Devils obliterated Buena Vista, 67-9, the Colorado Springs Christian School, 76-6, and Pueblo Central, 70-3, and recorded a quality victory over Rocky Ford, 39-20. But when the No. 4 Devils met up with Alamosa, the No.1-ranked squad in all of 3A, the Mean Moose came away with a 50-19 decision.
“What was neat for me was that I knew we underperformed, and a couple of kids came up to me and said, ‘Hey, we can beat them,'” Devils wrestling coach Luke Cross said.
That is the task in the wrestling room in Gypsum with the four regional meets in Class 3A looming on Feb. 15-16.
Eagle Valley won’t see Alamosa again until — knock wood — the state tournament. Alamosa competes in Region 1 in Montrose, while the Devils are in Region 3 at Jefferson High School.
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Against Alamosa, Luke Morrissey (120 pounds), Davis Ward (182), Brian Garcia (195) and Cody Ponce (220) won their matches. Ward and Ponce both went 5-0 during the tournament.
“They’re a well-coached team,” Cross said of Alamosa. “There are certain moves they do better than most teams and we’ve addressed those moves. We hope to see them at state.”
Eagle Valley did come up with a big win against Rocky Ford, the No. 2 team in Class 2A. Matthew Medina, Kodi Raper, Lucas Comroe, Ryder Bossow, Noah Baldwin, Daniel Gallegos, Ward, Ponce and Abraham Garcia all got wins against the Meloneers, which is one of the coolest mascot names in Colorado.