The Grand County High School (GCHS) wrestling team took eighth out of 15 teams at the Moab Invitational, which took place on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, scoring 124 points. The Red Devils started the tournament with seven wrestlers, but finished with only five after one wrestler suffered a broken leg and another decided not to wrestle anymore.
Of the five wrestlers that finished the tournament, three of them finished in the top three in their weight classes. Carson Whitney took first place at 113 pounds, winning all five of his matches by pinfall. Chris Thompson went 8-1 at 145 pounds, taking five matches by pinfall and three by forfeit; his only loss was by third-round fall to Monticello’s Kayden Draper. Jarom Shumway went 7-2 at 220 pounds, placing third; all of his matches were decided by pinfall.
“Carson Whitney will wrestle at 106 pounds, but he won’t be down to that weight until January,” GCHS wrestling coach Dennis Wells said. “He should be ranked No. 1 in the state at that weight,” meaning he’ll be favored to win the state title. Wells said Thompson and Shumway also have a chance to be in the top five of their weight class at the state level.
Rounding out the Red Devils at the home invitational, Jimmie Johnson went 2-4 at 132 pounds, placing fifth; and also at 220 pounds, Levi Merz went 2-7, winning once by fall and once by decision. At 160 pounds, Blaine Thompson lost his first match by decision before suffering an injury in the first round of his second match.
Wells said on Monday, Dec. 3, that there were four more student-athletes joining the wrestling team and that he hoped at least a couple of them would be ready for the Monticello tournament on Wednesday, Dec. 5. He expressed frustration with the continuing trend of low numbers for wrestling.
“I have 16 football players who have wrestled for me before that aren’t wrestling this year — who knows what they’re doing to stay in shape for next football season,” Wells said. “I don’t know what it’s going to take to get more kids involved.”
Monticello took first in the tournament with 438.5 points, while Gunnison Valley took second with 405 points and Carbon took third with 396.5 points. The wrestling team is scheduled to compete at the Desert Hills tournament in St. George on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 7 and 8.
GCHS wrestling team thin in numbers
“I have 16 football players who have wrestled for me before that aren’t wrestling this year — who knows what they’re doing to stay in shape for next football season.”
