The Grand County Red Devils wrestling team placed second in pool play, then parlayed that success into winning the Silver Bracket at the Panther Classic in Piedra Vista, New Mexico, which took place on Saturday, Dec. 17.
The Red Devils easily disposed of Dolores, Colorado, and St. Michaels, New Mexico, during pool play, winning 60-12 and 54-21. In between those victories, however, Grand was beaten by host Piedra Vista 64-18 to finish pool play in second place at 2-1, placing it in the Silver Bracket for tournament play.
Grand narrowly squeezed past Kirtland, New Mexico, 41-40 in the semifinal before dispatching Piedra Vista’s second team 45-30 in the final.
Two Red Devil grapplers went a perfect 5-0 on the day – junior Kayden Robertson at 132 pounds and freshman Carson Sheets at 126 pounds. Robertson had four pinfall victories, while Sheets had three. Several other wrestlers also notched multiple pinfall victories as Grand finished with the second most pinfalls (23) in the tournament behind host and tournament champion Piedra Vista (37).
Grand junior Dakota Johnson went 4-0 at 145 pounds (all pinfalls) and 0-1 at 152 pounds. The Red Devils also got a 4-1 effort (all pinfalls) from freshman Carson Whitney at 106 pounds. Senior John Corbin (120 pounds), Chris Thompson (138 pounds), junior Jared Smith (170 pounds), freshman Trea Meyer (182 pounds), sophomore Jarom Shumway (195 pounds) and junior Gage Hansen (220 pounds) each went 3-2. Corbin’s wins were all via pinfall and two of Shumway’s three wins were via pinfall. Meyer, Smith and Thompson each had one pinfall victory
Also competing for Grand, Stacy Randall went 1-2 at 152 pounds and Kolby Bedke went 0-2, wrestling one match at 145 pounds and one at 152 pounds. Freshman Tayson Wilson went 0-5 at 160 pounds.
The Red Devils were scheduled to compete in a dual at Carbon on Tuesday, Dec. 20. They next compete at the 2A Duals tournament at the Sevier Valley Center in Richfield on Friday and Saturday, Jan. 6 and 7, 2017.
Sheets, Robertson go undefeated at Panther Classic
