RANGELY | In the final two wrestling tournaments of 2018, Rangely’s two best wrestlers were in the same weight but not anymore and one of them remains undefeated this season after 11 matches.
“Tytus (Coombs) and Zane (Varner) were finally able to separate and they were our only placers,” Rangely head coach J.C. Chumacero said about his team’s performance in Eagle Valley, which was the team’s first competition in 2019.
Coombs dropped down a weight and won the 138-pound bracket by beating Ryder Bossow of Eagle Valley, 6-3 in the championship match. “Tytus won his third straight tournament by beating a ranked 3A kid in the finals,” Coach Chumacero said. “He is wrestling smart-aggressive matches and I look for his success to continue as long as he continues to work hard.”
On the Mat Rankings, currently has Coombs ranked No. five at 145 and Varner ranked No. seven at the same weight.
“Zane stayed at 145 and placed fourth,” Chumacero said. “He lost to Meeker’s No. 1 ranked Tannen Kennedy and a tough wrestler from Rifle for fourth place. Zane is wrestling very well and continues to improve week to week.”
Justin Rusher was the only other Panther to win a match and he needed extra time to do it, in the competitive Eagle Valley tournament. Rusher won a match in overtime and he lost two matches, both in double-overtime.
“We just need Justin to start being more aggressive,” Chumacero said.
Chumacero is hoping all of his wrestlers start wrestling more aggressively,
as Braxton Moore, Dontea Pearce, Brent Cantrell, Dalton Dembowski and Byron Mackay all wrestled “close and competitive matches” but did not win in Eagle Valley.
“We are still wrestling more defensively than I would like but we are young and continue to learn,” coach Chumacero said. The Panthers will host a small tournament Saturday.
By BOBBY GUTIERREZ | Special to the Herald Times
