Eleven Cowboys wrestled at the Warrior Classic, including Cade Blunt (top left); Buzz Clatterbaugh, who took second place (top right), Goedert, who took third (bottom left); and Trae Kennedy, who wrestled in the consolation bracket. The Cowboys finished second as a team. | COURTESY PHOTOS
MEEKER | Eleven Cowboy wrestlers traveled to the Warrior Classic Tournament this past weekend, for a two day, 32 person bracket tournament, one of the toughest in the west.
“Our kids wrestled really well, from the first week, to the second week, to this week, we have gotten progressively better,” commented head coach JC Watt.
After day one seven Cowboys remained, Trae Kennedy 120 pounds wrestling in the consolation bracket, and Connor Blunt (152), Kelton Turner (170), Brendan Clatterbaugh (182), Judd Harvey (220), and Tanner Musser all wrestling in the semi finals. As a team the boys were sitting second only 1.5 points behind Fruita going into day two, after the finals on Saturday the Cowboys finished second for small schools.
The previous Warrior only two Cowboys had made it to placing rounds, this year six Cowboys placed.
Final results of the 2021 Warrior Classic tournament for the Cowboys, Goedert – 3rd, Blunt – 2nd, Turner – 6th, Clatterbaugh – 2nd, Harvey – 5th, Musser – 3rd.
“I felt like our kids did a really good job of wearing their opponents down,” said Watt. “We had 15 pins on the first day which is 30 extra points, and of the six semi-final matches we had a chance to win them all, and we deserved to be in the semi-finals.”
“I hope that when a coach or kid looks at the bracket and sees that they have a Meeker kid, they know they better come out prepared,” commented Watt, “the gym was aware that if you had a Meeker kid that the Meeker kid was going to battle and this year and over the last couple of years, we are better on our feet.”
Cowboy wrestling now looks forward to a dual followed immediately by the Tournament of Champions in Vernal Utah on January 7-8 and the dual will be at home on January 6 hosting Rifle and Delta.
By TIFFANY JEHOREK – Special to the Herald Times
