Revenge tasted sweet in Dove Creek.
The Bulldogs interstate wrestling team hosted Utah state rival Monticello Wednesday night.
Only 25 miles separate the two rivals, but it was the Buckaroos making the bus ride from Utah this year for one final dual.
Monticello won at home last season. This year? A healthier Dove Creek squad got the last laugh with Nick Jones and Chance Johnson returning from injury at 106 and 170 pounds. The two scored pins on the night, helping the Bulldogs to a 48-36 dual triumph.
“It feels good,” Jones said about the win. “We haven’t beat them in a couple years. We finally got it done.”
Dove Creek still had to forfeit matches at 182 and 195 pounds. But coach Shane Baughman feels his team is looking very good at the right time.
“I thought the kids wrestled well. It was just about what I expected,” he said. “A pretty good performance, really. We got started off right with Wyatt Applin. That kind of set the tone right there when he exploded with that first period pin. Boy, the kids were fired up after that.”
Applin indeed started the Bulldogs off on the right paw at 160 pounds with his quick pin over E. Anderson at the 1:36 mark. In the next match, Johnson returned from a knee injury that sidelined him for three weeks. He certainly didn’t show any rust, as it only took 41 seconds to pin J. Giles of Monticello.
At 220, Jared Galyean brought plenty of cheers from the crowd, nearly going a full six minutes. But M. Barlow finally overpowered Galyean at the 4:44 mark and secured the pin to get the Buckaroos on the board.
Tyson Smith beat the first round buzzer to pin C. Dee at heavyweight. Smith had Dee to his back on the end line. With each coach screaming to their grapplers that the clock was winding down, it was the opportunistic Smith who pinned his way to victory with just 4.3 seconds left in the first.
Jones was back after sitting out a week from an injury. Jones and J. Redd fought tooth-and-nail the first two minutes. In the second round, Jones had enough. He quickly established control with a takedown and used his strength to wear out Redd. The official tapped the mat at the 2:55 mark, giving Jones the win by fall.
“I just kind of got caught up in his style there for a little bit. He blocked my hands,” Jones said. “ Once I took him down, I just ended up winning from there. He was strong on his feet.”
Chance Randolph pinned C. Draper 35 seconds into the 113-pound match to increase Dove Creek’s lead. Cole Baughman then won by forfeit at 120 pounds.
However, the Buckaroos scored wins in two of the next three matches to get back in it. Brian Robinson pinned Dove Creek’s Tommy Fury (1:43) at 126 pounds and C. Eldridge pinned Dalton Randolph (2:27) at 138s.
Tyler Ebberts kept the Bulldogs on top at 132, pinning B. Musslemen by the skin of his teeth at the 1:59.7 mark of the first round.
Dillon Daves later clinched the dual for the home team. He won comfortably over K. Brewer with a first round pin at the 1:02 mark.
Dove Creek’s Alex Ogas lost the final match of the evening by first round pin at 152 pounds.
The Bulldogs wrestled Friday evening at Norwood in defense of their 2A San Juan Basin League championship. Results weren’t available at press time. See Tuesday’s Journal for a full recap.
Regionals for 2A are Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10-11, in Palisade with starting times yet to be determined.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.