Storm beats out Rio Rancho for title
Schools combine for 7 individual crowns
Cleveland won this round. Rio Rancho didn’t sound worried.
“It sucks not winning,” said the Rams’ standout 152-pounder, multiple state champion Ryan Rochford. “But it’s metros. This isn’t state. This isn’t the endall, beat-all. We have a lot more to give at state.”
The Storm’s 208 points were enough Saturday night at La Cueva to give it the title at the Albuquerque Metro Championships, with a 14½-point cushion over the second-place Rams (193½).
Cleveland had four individual champions and Rio Rancho had three as those two giants gobbled up half of the 14 brackets.
“I think we wrestled pretty well. There are some things we still need to work on,” first-year Cleveland head coach Evan Copeland said. “We lost some close matches that we shouldn’t have lost.”
The Storm had champions at 120 pounds with Mikey Mascareñas, 138 with dominating junior Jack Luttrell, 145 with Shawn Nieto and heavyweight Daimon Altamirano.
Altamirano and Mascareñas won by pin. Nieto posted a 3-1 decision in his final against Albuquerque High’s Javier Pavia. No. 2 seed Luttrell, the only Cleveland champion who wasn’t seeded first, demolished St. Pius’ top-seeded Diego Pavia 19-4 in his lopsided match.
“I think I performed well. All my coaches, they’re all there for me, and I’ve got a good support system,” said Luttrell.
Mascareñas is an impressive 39-1 this season against a rugged schedule. He pinned No. 2 seed Sergio Arellano of Rio Grande in 2 minutes and 19 seconds.
“I’m feeling great (going into state next month),” he said. “I need to work on a few more things, but I’m feeling amazing.”
Rochford, 160-pounder Orion Gutierrez and 182-pounder Edward Chavez won titles for Rio Rancho.
Chavez, a 4 seed, was the lowest-seeded metro champion. His was possibly the most entertaining final, as he decisioned La Cueva’s Derek Loidolt 9-7 in overtime.
“It’s actually a big deal for me,” Chavez said. “I’ve been wrestling for 13 years and I’ve been dreaming of winning these big tournaments.”
The second-seeded Gutierrez was a 126-pounder last season, but sprouted in the offseason. Now at 160, he posted an impressive pin of No. 1 seed Jacob Grobecker of Volcano Vista in just 78 seconds. Rochford cruised in his final at 152. “I didn’t wrestle my best this weekend, but it’s all in preparation for state,” Rochford said.
Perhaps the single most interesting period of wrestling Saturday night occurred in the 132-pound final between Manzano’s Isaac Garcia and Sandia’s Michael Valles.
Garcia led 7-6 after two periods, started from the up position in the third period, and spent that entire two minutes holding on before winning by that same total. Valles tried to clutch, roll and peel himself out of Garcia’s clutches, to no avail.
“It is difficult,” Garcia (24-1) said of holding on that long, “but it’s not anything we haven’t done at practice.”
His brother, Isidro (27-2), also was a champion, edging La Cueva’s Matthew Petersen 5-4 in the 126-pound final.
The Garcias were not the only brothers to appear in the finals. St. Pius’ Pavia, a freshman, and AHS’ Pavia, a junior, also are brothers. Mascareñas’ little brother, Tristan, reached the 106-pound final where he fell to Volcano Vista’s undefeated Marcus Santillanes (19-0).
Santillanes was one of four athletes who extended unbeaten seasons: Sandia’s Mark Gonzales is 28-0 at 113 pounds after he decisioned Rio Rancho’s Daniel Vargas; Volcano Vista’s Richard Govea (12-0) decisioned Manzano’s Damin Valenzuela 8-5 at 170 pounds; and La Cueva’s Josh Woisin (18-0) pinned Manzano’s Martin Jaime in 3:20 in the 195-pound final.
No. 3 seed Isaac Martinez of Volcano Vista also was a winner, pinning No. 1 seed Brendon Armstead of Cleveland at 220 pounds.
There were five champions Saturday who also won metro titles last year: Santillanes, the Garcia brothers from Manzano, Rochford and Altamirano.
Manzano (155½), with four finalists, placed third in the team standings. Volcano Vista (124½) was fourth.
NOTES: La Cueva coach Javier Posa was ejected during an early session on Saturday, so he’ll miss the Bears’ upcoming team dual match at Albuquerque Academy on Wednesday. His Bears finished fifth. … Except for St. Pius’ Pavia, only one other non-6A wrestler worked his way into the finals, and that was Del Norte’s Julian Barros at 152.