Grapple on the gridiron
YC wins 11 of 12 matches against Maricopa
Sunshine illuminated the large, dark green wrestling mat resting on the football field Saturday afternoon at Ricky Gwynn Stadium.
With temperatures in the mid-60s, the beautiful Yuma winter weather cooperated with Yuma Catholic’s unique outdoor match against Maricopa.
The Shamrocks did the rest, putting on a display of grappling during a one-sided 66-6 win.
“It was awesome,” YC head coach Derek Beck said. “And it was perfect weather.”
The open-air set-up was quite spectacular and created a personal feel despite fans being socially distanced in the bleachers and team benches stationed on opposite 40-yard lines.
The proposal for an outdoor match came from YC’s athletic director Jeff Welsing, who had previously witnessed a wrestling event outdoors.
“The University of Iowa did a ‘Grapple on the Gridiron’ a few years ago, so that’s where our idea came from,” Welsing said. “We’re only allowed 14 single duals this year, so I wanted to do something to make our home duals special for the kids...Being outside and having plenty of space to socially distance was an added plus considering the current circumstances with COVID.”
YC’s outdoor wrestling match could happen again in the future, at least parents and spectators are hoping so.
“The parents were telling us we need to do this more often because it was unique to see with the music and scoreboard,” Beck said. “They thought it was awesome to be outside. All of us thought the same thing.”
The Shamrocks’ wrestling brilliance matched the scenery. YC won 11 of 12 matches against Maricopa and won its fourth straight competition of the season.
YC’s Seth Stoner (220-pounds) and Maricopa’s Quintone Green provided the match of the day.
Both competitors took
the opening round slowly, before Green delivered several powerful slams in the second round. However, Stoner never backed down.
With seconds remaining in the final round, Stoner stuffed Green onto the mat before earning the pin.
“He’s a defensive wrestler, so his matches are like that,” Beck said. “Seth did a really good job with his finish. We just have to keep working on him finishing early when he takes a shot.”
While the heavyweights got it done for the Shamrocks, in the 113-pound division, YC’s Josh Rodriquez delivered a thrilling finish to cap off Saturday’s event.
Rodriquez is relatively new to wrestling, joining the squad just last year. Describing the discovery of Rodriquez, Beck said, “basically, we kind of picked him out of the crowd at school and asked if he wanted to wrestle.”
Rodriguez looked like a seasoned veteran pinning Maricopa’s Xavier Rose.
“He’s improved a lot,” Beck said. “In the match today, you could see he’s a newcomer in wrestling, but you could also see that he’s starting to catch on and it’s good to see him pull through and finish like that.”
The Shamrocks (4-0 AIA) look to continue their hot start next week against Marana.