LAS VEGAS — On Feb. 5 the Trojans Wrestling team faced Sierra Vista, Valley and Western High Schools on Sierra’s home mat. Trojans Coach Craig Rieger was very pleased with the wrestlers’ performance. The Trojans came out on top with team scores of Pahrump vs Sierra Vista 65-6; Pahrump vs Western 63-13; and Pahrump vs Valley 72-7. The tourney was a non-conference meet and was a good warm-up for the team before regionals, which start today.
Team Captain Stephen McCormick, a senior, and four-year Trojan wrestler now at 145 lbs, pinned his Valley opponent in the second round and won over Sierra Vista by a forfeit. He said his Western opponent was one of his toughest of the season, as he beat him by points 3-2. He believed he would do much better against him in another match. McCormick is 5-0 in conference and 35-5 overall this season. He said he’s excited and confident as he goes to the Southern Nevada Region this Friday [today]. He commented he’s much more devoted and committed to his wrestling than in past years. McCormick attended summer wrestling camps and has fully committed himself to the sport this year.
“I’m hungry for this, I felt I was good last year going to state, but found I needed a lot more. I feel now I will do very good among the best of the state,” he said. McCormick said as team captain he helps set the tempo during practice—team members follow his lead and hard work on the mat. He said he knows when to push his teammates harder and sometimes recommends individual teammates try certain moves that may work well for them.
Senior Trojans wrestler Scott Maughan at 170 lbs, is 5-0 in conference and 21-2 overall this season. He was disappointed he was not able to wrestle Sierra Vista, Valley or Western at this meet, due to forfeits. Maughan said within division, Faith Lutheran was his strongest opponent, but not his most skilled.
“Off the mat, I’ve learned from studying the moves of other wrestlers, especially the smaller, quicker and more technical wrestlers, and from critiquing videos of myself wrestling. On the mat, I’ve learned not to overestimate or underestimate my opponent—I have a healthy respect for my opponent,” he commented.
Maughan said he’s excited and very well prepared as he goes to region this Friday and Saturday.
“Coach Rieger has prepared us well for being ready for anything we might encounter on the mat,”he said.
When on the mat wrestling, Scott said he’s trained his ears to only hear the voices of Rieger and assistant coaches Joe Clayton, Fred Schmitt and Rick Marshall—he attempts to execute the moves they call to him as he’s wrestling. Concerning Maughan’s senior role among his teammates, he said he and Stephen McCormick encourage their teammates to work hard on the mat, to be tough and wrestle their hardest.
This week Rieger worked the team hard for competing at region. The tourney will start this afternoon at Mojave High School in North Las Vegas. The Trojans go into region with a 5-0 record in the Sunset Conference (Pahrump, Clark, Mojave, Faith Lutheran, Western and Cheyenne); overall the Trojans team record this season is 27-5. At region, the Sunset and Sunrise (Virgin Valley, Boulder City, Desert Pines, Sunrise Mountain, Chaparral and Moapa) Conferences face each other.
In region, each varsity wrestler will wrestle. In addition, each school is allowed to have a total of four junior varsity members wrestle. Junior varsity wrestlers brought to region cannot score for their respective teams, however, they can deny other schools from being able to score at region and they can push other wrestlers out of region. Also, those junior varsity wrestlers gain more wrestling experience. Rieger will have each varsity wrestler at region; he’ll also has four junior varsity wrestlers at region: Gage Moore at 132 lbs; John Clark at 145 lbs; Anthony Vega at 152 lbs; and Brian England at 160 lbs.
The top four region grapplers in each weight class then face their 1-A contenders of the North division, at the state championship to be held in Primm, NV on Feb. 22.
Stats
Joseph Zarabozo a Junior at 106 lbs, 1-2 at Sierra, conference record 2-3, overall record 11-14;
David Martinez a Senior at 113 lbs, 2-1 at Sierra, conference record 3-2, overall record 15-11;
Levi Gundacker a Junior at 120 lbs, 2-1 at Sierra, conference record 5-0, overall record 24-11;
Antonio Sandoval a Sophomore at 126, 3-0 (2 by forfeit) at Sierra, conference record 3-2, overall record 18-14;
Nick Nelson a Junior at 132 lbs, 3-0 (2 by forfeit) at Sierra, conference record 3-2, overall record 22-10;
Sam Brophy a Junior at 138 lbs, 2-1 at Sierra, conference record 3-2, overall record 23-12;
Stephen McCormick a Senior at 145 lbs, 3-0 (1 by forfeit) at Sierra, conference record 5-0, overall record 35-5;
Samuel Tucsnak a Junior at 152 lbs, 3-0 (1 by forfeit) at Sierra, conference record 3-2, overall record 23-12;
Jonathan Corrow a Junior at 160 lbs, 2-1 at Sierra, conference record 5-0, overall record 27-6;
Scott Maughan a Senior at 170 lbs, 3-0 (3 by forfeit) at Sierra, conference record 5-0, overall record 21-2;
Abraham Preciado a Junior at 182 lbs, 3-0 (3 by forfeit) at Sierra, conference record 3-2, overall record 27-12;
Jaxon Clayton a Junior at 195 lbs, 2-1 (2 by forfeit) at Sierra, conference record 4-1, overall record 35-5;
Jeremy Coates a Junior at 220 lbs, 3-0 (3 by forfeit) at Sierra, conference record 4-1, overall record 25-6; and
Jace Clayton a Junior at 285 lbs, 3-0 (1 by forfeit) at Sierra, conference record 5-0, overall record 32-7.