Yuma High School’s boys wrestling team has been short-handed in December, but should be rearing to go when the season resumes in 2022.
“Hopefully after Christmas we’ll be close to a full team,” head coach Kyle Newton said.
Injuries and sickness, and some other factors, have limited the number of wrestlers competing in the final two tournaments in December, including the Wray Bob Smith Invitational on December 18.
Newton also explained the wrestlers spent quite a bit of time in the preseason in the weight room building strength, but it came somewhat at the expense of conditioning.
“We’re going to spend a lot of time conditioning during the break, so we’re going to be ready to hit it hard in January,” Newton said.
Yuma had only seven grapplers compete in Wray, last Saturday. The Indians still managed to score 68 points and place sixth in the 13-team field. Wray ran away with the team title with 219.5 points, while Limon was a distant second with 89 points, Akron in third with 79, Chatfield fourth with 77.5, and Sedgwick County/Fleming fifth with 70.5. (Wray’s “X” team tied Byers for eighth with 47 points as Wray had a total of 21 wrestlers compete in its home tourney.)
The Indians had one third-place effort and four wrestlers place fourth.
Tayte Smith placed third at 152 pounds. The freshmen opened with a win by fall (2 minutes, 53 seconds) over Joshua Wright of Sedgwick County/Fleming in the quarterfinals. However, he was quickly pinned by Wray’s Koy Smith in the semifinals, but rallied in the consolation bracket. Smith earned an 8-0 major decision over Wray X’s Eric Tracy, and got a forfeit win in the third-place match.
Trey Stegman placed fourth at 145 pounds. The sophomore won his first two matches by decision, incuding 8-4 over Shannon Rethke of St. Francis, Kansas, in the quarterfinals. He lost a tough 10-8 decision in the semifinals, won by fall (2:17) in the consolation semifinals over SC/F’s Keegan Colglazier, but lost a 4-0 decision to Wray’s Tayden Chappell in the third-place match.
Kallen Blach placed fourth at 170 pounds. The junior won his quarterfinal match by fall over teammate Zeke Martinez in the quarterfinals, but lost by fall to Wray’s Payton Wade in the semifinals. He won his first consolation match by fall (5:00) over Dayspring Christian’s Connor Clark, but lost by fall to Limon’s Keon Brady in the third-place match.
Kevin Hermosillo was another fourth-place finisher for the Indians, at 195 pounds. The junior won his quarterfinal match with a 9-4 decision over Wray’s Grady Linman, but lost a 12-7 decision to Wray’s Caeden Bauer in the semifinals. He came back to win by pin (23 seconds) over Dayspring Christian’s Landen Bonnell, but lost a tough 3-1 decision in the third-place match to Limon’s Gabe Schubarth.
Payton Wells also placed fourth at 285 pounds. He lost by fall in the quarterfinals, but won two in the consolation bracket by decision and fall to reach the third-place match. However, he lost by fall to Akron’s Xavier Livesay to place fourth.
Yahir Trejo went 2-2 at 160, both his wins coming by fall, but did not place. Zeke Martinez wrestled at 170.
