YOUR AD HERE »

Steamboat, Moffat County wrestling teams clash

Sports Sports |

Shelby Reardon
  

Steamboat Springs High School wrestler Jacob Skolnick grits his teeth through a long three-round bout during a match against Coal Ridge on Thursday, Jan. 20.
Shelby Reardon/Steamboat Pilot & Today

The Steamboat Springs High School wrestling team honored its seniors during a triangular against Moffat County and Coal Ridge on Thursday, Jan. 20.

Senior Layton Morrison said wrestling has taught him that if you want something, you have to go get it yourself.

Morrison didn’t get a win in his one match against a Moffat County wrestler, but that didn’t discourage him from his season goal, which he has plenty of time to “go get.”

“For wrestling, I’m trying to get to state this year — top four at regionals, finals at regionals,” Morrison said. “Then do well at state.”

Morrison has had a decent season so far at 160 pounds, especially considering his experience with the sport.

“Layton’s only wrestled two years, but he’s stepped into being a leader,” said Sailors coach Jordan Bonifas. “He has an awesome attitude, is just a really good person and has a good heart and cares a lot about his teammates. … He’s a vital part of the team.”

In the Coal Ridge dual, Sailors junior Cole Muhme had a dominant 9-0 win at 126 pounds. Finn Rodgers defeated his opponent 10-4, and junior Jacob Skolnick won an intense matchup by a 4-3 decision. Steamboat won 34-30 over Coal ridge.

The other Steamboat Springs senior, Adalia George, didn’t wrestle because she solely wrestles in the girls high school program. She missed out on qualifying for the first-ever sanctioned female state championship last year due to an injury, but she qualified in the nonsanctioned event the year before.

Now, as a senior, she’s hoping to get back there and make her mark in the Sailors’ history book.

Show CaptionsHide Captions

At 185 pounds, she’s ranked No. 2 in the state and has a 7-2 record. She’s happy with how she’s doing so far, but mostly she’s trying to enjoy her final season with her second family.

While she didn’t compete on Thursday night, she was on the side of the mat cheering on the Sailors.

“Even though I’m not wrestling, it doesn’t mean my job as a teammate is any less,” George said. “I’m there to lift everyone up and be as supportive as I can.”

She encouraged her brother, Aiden, as he battled through the most competitive match of the late dual against Moffat County. After watching three teammates fall, George fought through all three rounds, fending off a pin by his Bulldog competitor and eventually losing in a 12-0 major decision.

Otherwise, the Bulldogs made quick work of the Sailors, winning eight matches by first-round pins. Moffat County has a chain that is given to anyone who wins by pin. It made its rounds from Anthony Duran to Caden Call to Kalub West on Thursday.

“It’s something we pride ourselves in,” said Bulldogs coach Tyler Seislove. “We want them to be pinners, to be aggressive and go out there. We came out really flat the first match (against Coal Ridge), so we told them to fix it up, and they came out there and responded the way we would expect.”

Show CaptionsHide Captions

Shelby Reardon is the assistant editor at the Steamboat Pilot & Today. To reach her, call 970-871-4253, email sreardon@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @ByShelbyReardon.

Prep Sports
See more

Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Steamboat and Routt County make the Steamboat Pilot & Today’s work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.