Dunning, wrestling at 141 pounds, scored the final 11 points of the match to post a 14-6 major decision victory over highly touted freshman Josh Hensley (Alamosa, Colo.) as the white team went up for good, 7-6. Copeland later took a 5-2 decision over James Reynolds (Monte Vista, Colo.) in a battle of 2-time NCAA Division II National Tournament qualifiers at 174 pounds. Dunning and Copeland both earned All-America honors in 2005 and were tabbed to the Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference team that was announced on Tuesday afternoon.
Although Dunning and Copeland came up big in two of the premiere bouts of the night, it was Alexander and Lucero, both freshmen, who squeaked out narrow wins to give the white team the momentum throughout much of the night.
Alexander trailed Rueben Gutierez (Platteville, Colo.), a state champion from Valley High School, by a 5-1 count after two periods before roaring back to take a 9-6 win in a 125/133-pound match-up of newcomers. Alexander was down 6-4 in the waning seconds before scoring a takedown and ensuing near fall to claim the decision that put the white team up 3-0.
The green squad wasted little time in avenging the heartbreaker as Joey Deaguero (Commerce City, Colo.) pinned redshirt freshman Joe Kelso (Monte Vista, Colo.) in the first of two 141-pound bouts. Deaguero, who won three state titles while at Adams City High School, was named as the RMAC's Preseason Freshman of the Year on Tuesday. He showed Kelso why as he needed just 49 seconds of the second period to put the green team up 6-3.
Dunning, who trailed Hensley 6-3 after the first period, the dominated the latter stages of a second 141-pound battle. Hensley, an undefeated state champion as a senior at Alamosa High School, had scored a reversal, takedown and near fall in the first period before Dunning used three near falls and a reversal in the final four minutes to claim the victory.
Alamosa High School fans had more to cheer about in the 149/157-pound bout as Mike Gallegos (Alamosa, Colo.) scored a 12-2 major decision win over Centauri High School product Jacob Sheridan (La Jara, Colo.) giving the white team an 11-6 win. Gallegos, who transferred from Division I Cal State-Bakersfield over the summer, scored two reversals and a 3-point near fall in that match-up of talented redshirt freshman.
The fans were then treated to a thriller at 157 pounds as redshirt freshman Noomis Jones (Arvada, Colo.) claimed a 6-4 victory over senior Dusty Vaughn (Montrose, Colo.) pulling the green team within 11-9 after the match that went on for nearly 10 minutes of action. Jones and Vaughn were tied at 3 through regulation before neither wrestler scored in the first 1-minute sudden death overtime.
Jones chose the bottom position for the first half of the tiebreaking period getting out of Vaughn's hold with just five seconds left on the clock. Vaughn then returned the favor in the second half of the tiebreaker, but was eventually worn down as Jones claimed the victory with a takedown in the second sudden death overtime.
The fans were treated to a nearly as exciting second 157-pound bout as Lucero took a 4-3 win over fellow freshman Jeremy Trujillo (Alamosa, Colo.). Lucero, a 3-time all-conference wrestler while at Brighton High School, had a 2-1 lead after the first period before Trujillo, another Alamosa High School graduate, recorded a near fall to a take a 3-2 lead in the second. Lucero then got out moments later to even the match at 3 before riding Trujillo for the entire third period to claim the win thanks to a 72-second advantage in riding time.
Copeland then took his 5-2 win over Reynolds thanks in large part to a disputed takedown at the edge of the mat in the waning seconds of the first period. That win gave the green team a 17-9 lead before true freshman Brandon Morris (Nucla, Colo.) claimed a 6-1 win over redshirt freshman Andre' Harris (Gold Canyon, Ariz.) in the penultimate 174/184-pound battle. Morris, a 2-time state champion from Nucla High School, and Harris, a 2-time Arizona State Tournament placer, were scoreless for five-plus minutes before an escape, two third period takedowns combined with a fine 2-minute ride throughout the second period gave Morris the dual-clinching victory.
Down 20-9, the green team did end the dual on a high note as returning 197-pound All-American Casey Woodall (Morenci, Ariz.) pinned freshman heavyweight Keaton Roosen (Monte Vista, Colo.) with just 57 seconds left. Despite giving up about 50 pounds to the 2006 Colorado State Champion, Woodall built a 5-0 lead midway through the second period before closing out the dual with the pin from the top position in the third period. Woodall is ranked first at 197 pounds in the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coaches Association Preseason Rankings.
Coach Jason Ramstetter's Grizzlies, tabbed third in the RMAC and 16th in the nation according to recently released preseason polls, will begin the regular season on Saturday at the Wyoming Cowboy Open in Laramie, Wyo. Action begins at 9 a.m.
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