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Coming off of a serious letdown Thursday night in Great Bend, the Dodge City High School wrestling team had a quick turnaround in competing in the Shawnee Mission Northwest Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
To say the Demons had a little motivation behind them would be an understatement.
Wrestling against some of the best competition in the state, the Demons clinched a third place finish in the Cougar Invite, finishing with 126.50 total team points, less than seven behind second place finisher Blue Valley Northwest.
Olathe East would capture the team title with 164.50 team points.
Earning tournament championships for the Demons were two State place winners from 2010: Alex Garcia at 113 pounds and Dane Edwards at 126.
Edwards, who had been held out of the dual against Great Bend for precautionary reasons with a swollen knee, returned to the mat in form, earning his second tournament championship in as many tries.
"Dane looked great, I think that was good advice from the doctors to make sure he was 100 percent," said head coach Lars Lueders. "He was dominant the whole tournament, so it was pretty cool to watch."
As for Garcia, he bounced back after a letdown for himself Thursday in Great Bend, going 3-0 in his weight class for his first title of the season.
"We bumped Alex up against the state champion at Great Bend because he wants to take on the tough kids, so that's what we let him do," Lueders said. "He came in on Saturday with a chip on his shoulder for sure and he got after it. He wrestled a very tough kid in the finals and controlled that match pretty well. I think he rebounded very well."
Other tournament place winners for the Demons include Jaquan Graves (third, 120 pounds), Jacob Eggers (second, 160 pounds), Corey Keller (fourth, 170 pounds) and Freddy Hernandez (third, 195 pounds). For Keller, it was his first ever varsity tournament medal, which will surely boost his confidence as the season goes along.
Lueders went on to say how the team bounced back from a bad defeat on Thursday to really come out and put that behind them, proving why the Demons are a team that is continually in top-10 in the State tournament.
"It was a great trip , especially considering how the dual went on Thursday," Lueders said. "I feel like our kids had a pick-me-up, they wrestled a lot better, a lot more enthused and overall I thought it was a positive trip."
To make the tournament even more exciting, Jaden McRoberts, Zach Cook, Jhett Ostrom and Miguel Marino each won their first varsity match during the invite, something Lueders said was a very nice first to be able to happen this early in the season.
Next up for the Demon wrestlers is a clash with Garden City in a dual tonight at the Dodge City High School Field House. The dual has been aptly named the "Hall of Fame" dual, as the Dodge City Wrestling Association will announce their first two members of the Demon wrestling Hall of Fame.
After the ceremonies, the Demons and Buffaloes will butt heads in a rivalry that creates fireworks, regardless of the sport being played.
For Lueders, it's an exciting time, as his kids get to continue their season, while fans will be able to see what he and those behind the scenes have been involved with in creating the DCWA.
"The fans will see our JV kids wrestle, which is the future of the Demon program, they will also see our two new Hall of Fame members," Lueders said. "We feel like it's really important to honor and celebrate the things that Dodge City wrestlers have done in the past, so hopefully the community comes out and celebrates those past accomplishments as well."
The dual is slated to begin at 6 p.m. with the ceremonies happening before the Demons and Buffaloes square off on the mat.
Great Bend JV Tournament
1st Place – David Montoya (113), Trae Phillips (285)
2nd Place – Alex Soltero (120)
3rd Place – Victor Ortiz (126), Michael Daramus (152), Jimmy Ward (220)
4th Place – Caleb Crockett (120)
Coming off of a serious letdown Thursday night in Great Bend, the Dodge City High School wrestling team had a quick turnaround in competing in the Shawnee Mission Northwest Invitational on Saturday afternoon.
To say the Demons had a little motivation behind them would be an understatement.
Wrestling against some of the best competition in the state, the Demons clinched a third place finish in the Cougar Invite, finishing with 126.50 total team points, less than seven behind second place finisher Blue Valley Northwest.
Olathe East would capture the team title with 164.50 team points.
Earning tournament championships for the Demons were two State place winners from 2010: Alex Garcia at 113 pounds and Dane Edwards at 126.
Edwards, who had been held out of the dual against Great Bend for precautionary reasons with a swollen knee, returned to the mat in form, earning his second tournament championship in as many tries.
"Dane looked great, I think that was good advice from the doctors to make sure he was 100 percent," said head coach Lars Lueders. "He was dominant the whole tournament, so it was pretty cool to watch."
As for Garcia, he bounced back after a letdown for himself Thursday in Great Bend, going 3-0 in his weight class for his first title of the season.
"We bumped Alex up against the state champion at Great Bend because he wants to take on the tough kids, so that's what we let him do," Lueders said. "He came in on Saturday with a chip on his shoulder for sure and he got after it. He wrestled a very tough kid in the finals and controlled that match pretty well. I think he rebounded very well."
Other tournament place winners for the Demons include Jaquan Graves (third, 120 pounds), Jacob Eggers (second, 160 pounds), Corey Keller (fourth, 170 pounds) and Freddy Hernandez (third, 195 pounds). For Keller, it was his first ever varsity tournament medal, which will surely boost his confidence as the season goes along.
Lueders went on to say how the team bounced back from a bad defeat on Thursday to really come out and put that behind them, proving why the Demons are a team that is continually in top-10 in the State tournament.
"It was a great trip , especially considering how the dual went on Thursday," Lueders said. "I feel like our kids had a pick-me-up, they wrestled a lot better, a lot more enthused and overall I thought it was a positive trip."
To make the tournament even more exciting, Jaden McRoberts, Zach Cook, Jhett Ostrom and Miguel Marino each won their first varsity match during the invite, something Lueders said was a very nice first to be able to happen this early in the season.
Next up for the Demon wrestlers is a clash with Garden City in a dual tonight at the Dodge City High School Field House. The dual has been aptly named the "Hall of Fame" dual, as the Dodge City Wrestling Association will announce their first two members of the Demon wrestling Hall of Fame.
After the ceremonies, the Demons and Buffaloes will butt heads in a rivalry that creates fireworks, regardless of the sport being played.
For Lueders, it's an exciting time, as his kids get to continue their season, while fans will be able to see what he and those behind the scenes have been involved with in creating the DCWA.
"The fans will see our JV kids wrestle, which is the future of the Demon program, they will also see our two new Hall of Fame members," Lueders said. "We feel like it's really important to honor and celebrate the things that Dodge City wrestlers have done in the past, so hopefully the community comes out and celebrates those past accomplishments as well."
The dual is slated to begin at 6 p.m. with the ceremonies happening before the Demons and Buffaloes square off on the mat.
Great Bend JV Tournament
1st Place – David Montoya (113), Trae Phillips (285)
2nd Place – Alex Soltero (120)
3rd Place – Victor Ortiz (126), Michael Daramus (152), Jimmy Ward (220)
4th Place – Caleb Crockett (120)
