Thompson Valley captures first team wrestling title in 4A

Morgan Fogg of Thompson Valley celebrates after winning the 113-pound 4A final during the Colorado state wrestling finals, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com) More photos.

DENVER — All season, Thompson Valley High School’s wrestling team was considered the best in Class 4A.

On Saturday night, the Eagles made it official.

Morgan Fogg (113 pounds), Vlad Kazako (120), Ben Hewson (152), Parker Simington (160), and David Eusea (195) each won gold medals powering Thompson Valley to its first state wrestling title in school history at the Pepsi Center.

“It is the best feeling ever to win a team title and an individual title,” said Fogg, who beat Palisade’s Randen Espinoza 8-1 in the finals. “(Hugging my dad) made me cry.”

Dave Fogg, Morgan’s father, was a three-time state champ at Berthoud from 1985-87.

The Eagles finished with 198.50 points, easily outdistancing second-place Pueblo County (140.5). Thompson Valley actually clinched the coveted title on Friday night. (See full results.)

“That was a different pressure because we really weren’t used to having a target on our back,” said Thompson Valley coach Dave Juergensen, whose wrestling program has been chasing a wrestling state title since the school opened in 1976-77. “It was kind of fun being the underdog because there was no pressure. If we go out and find a way to win a state tournament as an underdog then it is something special. But, when you have teams gunning for you from the very start of the year it was an added pressure that I thought those guys handled really well.”

Thompson Valley also scored the fourth most points in a state tourney behind only Wiggins (232 points, 1999), Wray (213, 1984) and Moffat County (204, 1994).

Juergensen has been coaching the Eagles since the 2002-2003 season, taking over for his father Dan.

“This team this season kind of set the tone for future teams to let them know they can do it (win state),” Dave said. “It is finally a possibility that our school can do it. This feels good and it feels good for my dad because he has a lot to do with it. That’s good that is off our shoulders.”

Simington, a junior, won his second gold medal in a row with his 16-1 tech fall over Greeley Central’s Adam Rojas. Simington won at 145 pounds a year ago.

“This is just mind blowing and really exciting,” said Simington, who finished the season with a 31-0 record. “It’s awesome that we had such a great tournament as a team. We just fed off each other. We set the goal at the beginning of the season to win state and it is awesome to see it come true.”

Kazakov, trailing 2-0 to Durango’s Matthew Lavengood in the first period, rallied to win 5-2.

Vlad Kazakov of Thompson Valley slams Matthew Lavengood of Durango in a 120-pound 4A final during the Colorado state wrestling finals, Saturday, Feb. 21, 2015, at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com) More photos.

“I just tried to keep calm,” Kazakov said. “When Morgan won, I knew I had to keep that momentum going. Everything worked out perfect.”

Ben Hewson also was thrilled to do his part in the memorable weekend, muscling past Myles Wilson of Glenwood Springs 4-2.

“Being one of the captains of this team, it feels so cool,” said the senior Hewson, who was a state runner-up at 138 pounds last season. “We all put the work in last year and this summer and it all paid off, and this just feels great.”

Eusea clipped Fort Morgan’s Alex Mai 7-4. The Eagles’ Mike Berg was a state runner-up at 170 pounds.

Despite Thompson Valley’s runaway championship, Juergensen acknowledged it definitely wasn’t easy.

“We had some amazing things happen, some upsets happen, and I just think those guys fed off each other and I think that quarterfinal round was one of the biggest rounds we had,” Juergensen said. “We just kept on rolling with that.”

HORNETS SHOW STING: Pueblo County High School did come up short in winning its first wrestling title in school history, but veteran coach Eddie Soto was pleased with his team’s second-place performance.

“This feels really good,” Soto said. “I can’t say enough about how these kids rose to the occasion.”

Hunter Willits of Pueblo County flips Erik Lobato-Contrera of Mountain View  in a 4A 138-pound semifinal, Friday. (Kai Casey/CHSAANow.com) More photos.

The Hornets Josiah Nava (106 pounds), Chris Sandoval (126), and Hunter Willits (138) were all champions. Willits walked away with his second state title with a 15-0 technical fall over Windsor’s Gerald Mack.

He also became the inaugural Pueblo prep wrestler to win back-to-back state titles as a freshman and sophomore.

His win helped somewhat cushion the blow of his fraternal twin brother Grant being disqualified Friday morning for missing weight. Grant, who was competing at 113 pounds this season, won a gold medal as a freshman at 106 pounds.

“I was wrestling for myself and my brother,” Hunter said.

Nava beat Widefield’s Stephen Debelko 10-2, and Sandoval defeated Falcon’s Jacob Butler 6-0.

ANOTHER GOLD RUSH: Hunter Willits and Simington were not the only wrestlers to return to the top of the podium. Discovery Canyon’s Sam Turner (132) and Fort Morgan’s Toby McBride (220) also won their second consecutive gold medals.

Turner was the 120-pound champ last year and McBride was in the same 220-pound class in 2014.

“This feels great,” Turner said. “I don’t think I can compare the two state titles because it was equally exciting to win both times. I just kept my composure (Saturday night) and acted like I’ve been here before.”

Turner defeated Air Academy’s Peter Tyler Hanenburg 7-0. McBride (32-1) edged Palmer Ridge’s John Delacruz 3-1. Delacruz, a senior, had a 36-0 record.