2A wrestling: Geyer adds to legacy at Cedaredge; Wray wins team title
DENVER — In one of the most spectacular venues for Colorado sports, the Pepsi Center, Trey Geyer became the first two-time wrestling champion for his school.
“It’s just another step closer to being what I’ve always dreamed about, the first four-timer in Cedaredge history,” he said of topping the 120-pound bracket. “Being the first two-timer is pretty amazing.”
When Sean Dale and Geyer clinched finals victories a season ago, they ended a 32-year title drought for the program. A surprisingly quick pin of Rocky Ford senior Dillon Jaramillo on Saturday, a Class 2A match that only took one minute, 47 seconds, was another achievement for Geyer.
What a way to open a prep career.
“I think it means a lot to everyone, because nobody’s really seen us as a wrestling school until the last couple years,” the sophomore said.
Geyer was a top-notch competitor all season with a 37-3 record. When he spoke after the match, his excitement had much to do with representing his program (Taj Van de Linde, 220 winner), his school, and even his family. His brother is working on the craft as well.
“He’s a sixth grader this year, so he’ll get to see what the middle school state championship is like back up here in April,” Geyer said.
The Cedaredge star was one of several repeat winners in 2A while the Eagles of Wray clinched back-to-back team titles with 166 points. The runner-up was Cedaredge with 96, just nipping Centauri (95).
As one of the more entertaining wrestlers under the bright lights, John Mall’s Wesley Van Matre put three fingers up and completed an acrobatic move after he defeated Tyler Collins (Wray) in the 138-pound finals.
“I told my buddy I would do a flip if I win and he didn’t believe I could do a backflip,” Van Matre stated matter-of-factly. “I think I won my bet.”
With a first round pin of his own (3:26), Van Matre positioned himself to become a four-timer as a senior. But, he won’t let his hunger diminish.
“I just want to get better at what I do every day and hopefully this happens next year,” the junior said. “The feeling gets better and better every year.”
John Mall teammate Anthony Aldretti rose up from the fifth seed to the top of the podium in the 132-pound class. He’s only a sophomore.
In the 106-pound division, Fowler senior Seth McFall (2A wrestler of the year) won back-to-back titles with a takedown of Rye freshman Cole Miller. One match later, Michael Atencio earned Rye’s first-ever individual state championship with a 5-1 decision over Rockwell.
Jayce Bauer (220) conquered a state bracket for the first time in his final prep match. Even better, he finished the season undefeated with a 39-0 record for County Line.
As for the team chase, Wray left no doubt who the 2A king would be this weekend. The Eagles didn’t have a single individual winner Saturday, but Collins, Cade Rockwell (113), Cade Hillman (160), and Carlos Tarin (170) all nabbed silver medals.
The Eagles now have 13 titles to their credit, but finally snapped a three-decade winless streak in 2018. Now they have begun a new championship era. Their depth and top-end talent led to a decisive win for coach Matt Brown’s crew and the tradition-rich Eagles were flying high again. Wray was able to top a terrific 2A field.
