Season closes for five teams
Three San Juan Broncos made the walk of champions at the 2008 State 2A Wrestling tournament. Joseph Begaye came within an eyelash of wrestling for the state championship and was the highest finisher for Coach JJ Squires’ team with an excellent third place finish at 171 pounds.
Begaye, a senior, was impressive in his first two matches, putting him in a titantic semi-final match which he lost 10-9. He made quick work of two more wrestlers and earned a third place medal, one spot higher than a fourth place finish last year. Evidence of Begaye’s tough march to third is that four of the five wrestlers he met placed in the top six. He caps a fine senior season with a 39-7 record and was the first Bronco to compete in the Annual All-Star Classic.
JJ Grover ended his fine Bronco wrestling career with another winner’s circle finish; a fourth place finish to go with fifth last year and third as a sophomore. Grover’s trail to fourth place included four wins at the tournament. He ends his injury-plagued senior season with a 27-7 record.
Junior Kyle Shumway battled his way to sixth place at 285 pounds. He earned three wins at state and finishes with a 36-14 record.
Also wrestling for the Broncos at state are freshman Ty Hosler (2-2), sophomore Benny Royer (1-2), junior Kyson Shumway, (1-2), senior Cameron Arthur (0-2), junior Oliver Parker (0-2), sophomore Jesse Grover (1-2), and senior Marcus Conway (1-2). Hosler finishes 27-20, Royer 22-15, Shumway, 28-18, Arthur 15-24, Parker 26-16, Grover 14-30 and Conway 19-14.
MHS wrestling news
Aaron Butler’s fourth state title puts him in rare company. Not only did Aaron accomplish a goal he set for himself way back in the fourth grade, but he bested all his brothers and father, who own a few state championships themselves, eight to be exact, giving the Butler family 12 state championships in wrestling.
Butler won 13 matches in the four state championship runs, 11 by pin. Butler plans to participate in the senior nationals in Virginia Beach in March, go to basic training for the military in the summer and perhaps wrestle in college in the fall. He has had conversations with Utah Valley University about just such a thing.
Coltan Musselman, with a state championship at 112, is the only freshman in the state to win a state championship in any classification. He also becomes the seventh father and son combination to win state championships for the Bucks, following his dad and assistant coach Ron Musselman.
Ron Musselman won state championships in 1981 and ‘82. Uncle Bob Musselman won a state championship for San Juan High back in the 1950s, so maybe it is the first son-father-uncle champion combination. Musselman and Butler own the 66th and 67th championship rings for Monticello High since the first one won by Ralph Pelliccia in 1959.
Basketball
The basketball seasons of the Lady Bucks, Lady Broncos and boy Broncos all ended disconcertingly.
After besting Meridian 43-13, the Lady Bucks were three seconds from the semi-finals, leading 50-49 in overtime against Intermountain Christian when the second-ranked Lions prevented the upset with a 10 foot buzzer beater.
The Lady Bucks had a hard time recovering from that devastating defeat, falling to Bryce Valley 49-35 to end their state tournament one day early. Ashley Dowell ended her exceptional four year career for the Bucks with 41 points in the three games.
Junior Bettina Benally pitched in 38 points and fellow junior Linda Barton tossed in 37 in the three games, a good harbinger for next year. The Lady Bucks finish at 13-8.
The Lady Broncos’ season ended at the hands of the North Summit Lady Braves, 55-36 in the hated annual play-in game. Here’s a call for an end to the annual play-out game. Everyone else has a double elimination tournament; give 2A the same chance. The Braves broke open a slim 18-15 halftime lead by outscoring the Broncos 37-21 in the second half. The Lady Broncos finish the year at 8-14 in Justin Moon’s first year of coaching at SJH.
Coach Ryan Nielson and the boys Bronco team were upset by the Parowan Rams, 57-55 in overtime to deny the Broncos a trip to the state tournament, further supporting my point.
Nate Einerson lead the Broncos with 18 points. The Broncos return three starters for next year after a break-out 17-5 season. They should still be playing, in my opinion.