San Juan wins Dawg Fight to lead way for county wrestling teams

The San Juan High School wrestling team won a hard-fought championship trophy at the Dove Creek Dawg Fight Tournament on December 11.

The Broncos racked up 165 team points to narrowly defeat the Mancos Bluejays, who scored 163 points.

Whitehorse scored 18 points to finish ninth in the team score, while Monument Valley scored six team points. The Broncos didn’t have an individual champion but claimed nine second-place finishes to earn the team win.

Earning runner-up honors in their weight classes were Chad Yellow at 106 pounds, Nicholas Joe at 120 pounds, Lynnox Benn at 126 pounds, Parker Snyder at 132 pounds, JD Palmer at 138 pounds, Landon Black at 152 pounds, Trace Bennett at 160 pounds, Zach Palmer at 182 pounds, and Chance Hoggard at 285 pounds.

Finishing in third place were Deklan Helquist at 120 pounds and Taylor Black at 220 pounds.

Taren Bayles at 113 pounds, Logan Keith at 152 pounds, and Tyler Bayles at 170 pounds each finished in fourth place. Tyler Winn won two matches and finished fifth at 160 pounds.

Six Mancos wrestlers won their individual weight classes, but it was not enough to overcome the Bronco team effort.

Steve Simpson and Shane Musselman are coaching the Broncos this season. Simpson is excited about the team, saying, “This is the best team that San Juan High School has seen in a few decades.

“They are exceptionally good. A great deal of credit to the junior high coaches who have prepared the wrestlers for high school.”

Only two Whitehorse Raiders participated in the tournament, but they both finished second in their weight classes. Shea Benally was second at 195 pounds and Marcus Denny was second at 220 pounds.

Five Monument Valley Cougars participated in the tournament, including Shayden Fatt, Myron Benally, Deion Singer, Ethan Begay, and Shandon Fatt.