Grand Junction, Colo. – The Grizzlies competed in RMAC action Saturday afternoon at Brownson Arena, taking on the number 9 ranked Colorado Mesa Mavericks.
Final Score: Adams State: 18, Colorado Mesa: 20
The dual kicked off at 125 pounds, where No. 3-ranked Isaiah Gamez faced No. 10-ranked Dayson Torgerson. After a quiet first period, Gamez managed to draw a stall warning against Torgerson. He capitalized with a four-point near fall in the second period and drew another stall to lead 5-0. Dominating on top, Gamez secured a riding time point and earned a decisive 6-0 victory.
At 133 pounds, Adam Concepcion of Adams State battled No. 19-ranked Oran Huff in a closely contested match. Concepcion struggled to generate offense, scoring only on a reversal off Huff's opening shot and an escape in the second period. Concepcion ultimately fell by a score of 8-3.
No. 9-ranked Angel Flores squared off against Denim Torgerson at 141 pounds. After a hard-fought scramble, Flores secured an early takedown and maintained control. A third-period reversal added to his score, giving him a 5-2 victory with an additional riding time point.
At 149 pounds, Kieran "Spesh" Thompson took on No. 18-ranked Alex Castaneda. Following a quiet first period, Thompson reversed the momentum in the second with a reversal, taking a 2-0 lead. He kept up the pressure with a third-period takedown, securing a 5-1 upset victory.
No. 6-ranked Aaden Valdez faced Owen Cline at 157 pounds. Valdez came out strong, building an 8-3 lead. Though he allowed some late takedowns, Valdez held on for a 12-10 victory.
The Grizzlies extended their lead at 165 pounds, where Levi Deaguero faced William Alvarado. Deaguero scored a quick takedown in the first period and finished the match with an impressive pinfall at 2:26, putting the Grizzlies up 18-3.
At 174 pounds, Dallas Porter took on Augustus Dalton. Porter fell behind 7-2 early but battled back with a second-period takedown, narrowing the score to 7-5. Despite a near takedown in the final moments, Porter lost a close decision, 7-6.
Sergio Zaragoza faced Tanner Baumgartner at 184 pounds. Zaragoza struggled to generate offense, earning only a first-period escape and trailing 3-1 early. Though he added two escapes and a late takedown in the third, a Mesa challenge overturned an earlier takedown call. Zaragoza ultimately fell by decision, 10-7.
At 197 pounds, Wil Aucoin faced No. 14-ranked Gabriel Carranza. Aucoin was taken down early and pinned at 2:45, narrowing the team score to 18-15.
The final match of the dual came at 285 pounds (HWT), where Ronan Melani took on No. 14-ranked Tyler Doyle. Melani struggled to find offensive opportunities, scoring only on escapes, and was tech-falled by a score of 20-4 at 5:40.
The Grizzlies, who led the dual until the final match, suffered a heartbreaking 18-20 loss. They look to bounce back as they return home to take on the Chadron State College Eagles on Thursday, January 30 at 6:00 p.m. in Alamosa.
