Carson wrestlers win first region title since 2007

When Carson High's Nico Garcia stepped onto the mat for his 182-pound championship match against Douglas' Zachary Singer, he was under a lot of pressure.

Win, and the regional title belonged to the Senators. Lose, and the favored Spanish Springs Cougars would be the champs.

Not only did Garcia win, but he put Singer on his back with 10 seconds left in the opening period, bringing a loud roar from the Carson rooting section, and giving Carson a 215.5-212.0 win Saturday at the 4A regionals at Morse Burley Gym.

The regional title was the 12th in school history and the first since 2007.

All told, eight Carson wrestlers advanced to next weekend's state meet - Garcia, Kyle Sharp (2nd, 106), Sammy Mercado (2nd,113), Cole McCarthy (1st, 126), Jordan Luhrs (2nd, 152), Brady Rivera (3rd, 170), Patrick Cooke (2nd, 220) and Brayan Burgos (3rd, 285).

Three Douglas wrestlers moved on - Singer, Logan Ames (126) and Sullivan Cauley (195).

"I knew I only needed to win," Garcia said. "Cassie (Carter, wife of assistant coach Paul Carter). "She told me to go out and win. At one point we were ahead pretty good and then they caught us after the third-fourth place matches. It was nerve-racking.

"It was a blast. It was better because we were at home. Everybody came out and rooted for us. I was texting everybody to come out."

Coach Tim McCarthy, who entered the day with all 13 of his wrestlers alive, was pleased that his team was able to come back and win the team title.

"There were a lot of different heroes today," McCarthy said. "Brayan (Burgos) pinned a Spanish Springs kid for third place. Colby Brown (non-qualifer) wrestled really hard both days, probably one of his best tournaments.

"In the end it came down to Nico. We knew he would be a heavy favorite. He came out so pumped up that we wanted to make sure that he didn't get caught."

McCarthy shouldn't have worried.

Garcia came out fast, building a quick 5-0 lead on a takedown and near fall. He had Singer on the run from the outset.

"I wanted to come aggressive," Garcia said. "I wanted to put him on his back and stick him. That's all I wanted to do."

Cole McCarthy, who was third a year ago at this tournament, reached the finals with a 10-4 decision over Weston Jamison, and then followed it up with a second-round pin of Douglas' Logan Ames in the finals.

Until McCarthy recorded the fall, Ames gave him everything and then some. At one time, McCarthy trailed 6-3 before recording a reversal to pull to within 6-5. The pin came moments later.

"I was scared," coach McCarthy said. "He's not a come-from-behind type of guy. That kid is very good. We knew he was good. Cole definitely didn't come in overconfident."

"With the tootsie roll (move) I think I can come back on anybody," Cole McCarthy said. "He was a lot more aggressive than when we wrestled before (in a dual). He seemed a lot quicker. I was a little nervous. I knew if I pinned him that would put us back in the lead."

Carson felt it had a good opportunity to get a third title with 106-pounder Kyle Sharp, but a controversial call toward he end of the match gave Spanish Springs' Ryan Long a 4-3 win.

Sharp fell behind 4-0, but a reversal with 36 seconds left in the match and a stalling point made it 4-3. Long stayed down on his stomach, and was able to run out the clock. The partisan crowd kept calling for another penalty point, but it wasn't to be.

"That was disappointing," McCarthy said. "He's beaten that kid before."

"Maybe I came out a little cocky," Sharp said. "I'm going to prove next weekend that I'm better than him. I know I'm better."

Mercado reached the finals with a 42-second pin. He ran into Spanish Springs' Austin Lee in the finals. Mercado had a brief 2-1 lead with a takedown with 52 seconds left in the second period, but was pinned 24 seconds later.

"He's a good wrestler," Mercado said. "I wrestled him at a little tournament this summer and did much better than I did today even though I lost. I feel good about getting to the finals and making state."

After a first-round bye, Luhrs won two straight to reach the finals where he met an old nemesis, Drew Smith, who beat him for the second time in three weeks. Smith gained a 2-0 lead and then pinned Luhrs with 55 seconds left in the opening period.

Rivera, a freshman, was a big surprise for the Senators. After being pinned by Wooster's Steven Elicegui in the semis, he came back to beat Wooster's Jake McAlvain by fall and Damonte's Rory Anderson, 5-2, to grab third place.

"We looked at the Elcegui match as survival," assistant coach Paul Carter said. "We looked at it as a good experience. He's a freshman and he made state. That's big. He's been wrestling really well lately."

Cooke, who placed fifth last year in the New Mexico state tournament, beat Galena's Adrain Martinez to reach he finals where her ran into undefeated Spencer Empey of Reed, who grabbed a 14-1 decision.

Burgos was pinned in the semis by Reed's Jeremy Macauley, but then came back to pin Douglas' Ian Kendrick and Spanish Springs' Chase Haulder, the latter with five seconds left in the match.

Three wrestlers - Adan Ortega (120), Nicholas Lani (132) and Javier Torres (195) - finished fourth, one spot away from qualifying.

Lani took on Dan Morrissey in the semis, and seemed headed for a 2-1 win when Morrissey worked a reversal in the final two seconds to grab a 3-2 win. The Carson coaches briefly disputed the call to no avail.

"I wouldn't call it a reversal," Carter said. "I don't think it was the right call, but we also can't put ourselves in that position."

"I made the wrong move and he caught me," Lani said. "I don't think he had full control (on the reversal)."

Lani pinned North Valleys' Michael Sperske in his next match, but was pinned by Spanish Springs' Austin Yohey in the third-place match.

Ortega lost to Spanish Springs' Curtis Lampert in the semis, pinned Max McReynolds to get back into the consolation finals where he was pinned by Reed's Jake Otuafi. Torres pinned two opponents, but was pinned by McQueen's Bob Wood in the third-place match.

Carson got a tough break at 138 pounds when Austin Brown suffered a leg injury during his semifinal match against Taylor Hagar of North Valleys, and he was unable to continue in the tournament.