Fallon's Kobe Abe, top, dominates Spring Creek's Jesse James in the regional duals.
It’s nothing less than David fighting Goliath in the desert.
After qualifying 10 wrestlers and taking third in last weekend’s regional tournament, the Greenwave will try to dethrone the giants of the Division I-A wrestling world when everyone gathers in Primm today and Saturday for the state championships.
“We can’t flop around and make mistakes, especially on the big stage, state,” first-year coach Trevor de Braga said. “We will face adversity this weekend and need to push through and come out on top.”
Sean McCormick (138 pounds), Jack Swisher (145), Trae Workman (160) and Sam Goings (170) each won their weight class and will be the No. 1 seed from the north. Terry White (106) and Matt Goings (152) each took second, Mason Smith (113) and Juan Ledezma (182) finished third, and Dylan McAfee (126) and Kobe Abe (285) ended in fourth to give Fallon a shot at making a run for the team title.
“Last weekend was the beginning of the last phase of the season,” Workman said. “Our performance was good. Ten kids going to state is excellent and we need to keep the intensity up in practice and also need to just sharpen our techniques.”
Mistakes will need to be kept at a minimum, especially on the biggest stage. While Fallon qualified 10 wrestlers, regional champion Spring Creek will send 15 wrestlers to state while runner up Lowry will have 13.
Smith and McAfee both lost in the semifinals at the regional tournament where a win could have vaulted them into the championship and finish no worse than second. De Braga, though, feels they can rebound this weekend.
“We made mistakes and their opponents didn’t,” de Braga said. “Both of the matches they lost were ones we can win and I believe it will happen this week if we get the chance to wrestle them at state.”
White has been battling a common foe in Spring Creek’s Josh Tripp, who got the best of White in the regional championship. Again, de Braga’s confident White can move past the lose with a bounce-back win that could give him a state title.
“Terry made mistakes that cost him so we got to cut that out and he will come out on top,” de Braga said.
With four No. 1 seeds, Fallon has a strong chance at capturing multiple state championships. Goings has won the last two state championships while Workman won it as a sophomore two years ago.
Goings said with only one week left in the season, Fallon needed to remain focused on the ultimate prize, especially if the Greenwave wants to win the school’s first-ever team state title.
“We’ve put ourselves in good positions going into state this weekend,” Goings said. “We just have to focus for one more week in the room and let out wrestling take care of itself on Saturday.”