By VERNON ROBISON
Moapa Valley Progress
The Moapa Valley High School Wrestling team hosted its final division dual meet on Thursday night, Jan. 30, against Sunrise Mountain from Las Vegas. The Pirate team went out of the regular season with a bang trouncing Sunrise Mountain, 60-21.
Many Pirate athletes won their matches up and down the weight classes.
Cyrus Katich (106) won his match against Osvaldo Rosas with a first period pin.
Clay Whipple won the 138 lb class by fall over Destiny Estrada.
Sunrise Mtn. wrestler Ulysses Sulaso, in the 160 lb class, failed to make weight, giving MVHS senior Russell Bodily a win by forfeit. But Bodily went ahead and fought Sulaso in an exhibition match and beat him with a 2nd period fall.
At 170 lb, MVHS senior Hayden Redd wrestled against Issa Ziaveh and won by pin in the first period.
Senior Jett Jackman bumped up from his 170 lb class to fill a spot for the team at 182. He went up against Angel Cruz and came away with a pin in the first period.
Last week’s match was also the Senior Night celebration for Pirate seniors. MVHS head coach Tyson Houston paid tribute to each of the four seniors wrestling this year which included Bodily, Jackman, Ryan McMurray and Redd.
“It has been a privelege to coach the seniors that we have had this year,” Houston said.
Houston recalled that he had been coaching Bodily since he was in junior high school in the youth program. Bodily’s family moved to Germany during his years as an underclassmen, but the family returned before his junior year, Houston said.
“Russell is an outstanding talent with a great work ethic,” Houston said. “He is a good young man with a lot of integrity and high moral principles who stands up for what he believes.”
Houston said he had also been coaching Redd since he was in seventh grade.
“He came into high school as a bigger kid,” Houston recalled of Redd. “He was at 145 as a freshman which meant that he went up against a lot of juniors and seniors and he took some beatings. But he has worked hard and come up through the ranks. He has a great opportunity to go far in the state competition this year!”
Houston said that McMurray had been wrestling since his freshman year of high school.
“Ryan is not the most athletic one on the team, but he has won the grinder award just about every year,” Houston said of McMurray. “He outworks everybody and does everything he is asked. He gives it 100 percent and we have seen some moments of real brilliance in his wrestling.”
Jett Jackman is only a second year wrestler. In his junior year, he had to be coaxed to join the wrestling team because he thought he was too tall for the sport. Houston said that he showed Jackman videos of accomplished tall wrestlers competing and convinced Jett to give it a try.
“He has been a great addition to the team and he works really hard,” Houston said. “He has been fun to coach and has a lot of drive.”
Houston said that all four seniors have a good shot to finish in the top four at regionals and go to state.
This weekend, the Pirates travel to Chaparral to compete in the Regional tournament. Those who grapple their way into the top four of their weight class will advance to the State Championship meet which will be held in Mesquite on February 10-11.
