Panthers in grappling action
WALSENBURG- Injuries and ineligibilities have plagued the Cats all season, but in spite of that, Coach Vialpando is looking to mat several grapplers as they prepare for their big tournament on Saturday when they travel to Thornton, Colorado to participate in the Ralston Valley Classic. This tournament will feature teams from all over northern Colorado and from the 5A-2A ranks. It will be an opportunity for the Panther team to shine in individual competition. Clayton Archuleta, who was ranked number three in the state, is looking to improve his record in a new weight class and his quest for a state title. Waylon Cordova is also ranked number 3 in the state at 119 pounds.
Redskins hit the hardwood
LA VETA- The La Veta Redskins will be in action with a pair of games at home this weekend. On Friday, the Skins will play the Center Vikings in divisional action and then on Saturday, the Del Norte Tigers will come to town. Both the girls and boys teams will see action. The Lady Skins (3-1) will face a weaker team in both the Lady Vikings (2-2) and the 1-3 Tigers. If the Lady Redskins are on top of their game, they should breeze through their competition.
The La Veta boys should have a more difficult challenge. The 3-1 Vikings will pose the first challenge for La Veta as the Skins enter a new division and class 2A ball. Redskin Dakota Mason has been consistent in his past few games, and he and Franklin Geiser will need to dominate the boards to contain Center.
On Saturday, Del Norte (1-4) will come seeking victory after a pair of losses just before the holiday break. Those losses came at the hands of La Junta (5-1) who plays 3A ball and Rocky Ford (6-0). Rocky defeated La Junta earlier in the season. The Tigers are coming to town hoping to gain some momentum as they enter the meat of the season. La Veta will be looking to score a win to show the rest of the division that as newcomers they are not to be overlooked. A pair of victories this weekend will show the rest of the league that the Redskins are for real.
Mat action
LA VETA- The Redskins will travel to Westcliffe this Saturday to participate in the Custer County wrestling tournament. The Ortivez brothers, Adam and Ron III, along with Stephen Kimbrel, will be putting their undefeated records on the line, hoping to capture their fourth first-place finish. A first-place medal here should solidify their rankings as the best wrestlers in their weight class. James Smalley and Nicholas Northup, who also placed in the La Veta tournament last month, are improving and a top placement here would put them on the path for a return to the state tournament.
Panthers on the road again
WALSENBURG– High school basketball begins in earnest following the holiday break with the John Mall Panthers traveling to Fowler tomorrow for hoop action for both boys and girls. The Lady Panthers (1-5) will face a tough Grizzly team (2-4) in what should be a close match-up. Traveling to the Fowler Grizzly Den is always tough for any opponent, and the ladies hope to get back on the winning side. With Katie Monahan back in the line-up after an injury early in the season, the Panthers should be able to dominate the boards and gain control.
The Panther boys (2-5) should have little trouble against the Grizzlies (0-6) who are looking for their first victory of the season. Fowler, a perennial foe for the Panthers, has shown little offense all season and virtually no defense as they have lost all their games by an average of over thirty points. If the Panthers get hot on offense, they could hand Fowler their seventh consecutive loss.
