Wins have not come easy for the Mancos High School wrestling team this season, but according to head coach Grant Hobbs, the Bluejays continue to improve.
Competing in Ignacio at the Butch Melvin Invitational on Jan. 31, five Bluejays won at least one match, and the team finished in the bottom quarter of the 16-team tournament.
Leading the way for Mancos was the 145-pound junior Andrew Morgan, who finished the tournament with a 3-2 record.
"(Andrew) wrestled his best all-around tournament of the year," said Hobbs. "His three wins came against wrestlers from our region so he set himself up in a good place for (regionals)."
Also winning multiple matches for the Bluejays was 113-pound senior Rudy Archuleta, who finished 2-3 overall.
Hobbs said that small errors cost Archuleta at least one win.
"(Rudy) wrestled pretty solid," said Hobbs. "Little mistakes were what cost him in the long run."
Other Mancos wrestlers notching victories included 126-pound freshman Kaleb Hargraves (1-3), 170-pound junior Austin Howerton (1-3) and 152-pound sophomore Bowen Strazza-Whalen (1-3).
"(Bowen) really turned the page and wrestled with the intensity that we have been trying to get him to wrestle with all season," said Hobbs. "(Kaleb) wrestled really tough, but he's young and he's making little mistakes. (Austin) is making vast improvements."
Bluejays freshman Cameron Fury finished 0-4 in the 160-pound division and 120-pound sophomore Hunter Kocourek finished 0-5.
Next up for Mancos will be the San Juan Basin League Duals, which will take place in Mancos on Feb. 6.
The Duals will be the first in Mancos since the wrestling program was resurrected two years ago.
"It's really important for my kids to get people here," said Hobbs. "It's the second year of our program and (the Duals) will be the first time that we get to come home and show the hard work that we've been doing. Our community really needs to come out and see what these kids do."
Dolores, Ignacio, Norwood and Dove Creek will also take part in the Duals, which will begin at 4 p.m.
