Welton Invitational set to showcase four-state wrestlers
Published 1/27/2011 in Prep-Garden City
By BRETT MARSHALL
bmarshall@gctelegram.com
Even when the Garden City High School wrestling program had its powerhouse teams of the 1990s, the Buffaloes found it difficult to win the then Garden City Invitational.
When the tournament, named the Rocky Welton Invitational in 2005 for retired GCHS legendary coach Rocky Welton, begins on Friday and concludes Saturday night, GCHS coach Monte Moser won't be surprised if his team isn't the team champion.
It has been 18 years since the Buffs last won the Invitational (1993), the last of a four-year run (1990-93) and was the 18th team title for the Buffaloes.
Defending its championship this year will be Ponderosa, Colo., who barely edged Rio Rancho, N.M., the champion in 2008-09. Ponderosa had also claimed team titles in 2006-07.
"It's always been a tough, tough tournament," said Moser, who has been in the GCHS program for nearly three decades and is now in his fourth year as head coach. "While it's important for us to do well and represent the school and community, I don't want the boys to lose sight of the fact that we don't want to peak for another month."
Moser is talking about the Class 6A state wrestling tournament that will be contested in Wichita (Feb. 25-26).
Until then, the Welton is the last major tournament for the Buffs.
Over the final few weeks of the regular season, the Buffs will have a quadrangular meet with Western Athletic Conference foes Hays, Great Bend and Liberal (Feb. 3), an away dual at Colby and then the 6A regional in Wichita (Feb. 19 at Campus High School in Haysville).
"I just try not to play it (Welton) up too much because we don't want the kids peaking this time of the season," Moser said. "With that said, it's a darn good practice for the state tournament. If you place here, you've got a good chance of placing at state."
It has been a season of injuries, illness and roster changes that have plagued the Buffaloes at times.
Moser, though, said his team was about as healthy as it has been all season for the Welton.
"We've healed up about as good as we can," Moser said early this week.
That would be most everyone except junior Braxston Medina, a finalist at 135 pounds a year ago. Medina, who has been battling a hip injury and missed the Derby Invitational, has been scratched for the Welton.
"He'll miss the Welton and we hope it will not be for the season," Moser said.
Junior Tyson Phillus (12-6) at 145 pounds sprained an ankle during Tuesday's practice and also will miss the Invitational.
"It seems like this stuff happens every year," Moser said. "It's just part of it. We don't like it, but there's not much to be done about it."
Senior Colt McElroy won the 119-pound title a year ago by default when Liberal's Adrian Salas was scratched from the finals. Medina lost his title match at 135 when he got pinned and former GCHS state titleholder Joey Dozier was defeated in his 145-pound championship match. Those were the only three Buffs in the finals a year ago.
Among the top GCHS wrestlers who will compete; McElroy at 130 (21-3), Jon Heiman at 152 (27-4), Anthony Shockley at 171 (25-4) and Aaron DeLeon at 189 (27-5) will be among those to contend for top honors.
"Our primary focus will just be to continue to improve on the things we work on and get better," Moser said.
Read more:
http://www.gctelegram.com/sports/Rocky-Welton-Invitational-Preview-1-27-11#ixzz1CGLW7zob
