Baird and Smith hope to three-peat at State Tourney

The Virgin Valley High School Bulldogs wrestling team could not match Boulder City High Schools depth Saturday morning in Las Vegas placing second to the Eagles in the 3A Southern Regional tournament. The Eagles scored 290.5 points to the Dawgs 201.5 points. The Bulldogs had five wrestlers win their weight classes. Bulldog Rudy Cannon won the 106 lb. weight class over teammate freshman Gage Woods, defending state champions Ty Smith and Jacob Baird return to state winning their 120 lb. and 132 lb. weight classes respectively. Bulldog Cresent Crandall surprised with a win at 170 lbs. and Dayden Payne won the 285 lb. class winning on points 4-2 over his Eagle opponent.

Cannon defeated teammate Woods 6-2, Smith defeated his Eagle opponent on a technical fall winning 25-10, Baird also defeated an Eagle opponent 8-2, Crandall kept the ball rolling winning by decision 10-4 over his Eagle opponent. Payne finished the competition defeating his Eagle opponent with a 4-2 decision.

Bulldog Cache Burnside win/loss relationship to Victor Parra of Del Sol continued as Parra reversed a 3-2 loss to Burnside two weeks ago, winning on points 3-1. Bulldog Vicente Pinto won his third place match on a fall at 2:40 minutes. Nathan Abbott lost his semi-final losing by fall and Timmy Moeai lost his third place match at 152 lbs. on a close 2-1 decision.

The top five qualifiers in all weight classes will travel to Northern Nevada’s Spanish Springs High School for the State Wrestling Tournament beginning Friday Feb.10 in concluding Feb.11.