Head coach for the Nucla Mustangs Rob McCabe told the Forum the first tournament of the season in Panguitch, UT, was a success. When he found out the Moab tournament was dissolving, he’d looked for something he could take both boys and girls too.
The team ended up driving six and a half hours but found it to be a great tournament, coach said. He said everybody, all five boys and all three girls, ended up winning at least one match, which is huge.
For the girls, wrestling are sophomore Jocelyn Vose, freshman Cooper Andrews and coach’s daughter, freshman Kynnlie McCabe. In Utah, McCabe went 4-1, and she took fifth place at 120 pounds. Coach said she lost the wrong match, if she had to lose one, but for a ninth grader, it was overall good.
On the boys side, the guys wrestled both Friday and Saturday in Utah in “pool play” and brackets. Sophomore Jace Bonacquista ended up 11th at 120 pounds. Freshman Slade Carver was 17th at 106 pounds, and freshman Jonah Richardson ended up 19th at 126 pounds. Coach’s kid junior Jackson McCabe took second overall at 132 pounds.
McCabe wrestled the Utah state runner up in the finals, and lost to him. It happened to be the first person of the tournament he’d wrestled too, which was interesting. McCabe is ranked No. 4 in 2A wrestling this week.
According to coach, it was a great opening weekend. The Mustangs represented Nucla very well and were the only Colorado team present. Of course, many had never heard of Nucla, and there was some explaining to do.
“It was exactly what we needed with kids getting a bunch of matches and experience and seeing different competition,” he said.
The team went to Montrose over the weekend for the Western Slope Showdown. For the girls, Andrews didn’t wrestle, due to not feeling well. Vose went 0-2 against elite female wrestlers, one from Alamosa and one from North Fork. Both of those schools have strong girl programs. Kynnlie McCabe went 2-2 and was a match away from placing.
There in Montrose, McCabe was fifth; Carver was fifth too.
This weekend is the Warrior Classic, in Grand Junction. The boys wrestle Friday and Saturday; the girls wrestle Saturday only. Coach said it’s a very well known tournament on the Western Slope and allows the kids to see where they are in standings. Many 2A schools will travel for it, from the Front Range too.
McCabe is trying to build the girls team now, and he’s currently recruiting a few females to come and wrestle; he may end up with a manager too.
Overall, he said the sport enables kids to build many friendships. He said there’s plenty of time for hanging out with friends at tournaments, meeting other kids, and people end up having fun. At the Montrose tournament, their first in Colorado this year, coach said they barely got into the door before they were stopped and asked how they were and what’s been going on since February.
“You battle every match, and you coach and wrestle against friends,” McCabe said, “but when the dust settles, we are like-minded and enjoy the sport — and we talk to people and make friends and connect with other towns, and ask about their fall sports.”
Needless to say, it’s a good feeling for the Mustangs to be back on the mat. After the Warrior Classic, all the kids go on break for the holidays.
Coach is assisted by Arthur Connelly this year.
