Wrestling at 152 pounds, senior Trenton White of Grand placed first overall in his weight category, and was also named the Outstanding Wrestler of the tournament. Fellow senior Dexter Sheets also took first place overall, winning all of his matches in the 120-pound division.
As a team, Grand accumulated 155 points, placing them right behind host school Monument Valley’s 162 points and runner-up Chinle High (Ariz.), which finished with 160 points.
“We only had nine varsity wrestlers there, and still managed to place third,” said GCHS coach Dennis Wells. “If we had had another wrestler or two in one of our missing spots, we could have taken first place overall.”
Other Red Devil wrestlers who placed at the two-day event included Gage Lindquist, who took second in the 126-pound category; Austin Day, who placed third in the 220-pound category; and Justin Moore, who placed third in the 106-pound division.
In addition, three Red Devils placed fourth in their respective weights: Seth Holyoak at 132 pounds, Matt Bridenbaker at 195 pounds and Donavin Denton at 170 pounds.
Heavyweight David Bentley of Grand took seventh in his weight class, despite battling an illness.
Accompanying the Red Devils on the trip to the Kayenta tournament was fifth-grader Carson Sheets, Dexter Sheets’ younger brother. Carson Sheets ended up taking first place in the 75-pound category in the junior high tournament. He went 6-1 overall at the event, winning his final match on points, 4-3, and avenging an earlier loss to that same opponent, who was from Pinon, Ariz.
This week, the Red Devil wrestlers are scheduled to take on the San Juan Broncos in a dual meet at Moab on Wednesday, Dec. 19. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Following the holiday break, the Red Devils will resume action, traveling to Richfield Jan. 4-5 for the 2A Duals Tournament.