For the second consecutive year, the Bradshaw Mountain Wrestling Club will be offering two spring progams for area youth.

     The Starters Program is for ages 3rd through 6th grade who have little or no experience in wrestling and who would like to explore the sport on a recreational level.  Along with learning basic wrestling technique, youngsters will also practice stretching, tumbling, basic strength training, and wrestling games.  The program will take place on eight successive Saturdays from 9 to 11 a.m. beginning March 29th and continuing until May 17th.  Registration will be from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Bradshaw Mountain-west gymnasium.  See the attached handout for necessary forms.  We had a great time last year and hope to have more kids out this year!

     The Competitors Program is for any age third grade and older who would like to prepare for competition in the near future.  Folkstyle, Freestyle, and Greco-Roman technique will all be taught to youngsters who want a somewhat more vigorous training and competitive experience.   Practices are on Monday and Wednesday evenings from 6 to 7:30 and will run continuously through May 7th.  A $30 AZ-USA Membership purchase is required, as well as a $20 club fee.  Youngsters from the Starters Program are welcome in this program as well for no additional club fee, but must purchase the $30 AZ-USA membership.  See the attached handout in the related news article for necessary forms.

     Bradshaw Mountain hosted the 2008 Grand Canyon Region Wrestling Championships this Saturday, February 2.  Eight Bear wrestlers competed in this all-important qualifier for the Arizona State Championships to be held Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, February 7th throught the ninth at Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, home of the Phoenix Coyotes and next to the Arizona Cardinals University of Phoenix stadium. 

     Wrestling for Bradshaw was Tucker Ryan, jr., 114; Jason Rudder, soph., 127; Ryan Wallace, jr., 132; Kane Fulkerson, jr., 137; John Medevielle, sr., 142, Chris Marchant, soph., 147; Jeremy Vick, sr., 154; and Nick Pacheco, sr., 162.  Representing Bradshaw at State will be Jason Rudder, 2-1 in the tournament; John Medevielle, 2-1; and Jeremy Vick, 2-1.

     Jason Rudder, seeded fourth in a tough weight class, turned out to be Bradshaw's greatest joy.  After denying state folkstyle and national greco-roman champion Luke Goettl the pin in a tenacious effort,  Jason went on to score a 7-0 win over his Page opponent, earning him the right at a shot for Bronze and a trip to state.  The problem was that he faced Flagstaff's third seeded Ryan Ault, who beat Jason handily at the Joseph City Tournament by a score of 11-2 just four weeks ago.  Rudder responded to the challenge by going to work, not making any major mistakes, and keeping the pressure on to score a reversal and a nearfall in the final period for a 5-1 decision.  This sophomore, only a third year wrestler still growing into his lanky body, earned his first trip to state with many hours in the weight room, on the track, and at summer camps.  Jason's record going into state is 33-17.

     In perhaps an even tougher weight class was John Medevielle, who had the misfortune of fitting into a weightclass with a returning state champion, a state placer, and a very good wrestler from Coconino.  John, seeded third, drew a Flagstaff opponent, who he pinned, setting him up for a showdown with Weston Lymangrover, state champion from Mingus.  John surprised the champ with a takedown that took him to his back, where he was lucky to avoid the pin.  But then Medevielle was rolled and the tables turned from there, resulting in an 18-4 loss for Medevielle.  He had to win his next match against Coconino's very able Devon Schmieder.  Schmieder went up on Medevielle 5-0, but then got caught in one of Medevielle's vise-like headlocks and was pinned.  Medevielle, only a third year wrestler, heads to state his senior year with a 31-7 record.

     Bradshaw's final state qualifer for the 2008 season is senior Jeremy Vick at 154 pounds.  Jeremy has been in a funk the last month and, as a result, did not get seeded for the tournament, and drew Flagstaff's Joel Giannola, the number one seed, who promptly pinned Vick in the first round.  Jeremy had to win his next two if he was to return to state for a last chance at a medal.  He then wrestled a very physical Chris Bennett from Coconino, scoring a 17-5 win.  This victory set him up for a shot at bronze.  His opponent was Michael Yellowman from Page, an easy pin for Jeremy at the Flagstaff Peaks Tournament on December 1st, but a disasterous defeat for Vick on January 23rd at the Mingus region multi-dual.  The match began disasterously for Vick, who was taken down to his back, his scapula millimeters from being pressed into the mat.  But he managed to make it to the buzzer, and kept wrestling.  Ultimately, it was strong pressure in the third period which glued Yellowman's shoulders to the mat.  Jeremy will enter into the state tournament with a 30-20 record.

     Tucker Ryan, a first year wrestler, was not expected to do well, but was entered into the tournament because of his mental and physical toughness.  He went 0-2 on th day.  Junior Ryan Wallace had an outside shot of placing but was in a very tough weight.  Flagstaff's Will Giannola, who has the abilities to place in the top six at state, didn't even make the cut in this weight.  Wallace finished 0-2 on the day.  Sophomore Chris Marchant had the misfortune of drawing state bronze medalist David Wilber from Mingus in the first round.  He then had to beat a eventual third placer Dyer from Coconino, but couldn't quite pull it off.  Chris is much improved over last year and finishes the season wth a 20-24 record.  Senior Nick Pacheco had the extreme misfortune of having the effects of the onset of illness come on right at the worst time.  Nick did his best in his weakened state, but finally succumbed to a Flagstaff opponent in the bronze medal match, who he pinned less than two weeks ago.  Nick ended the season and his career with a 2-7 senior record.  

     Then there is usually a little heartache at competitions like this.  Last year it came in the form of a bad call against Keith Brasfield made by a referee handicapped by morbid obesity.  This year's heartache for Bradshaw comes with junior Kane Fulkerson's failure to qualify for State.  Fulkerson, in only his second year as a wrestler, has made enormous strides in the sport.  A hard worker on the mat, in the weightroom, on the running path, and at wrestling camp, he won 26 matches this seaso--5 more than any Bradshaw wrestler last year.  Fulkerson was wrestling well lately, overcoming illness in the late season to post three wins over region opponents on January 23rd, which earned him a second seed at the region tournament.  After dispatching Page's Byron Tsosie with a box pin in the first round, Kane faced Flagstaff's Sepulveda, whom he had previously beaten 2-1 after puking his guts out.  But, after narrowly missing finishing several takedowns on the edge of the mat, Kane made some mistakes and found himself down 7-0 in the third period.  His rally with a reversal and three point nearfall came up short an he lost 7-5.  Kane then had to beat Rudy Galeviz from Coconino for bronze.  But Fulkerson gave up a reversal and then a takedown while in a bad stance and, after not being awarded an arguable call at the edge of the mat, lost 6-5.  Though emotionally beaten by the losses, Kane is far from defeated and will, no doubt, continue his quest for state glory hungrier than ever.

     Based on comments from coaches and officials, Bradshaw's hosting of the "All Arizona JV Open" and the Grand Canyon Region Championships were a success.  The JV open, held January 26th at BMHS-east campus, provided mat time for an estimated 90 wrestlers from 12 different schools.  The tournament used a "match maximizer" pool format, whereby the goal was to give every athlete as many matches possible, up to the limit of five in one day permitted by AIA regulations.  Weight classes were matched with custom pool formats that best fit with each weight class's number of wrestlers.  Once initial glitches were overcome, wrestling started at 11:15 and matches clicked right along on three mats, and all wrestling was concluded by 4:30.  Several coaches expressed their interest in returning next year.

     Bradshaw then hosted the 4A II Grand Canyon Regional Championships the following Saturday, February 2nd.  This was a first for Bradshaw, and Coach Vick had anxieties that there would be problems.  But everything seemed to go well and the tournament concluded at a reasonable hour. 

     The success of both of these tournaments was the result of collaboration of much hard work and preparation by many people.  A big thank you goes to the following:  Dan Payne and the Prescott wrestling program for being the inspiration for the JV tournament and for the table score clocks;  Tom Wokasch of Mingus for advice and examples on how to run the region tournament, and to all the Bradshaw Boosters who, without your volunteer efforts, these tournaments would not have been possible.

    Thank You Robert Shegog, Chris Cheff, Lance Niemann, Jon Petzoldt, and Mike Pereda for ensuring that things ran smoothly.  Thank You Stacy Fulkerson for coordinating parents and running first-rate hospitality rooms.  Thank You Cathy Petzoldt for your exertise in running the snack bar.  Thank You Phoebe Pereda for the breakfast burritos and your work with Stacy and Cathy.  Thank You Sam Fulkerson for your mat crew muscle.  Thank You Maury Ruble for running the master table for regionals.  And thanks to all the other parents and kids who contributed your time and resources.  Bravo Everyone!

     For the second time in as many tournaments, Bradshaw Mountain brought home four medals.  The Mohave Invitational, somewhat tougher than the Joseph City Invitational two weeks earlier, was a perfect tune-up for the upcoming regional multi-dual this Wednesday in Cottonwood, and the Grand Canyon Regional Championship on February 2nd at Bradshaw Mountain-west high school.  This was a team dual tournament, preferred by coaches because it maximizes the number of matches each wrestler gets in a two day period, as oppossed to a double-elimination bracketed tournament, where once a wrestler loses two matches, he is finished.

     Bradshaw's two top wrestlers were sophomore Jason Rudder at 125 lbs., and John Medevielle at 140.  Both went undefeated in pool competition at 6-0, which earned them a trip to the inter-pool medal rounds competition.  Rudder wrestled the eventual silver medalist to an 8-8 draw before being pinned by his more athletic opponent.  Rudder then faced a Shadow Ridge opponent who he defeated in pool competition, but was caught in a "Gable" hold and thrown to his back and pinned.  This was a great learning experience for Rudder who is most often outmatched in the areas of experience and athleticism, but makes up for it with aggressiveness and smart wrestling.  Rudder begrudgingly settled for 4th place and a 6-2 record for the weekend, but will come back more hungry to improve and win as a result. 

    Coaches are generally pleased with the improvement of the squad from this time last year, and plan to "press the attack" -- a command handed down by them to their young charges every day on the wrestling mat.

     Medevielle, in his senior year, faired somewhat better in the medal rounds, garnering his 29th win of the season against River Valley.  He then wrestled tough in the finals, but several foolish experimentations on his part during the match cost him ten points and the gold medal.  John continues to learn and grow as he continues on in just his third year as a wrestler.  John's work ethic and determination is the reason why he continues to be Bradshaw's best hope for the State Championships this year.

     Bradshaw's other two medalists were Danny Montoya, 135, and Jeremy Vick, 152.  Jeremy had another sub-par performance in pool competiton, going 3-3.  By good fortune, he was selected to represent his pool for the 5th place match, and managed to redeem himself somewhat with a come-back win by pin over his Agua Fria opponent, finishing 4-3 on the tournament.  Montoya first joined into season competition after a long absence by filling in for Kane Fulkerson, who was recovering from a bout with flu.  Montoya's rustyness showed in his first match where he sagged and panted intensely.  He then went on to win his next two matches and, bouyed by the benefit of two forfeits, managed a 4-2 pool record, which included a schooling at the hands of two-time state runner-up and eventual tournament champion Jerod Flores from Parker.   Time will tell if Montoya, gifted with the most natural ability on the team, will rise to the challenge, get in shape, and contend for the region championship at 132.

     Others making the trip for Bradshaw were Tucker Ryan, 112, Ryan Wallace, 130, and Chris Marchant, 145.  Tucker, a junior and first year wrestler won his first varsity match.  Ryan Wallace, who has wrestled all through the year with a host of physical injuries, did not win a match in a pool loaded with talent, but wrestled much improved, nonetheless.  Chris Marchant went 2-4 in pool competition, but clearly wrestled much improved with movement, aggression, and technique.

     Bradshaw Mountain High School in Prescott Valley Arizona will be hosting the 1st annual "All Arizona JV Open" wrestling tournament Saturday, January 26th.  The tournament was inspired by the need for a meaningful junior varsity competition late in the season to motivate developing wrestlers to continue training as late into the season as possible.  Coaches who are interested in participating should rsvp as soon as possible and download the provided handout which gives a tentative description of the tournament.  Tournament directors will strive to arrange the maximum amount of matches alotted of five to each and every wrestler.

Coach Jon Vick, jonvick1@netzero.net

BMHS Wrestling, 6000 Longlook Drive, Prescott Valley, AZ.

The Calendar has been revised.  Please note that the Winslow Doc Wright, Payson Tim Van Horn, and the Page Sand Devil Classic have been dropped from the schedule.  Bradshaw's final tournament before regionals will be in Bullhead City on January 18th and 19th.

     What a difference a year makes.  The Bradshaw Mountain wrestling team entered this year's Flagstaff Peaks Tournament with a question hanging over their heads:  were they any better this year than last?  They answered convincingly with a respectable showing of two bronze medalists and one sixth place finisher out of six entrants, and a .500 winning percentage that included five matches in the tough medal rounds.  Last year Bradshaw won only 32% of their matches and managed a single six place finish made possible by a depleted pool at that weight.  This year, John Medevielle wrestled his way to a third place finish and a 7-2 record at 140 pounds, Jeremy Vick also earned a bronze medal with a 6-3 record at 160 pounds, and a young but tenacious Jason Rudder finished sixth in a very tough weight class.

     Bradshaw took a skeleton crew of six to the tourney.  Ryan Wallace, 130, and Isaac Gallegos were unable to compete because of injuries.  Danny Montoya, 132, will not be able to compete until January.  Nick Pacheco, Anthony Santana, and Dylan Foard all stayed home to get more practice in preparation for future tournaments.  With luck and hard work, these individuals will shore up this Bradshaw squad for its run up to regionals on February 2nd.

     So it was up to Bradshaw's most dedicated to fight for Bradshaw in Flag town beginning Friday, November 30th.  Jason Rudder and Kane Fulkerson wrestled valiantly in two very tough weight classes inhabited by a number of returning state placers.  Rudder, who has only been in the sport for a little over two years, came out very aggressively against all opponents and scored points on a number of legitimate techniques.  Even against the best of the tournament Jason made a good showing until a crucial mistake cost him the match.   Jason went 3-3 in his pool, 3-5 in the tournament, and is 3-6 overall on the season.  Fulkerson, who has a little more than one year of experience, also had his moments at 135, winning two of matches and one more by forfeit.  Kane was in several other matches where key mistakes ultimately cost him the match.   

     Chris Marchant, a sophomore with three years of total wrestling experience, stepped in at 152 after just a week of practice and got his first varsity win of the season with a pin over his Showlow opponent who had Chris on his back early on.  But then something clicked in Marchant and he caught fire to turn the tables.  At 171, newcomer Caleb Hoffman overcame his bout of self-doubt after his losing debut against Prescott on Wednesday and won his first three matches of the season.  Counting his additional win by forfeit against Coolidge and a loss against Showlow that very well might have been a win had Caleb not made beginner mistakes, he might have made it into the medal rounds with a four and two pool record.   As it turned out, Hoffman finished 4-3 in the tournament.

    Medevielle and Vick both showed everyone this weekend that they are Bradshaw's best bets for the state tournament thus far.  True, both have lots of ground to cover in practice before they can contend for a placement on State's victory podium.  But they are beginning to correct bad habits and are giving good wrestlers some trouble.  Both are dangerous.  Time will tell if the little taste of glory this weekend will give them the hunger they need to drive them to victory when it really counts on February 2nd, and February 7th, 8th, and 9th. 

e-mail: jonvick1@netzero.net    or  jonathan.vick@humboldtunified.com

phone: 759-9632 (H);   759-4070 (W)

     Let's get ready to RUUUMBLE!  Bradshaw Mountain wrestling has had a great off-season with a successful spring youth camp and two high school summer camps.  The weight room was open all summer long for those who wanted to use it, and we've been working hard in athletic P.E. so far.  It is now time to prepare to face our adversaries head on.  High School Practice is scheduled to begin on Monday, October 29th at 2:30 sharp out at the track, and Middle School wrestling is slated to start a week later on November 5th.

     Athletes planning to be on either squad need to take care of some mandatory preliminaries before they can begin.  A number of forms need to be filled out by parents and athletes, including  permission to participate, emergency treatment contact and consent, physical forms, and code of conduct agreements.  All student athletes must pay athletic participation fee ($69 for the high school), and must get a doctor's physical. 

     A group physical session has been scheduled for Wednesday, October 24th at Bradshaw Mountain High School-west for anyone who needs one for this year.  Those already participating in a fall sport, such as football have already fulfilled this requirement and need only to pay the participation fee!  The cost of the group physical is $25 in the form of cash or check payable to Bradshaw Mountain Wrestling Club.

These above tasks must be completed before an athlete can participate in practice.

Questions?  Contact High School Coach Jon Vick at 759-4070, or Middle School Coach Dillon Russell at 759-4953.

'07-'08 SEASON BEGINS AGAINST RIVAL PRESCOTT

     The Bradshaw Mountain Bears wrestling team officially begins this Wednesday evening in the lair of Dan Payne's Prescott Badgers.  Freshman and junior varsity wrestling is slated to begin at 5 p.m., with varsity action beginning at 6 p.m.  It will be interesting to see how a relatively inexperienced and somewhat depleted Bradshaw team handles the onslaught of 4A I power Prescott, who placed third in the state tournament last year and who returns this year with a number of talented athletes.

SEASON OUTLOOK

     The Bear program has experienced highs and lows since putting five wrestlers into the state tournament last year.   Several bears have worked very hard in the weightroom since last spring, and ten wrestlers went to at least one wrestling camp over the summer.  Still, the program lacks in relative experience and a complete fourteen man line-up, as it did last season.  Moreover, hopes for improvement this year have been dampened by issues concerning injuries, eligibility and behavior.  The upshot for this and future years is that eleven freshman are sticking with it so far and the middle school program has over forty kids participating.  It should be a very exciting season from and individual standpoint.

   Bradshaw enters this season with a small but solid core of wrestlers:  Jason Rudder, soph., 125 lbs.; Kane Fulkerson, jr., 135; John Medevielle, sr., 140; Chris Marchant, soph., 145; and Jeremy Vick, sr., 152.  Other expected starters who are unknown quantities due to various issues are Ryan Wallace, soph., 130, Danny Montoya, sr., 140; Jordan Perdue, sr., 160; Nick Pacheco, sr., 171; and Isaac Gallegos, sr., 285.  Other upper classmen who have the potential of making a difference are Sergio Flores, jr., 140, Dylan Foard, soph., 215/285, and newcomers Tucker Ryan at 112, Josh Wilson at 145, Caleb Hoffman at 171, and Anthony Santana at 215.   Bradshaw's greatest hopes for a medal at state are Medevielle and Vick, the only two Bears with winning records last season, and Montoya, perhaps the most talented member of the team.

     This motley crew enters into the fray of the toughest 4A II wrestling region--Grand Canyon, which includes Coconino, Flagstaff, and Page, all respectable wrestling schools who soundly beat Bradshaw last season, and Monster Mingus, two-time returning state champion who quite possibly is the best prep wrestling team in the state, bar none.