To the Mat

from 85086 Magazine - May 2020

Curt’s Corner

Boulder Creek wrestling dominates state tournament By Griffin Fabits

As the Boulder Creek High School wrestling program’s future remains unclear—given the coronavirus pandemic uncertainty—all involved are itching for a return to the mat.

Head coach Tracy Dent has quickly set new standards in just his third season at the helm.

His team put on a clinic at the Division I state tournament in February, as five Jaguars produced top-three finishes. It marks the first time in program history that five kids finished in the top three of their weight classes.

Junior Jacob Moore won a state championship in his 285-pound weight class. Junior Noah Kasprowicz was a runner up in the 113-pound class. Sophomore Caidan Cole, junior Jacob Cisneros and senior Jaxon Rhode all finished in third place.

The Jaguars also had a female wrestler place in the girls’ tournament, as senior Sierra Chapman won a section title and placed fourth at state. As a team, Boulder Creek finished fifth out of 30 teams.

“(The state tournament) ensured me that we’re on the right track and I’m doing the right things for my kids,” Dent says. “The ship is still sailing in the right direction, and we still have the kids willing to work hard and put in the effort to try and get to the top of the podium.”

Moore, a three-time All-American, bounced back to win his first state title after a finish to his sophomore year that peeved him all off-season. It was a sixth-place showing last year, which spurred a drastic change in work ethic and eating habits.

“I knew (winning state this year) was a possibility at the end of last season. I wasn’t really happy with the way I finished, and I made it a priority of mine to do that.”

Despite falling one win short of a state title, Kasprowicz

is encouraged by the leaps and bounds he made this season. He was injected with a newfound sense of confidence, a feeling born from continuously losing to guys he knew he could beat.

“I used to see a decent wrestler, and I’d get scared,” he says. “But this year, it was way different. I knew I could beat them before I even stepped out on the mat.”

By growing tired of losing, Kasprowicz untapped the potential that ultimately propelled him to the top of his weight class.

Dent’s in his 16th season at Boulder Creek, having been there since the school opened. This year saw the most Jaguar wrestlers make the podium in school history. He’s already scheming how to top this year, as are Moore and Kasprowicz. Both said they have plans to wrestle in college.

But, for now, they’ll continue to sharpen their crafts at Boulder Creek, a program that’s a blast to be a part of for all involved.

“We had a really close group of guys this year,” Moore says. “We’re all brothers, and we have fun no matter what.”

“I’m a big kid myself,” Dent says. “My coaching staff, we’re really loose. We like to have fun with the kids. Everything is a little more relaxed. I think the kids feed off of that.”