Cimarron looking for another title

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Feb. 18, 2000 | 9:45 a.m.

Where: Cimarron-Memorial High School

When: Today-Saturday; action begins at 1:30 p.m. today and 9 a.m. Saturday ; championship round slated for 3p.m. Saturday.

What's at stake: The 2000 state team title, along with individual championships in 14 weight classes.

Tickets: Students $3, adults $5 (children and senior citizens free)

A year ago, Cimarron-Memorial captured its first state wrestling championship, but not before the Spartans had to suffer through some very anxious moments.

Leading second-place Churchill County by a slim margin, the locals had to sweat out the final match of the day -- the 275-pound final between Churchill County's Jim Thime and Johnny Hall, of tiny Owyhee High.

Hall pulled out the victory, preventing the Greenwave from overtaking Cimarron.

When his club begins its title defense today, Cimarron coach Tim Jeffries would love to avoid such a scenario. And with a meet-high eight wrestlers competing, he would appear to have the horses to do just that.

"The kids did a good job last year, but we'd rather not be in that situation again," said Jeffries, whose school will host the two-day event, the first state meet in Southern Nevada since 1996. "If we lose, it won't be because we didn't qualify enough wrestlers. It will be because we didn't perform."

Cimarron's primary competition looks to be Northern Zone champion Galena, which comes in with seven wrestlers, including a pair of top seeds; perennial northern power Wooster, which also brings seven wrestlers to town; and area rival Bonanza, which will have six competitors.

Las Vegas (seven wrestlers), Churchill County (six) and Rancho (five) could also factor into the battle for the team trophy.

The Spartans have won four consecutive Southern Zone titles and placed second, second and first at the last three state tournaments. Last weekend, they dominated the zone tournament, producing six individual champions with a 6-for-6 performance in the final round.

Two of those wrestlers -- senior Chris Harris and junior Rayes Gonzales -- enter this weekend's event as defending state champions, and both are expected to breeze through their brackets again.

For the 137-pound Harris, the tournament represents a chance to wrap up his stellar prep career with three consecutive state titles.

"Basically, I wanted to take state as many times as I could," Harris said. "We'll have a packed house, and I want to go out and have fun and win again."

Like Jeffries, Harris is hoping his team can control its own destiny this weekend.

"(Last year) was an awful feeling, sitting there waiting, having no control," Harris said. "This year, hopefully it's all up to us and we won't have to worry about anybody else's matches."

Although all six of the Spartans' zone champs -- Harris, Gonzales (147 pounds), sophomore Curtis Johnson (121), junior Andre Rhodes (162), junior Joe Tussing (173) and junior Brandon Garcia (173) -- have a legitimate shot to win their respective brackets, Jeffries warns that none should be considered a sure thing.

"It's always a concern because anyone can be surprised if they're not prepared," he said.

Overall, the 114-pound division promises to be one of the toughest, with locals Chase Diller and Bret Baumgardner competing with the likes of Reno star Tommy Williams.

This year's tournament will feature eight-man brackets, with four wrestlers from the south going against four from the north in the first round. In recent years, four berths went to wrestlers from Nevada's smaller classes, but state coaches opted to eliminate the "Super State Tournament" this year.