EVANSTON — Red Devil wrestling faced some tough competition over the weekend at the Thoman Soda Ash Memorial in Green River and performed very well, winning five of seven duals against teams from Wyoming and Utah. The Red Devils defeated the Mountain View Buffs, 63-15, knocked off Granger, Utah, 46-33, bested Cokeville, 47-30, fell to powerhouse Green River, 63-12, out-dueled Worland, 48-25, were defeated by Uintah, 73-6, and came back to best Northridge, Utah, 60-14. Evanston placed second in the A-pool and third overall in the tournament behind Uintah and Green River.

Red Devil wrestling head coach Larry Wagstaff told the Herald that teams are divided into pools in somewhat random fashion on the first day and depending on how the teams fare on Friday and the first round on Saturday, they’re then grouped by brackets for the remainder of Saturday’s action. 

“We advanced to the placing round, where the top four teams got to wrestle each other,” Wagstaff said.

“We wrestled Vernal (Uintah) and got beat up pretty good, but then came back and wrestled a team I thought was tough in Northridge. They placed second in their pool, as well, and we beat them pretty well,” the longtime coach added.

“Big schools in Utah don’t scare me too much,” Wagstaff relayed, noting how the Red Devils performed earlier this season against Class 6A Syracuse and versus Class 5A Northridge the weekend past.

“They have good wrestling programs, but the smaller schools, like Vernal and Delta, probably do better in wrestling, year in year out.”

Wagstaff did praise the Red Devils’ conference rival Green River, acknowledging the Wolves’ “tremendous tradition,” and work ethic.

“They just have the type of kids who will put in the extra time to become better and they draw well as a program. If a kid is on the fence as to what sport to compete in, they tend to come out for wrestling,” Wagstaff said of Green River’s success on the mats through the years.

The Red Devils will likely have the chance to face some of those tough Vernal wrestlers, along with more stiff competition, again this weekend as Evanston will compete in the Tournament of Champions hosted by Uintah High School in Vernal on Jan. 11-12, following a dual with Rich County this Thursday, Jan. 10, in Randolph. Wagstaff will take a younger group into Rich County and noted the time had been moved up an hour from the scheduled 4 p.m. weigh-in and 5:30 p.m. match beginning, as Rich hosts a basketball game on Thursday as well. 

Results from Thoman Soda Ash Memorial duals are as follows: 

Evanston 63 Mountain View 15

285 - Eric Orozco (Evanston) wins by forfeit

106 - Alix Aragon (Evanston) over Sawyer Bindl (Mountain View) Fall 5:26

113 - Jaxin Moore (Evanston) wins by forfeit.

120 - Kasen Landry (Evanston) wins by forfeit

126 - Isaac Saavedra (Evanston) over Tavean Montoya (Mountain View) Fall 2:34

132 - Najib Madbouhi (Mountain View) over Kendell Cummings (Evanston) Dec 12-11

138 - Brock Roberts (Evanston) over Trevor Sweeney (Mountain View) Fall 3:45

145 - Rowdy Saavedra (Evanston) over Parker Mair (Mountain View) Decision 6-0

152 - Tyler Stokes (Evanston) over Carson Tims (Mountain View) Fall 1:44

160 - Mark Walker (Mountain View) over Rigden Wagstaff (Evanston) Fall 5:42

170 - Rylie Griggs (Evanston) over Bridger Harris (Mountain View) Fall 1:36

182 - Clay Lester (Evanston) wins by forfeit

195 - Rigan Hoggatt (Evanston)  wins by forfeit

220 - Tyson Condos (Mountain View) over Payt Burton (Evanston) Fall 1:13

Evanston 46 Granger 33

126 - Isaac Saavedra (Evanston) wins by forfeit

132 - Kendell Cummings (Evanston) over Blaze Blank (Granger) Fall 4:39

138 - Brock Roberts (Evanston) over Preston Mickelsen (Granger) Fall 5:43

145 - Rowdy Saavedra (Evanston) over Josue Salazar (Granger) Fall 1:50

152 - Park Beeler (Granger) over Tyler Stokes (Evanston) Fall 1:38

160 - Junior Rubio (Granger) over Rigden Wagstaff (Evanston) Fall 0:26

170 - Rylie Griggs (Evanston) over Kitcherner Koloa (Granger) Fall 1:52

182 - Clay Lester (Evanston) over Leonaitasi Alatini (Granger) Fall 1:28

195 - Rayden Boguslawski (Granger) over Rigan Hoggatt (Evanston) Fall 1:16

220 - Brian Sika (Granger) over Payt Burton (Evanston) Fall 0:37

285 - Robert Tabile (Granger) over Eric Orozco (Evanston) Fall 1:28

106 - Donovan Alarcon (Granger) over Alix Aragon (Evanston) Decision 5-2

113 - Jaxin Moore (Evanston)  wins by forfeit

120 - Kasen Landry (Evanston) over Alexander Jimenez (Granger) Maj 12-4

Evanston 47 Cokeville 30

132 - Kendell Cummings (Evanston) over Wyatt Mackey (Cokeville) Maj 12-2

138 - Brock Roberts (Evanston) over Gage Reece (Cokeville) Fall 3:29

145 - Lochlyn Teichert (Cokeville) over Rowdy Saavedra (Evanston) Fall 1:24

152 - Ammon Teichert (Cokeville) over Tyler Stokes (Evanston) Fall 2:51

160 - Devan Moody (Cokeville) over Rigden Wagstaff (Evanston) Fall 5:27

170 - Brayden Johnson (Cokeville) over Rylie Griggs (Evanston) Fall 4:23

182 - Bentley Johnson (Cokeville) over Clay Lester (Evanston) Fall 0:46

195 - Rigan Hoggatt (Evanston) wins by forfeit

220 - Payt Burton (Evanston)  wins by forfeit

285 - Eric Orozco (Evanston)  wins by forfeit

106 - Alix Aragon (Evanston) over Dakota Nelson (Cokeville) Fall 1:37

113 - Jaxin Moore (Evanston) over Nathan Thornock (Cokeville) Fall 0:49

120 - Kasen Landry (Evanston) over Ammon Halls (Cokeville) Dec 14-7

126 - Isaac Saavedra (Evanston) over Garrett Reece (Cokeville) Maj 10-0

Green River 63 defeated Evanston 12

138 - Justin Flores (Green River) over Brock Roberts (Evanston) Fall 0:52

145 - Garrett Harris (Green River) over Rowdy Saavedra (Evanston) Fall 1:47

152 - Tanner Adam (Green River) over Tyler Stokes (Evanston) Fall 3:56

160 - Jon Ty Leininger (Green River) over Rigden Wagstaff (Evanston) Fall 1:58

170 - Kaden Lloyd (Green River) over Rylie Griggs (Evanston) Maj 9-0

182 - Payton Tucker (Green River) over Clay Lester (Evanston) Fall 0:28

195 - Sage Wilde (Green River) over Rigan Hoggatt (Evanston) Fall 0:49

220 - Payt Burton (Evanston)  wins by forfeit

285 - Eric Orozco (Evanston)  wins by forfeit

106 - Dominic Martinez (Green River) over Alix Aragon (Evanston) Fall 1:20

113 - Clayson Mele (Green River) over Jaxin Moore (Evanston) Fall 2:34

120 - Kade Flores (Green River) over Kasen Landry (Evanston) TF 17-0

126 - Kade Knezovich (Green River) over Isaac Saavedra (Evanston) Dec 10-6

132 - Jacob Weipert (Green River) over Kendell Cummings (Evanston) Dec 8-3

Evanston 48 Worland 25

170 - Rylie Griggs (Evanston) over Garret Cole (Worland) Fall 1:24

182 - Clay Lester (Evanston) over Isaac Goncalves (Worland) Fall 4:13

195 - Brandon Haun (Worland) over Rigan Hoggatt (Evanston) Fall 4:59

220 - Trey Wright (Worland) over Payt Burton (Evanston) Dec 7-1

285 - Eric Orozco (Evanston) over Brody Hernandez (Worland) Fall 2:25

106 - Alix Aragon (Evanston)  wins by forfeit

113 - Domanic Hartley (Worland) over Jaxin Moore (Evanston) Fall 3:17

120 - Kasen Landry (Evanston) over Anthony Martinez (Worland) Fall 4:22

126 - Isaac Saavedra (Evanston) over Adam Bankert (Worland) Dec 2-0

132 - Kendell Cummings (Evanston) over Daniel Weyrich (Worland) Fall 3:58

138 - Tristen Lungren (Worland) over Brock Roberts (Evanston) Maj 12-4

145 - Colton Woffinden (Worland) over Rowdy Saavedra (Evanston) Fall 1:24

152 - Tyler Stokes (Evanston) over Josh Rose (Worland) Dec 11-5

160 - Rigden Wagstaff (Evanston)  wins by forfeit

Uintah 73 Evanston 6

182 - Cade Hatch (Uintah) over Clay Lester (Evanston) Fall 0:33

195 - Titan Young (Uintah) over Rigan Hoggatt (Evanston) Fall 0:29

220 - David Swarts (Uintah) over Payt Burton (Evanston) Fall 1:02

285 - Chase Kennicker (Uintah) over Eric Orozco (Evanston) Dec 1-0

106 - Raiden Harrison (Uintah) over Alix Aragon (Evanston) Fall 1:42

113 - Brady Merkley (Uintah) over Jaxin Moore (Evanston) Fall 2:47

120 - Cole Huber (Uintah) over Kasen Landry (Evanston) Fall 3:59

126 - Randon Deets (Uintah) over Isaac Saavedra (Evanston) TF 16-1

132 - Gavin Ayotte (Uintah) over Kendell Cummings (Evanston) TF 17-1

138 - August Harrison (Uintah) over Brock Roberts (Evanston) Fall 3:17

145 - Randy Merkley (Uintah) over Rowdy Saavedra (Evanston) Fall 1:46

152 - Bridger Bennion (Uintah) over Tyler Stokes (Evanston) Fall 0:38

160 - Rigden Wagstaff (Evanston) over Conner Henderson (Uintah) Fall 1:38

170 - Dylan Swift (Uintah) over Rylie Griggs (Evanston) Fall 4:58

Evanston 60 Northridge14

195 - Troy Moon (Northridge) over Rigan Hoggatt (Evanston) Fall 4:33

220 - Payt Burton (Evanston) over Wyatt Thomas (Northridge) Fall 2:56

285 - Eric Orozco (Evanston) over Austin Joy (Northridge) Fall 4:19

106 - Alix Aragon (Evanston) over Braydon Bare (Northridge) Fall 3:09

113 - Jaxin Moore (Evanston) over Hunter Swalberg (Northridge) Dec 11-8

120 - Kasen Landry (Evanston) over Kyler Baur (Northridge) Fall 3:48

126 - Isaac Saavedra (Evanston) over Bridger Brown (Northridge) Fall 2:00

132 - Kendell Cummings (Evanston) over Ben Brown (Northridge) Fall 1:56

138 - Brock Roberts (Evanston) over Steven Lujan (Northridge) UTB 8-7

145 - Michael Pearce (Northridge) over Rowdy Saavedra (Evanston) Fall 2:45

152 - Edson Romero (Northridge) over Tyler Stokes (Evanston) Dec 11-5

160 - Rigden Wagstaff (Evanston) over Brennan Duffy (Northridge) Fall 0:39

170 - Rylie Griggs (Evanston) over Bryce Walker (Northridge) Fall 0:38

182 - Clay Lester (Evanston) over Troy Moon (Northridge) Fall 1:48

Northridge’s team score was adjusted by -1.0 for unsportsmanlike conduct.