Dec. 6, 2005: Uintah Basin Standard

Nine Pin Falls: 3-A Union Cougars conquer 1-A Altamont team, 42 to 30
by Aldon Rachele

Union High School made up for its dismal showing in a 60-24 loss at Altamont last year by toppling the Mat Longhorns, 42-30, Wednesday, which made Cougar fans in Roosevelt a bit happier this time around. Altamont has an excellent team that won the 1-A state title in 2004 and placed second in 2005. The Cats’ last and only state championship was back in the 1980's.

Mat meets don’t start at the first weight at 103 any more as now a random draw picks the starting spot with the winner being the 130 pound class where Altamont’s Braden Perry won on a forfeit to give the Longhorns an early 6-0 lead.

Next up was the 135 pound match where Union’s Rene O’Driscoll knocked off Jordan Thacker of Altamont, 21-6. O’Driscoll had a more than an “OK first round” as he had a super time of a takedown and two near falls for an 8-2 lead. He scored two takedowns and a reversal in the second for a 15-4 lead and then coasted to a 15-point win.

Altamont was up 6-5, but the advantage didn’t last long as seven straight Cougar triumphs had Union in command at 42-6.

Union’s Garrett Cloward pinned Josh Meyers of Altamont in the second round to take the win at 140 pounds and put Union ahead 11-5. Cloward led 11-2 after one round behind two near falls and a takedown.

“It was just a power half. I took the legs in and then I rode him out. Then I got the half in and it was over,” Cloward stated.

Keeton Hoover and Randy Bird, 145, turned in a high flying match up that finally ended when Union’s Hoover caged Bird on a pin with 53 seconds to go in the third round. AHS’ Bird took a 6-2 first round edge, and then a reversal plus several near falls in the final seconds had Hoover cleaning up with a 9-8 edge.

Union’s Anthony Carter, 152, and Cale Cook, 160, took charge from the start. Carter pressed Levi Miles on a pin with 1:28 to go in the second round after taking an 11-2 lead on takedowns and near falls. Cook sizzled with a pin over Altamont’s Clansy Winn in 61 seconds.

“It was a cross body half for the pin. I put the legs in and did the cross body,” Cook stated.

Union’s Todd Thomas nipped Altamont’s 171 pounder, LaDell Brinkerhoff, 9-6 in one of the closer battles of the evening. After a 2-2 tie, Thomas took an 8-2 second round edge behind several near falls. Brinkerhoff outscored Thomas, 3-1 in the final round, but Thomas took a three-point win.

Blind wrestler, Lewis Burdette, Union, 189, conquered Altamont’s Kyle Pugh, 11-2 even though he gave up a first round takedown. However, after an escape and takedown, Burdette was ahead 3-2. He added a reversal in the second for a 5-2 lead and added four more points in the third, which saw a near fall to complete the 11-0 run.

Chris Carter, Union, didn’t break into a sweat. He used just 29 seconds to score a pin fall on the mat over Altamont’s Matthew Kofford at 215 pounds. Carter netted a takedown and near fall earlier.

“I used the three-quarter stack for the pin. I just grabbed him and put him down,” Carter remarked.

Altamont won the final four matches with two featuring 1-A state champions. Colton Miles, two-time state champ, pinned Union’s 112 pounder, Dennis Farnsworth in only 1:02 and 2004 title winner, Nick Samuels,119, turned to the back page on Union’s Greg Page for a pin with 1:14 left in the third round. Samuels dominated from start to finish with near falls, a takedown and reversal.

Union’s 103 pounder, Tino Cesspooch lost on a first round pin to Altamont’s Chet Goodrich with 24 seconds left, and Alex Eddington, Union, 125, was planted on the mat by Jake Farnsworth with 1:26 left in the second round.

Altamont’s 24-0 run at the end wasn’t enough with 3-A Union winning the meet by 12 points.