Jan. 8, 2007: The Salt Lake Tribune

Jaguar Duals: This Year, Weber Doesn't Falter
by John Coon

WEST JORDAN - When Weber wrestled in the Jaguar Duals last season, it ended its trip to West Jordan on a sour note - with a loss at the hands of Mountain Crest.

A year later, the Mustangs were, once again, standing in the way of a title. When Mountain Crest burst out to a quick lead after two matches, the Warriors made sure history didn't repeat itself.

Weber turned things around quickly after Kade Hall pinned Adam Schenk at 160 pounds and Dustin Martin pinned Waylan Grantham at 189. The 12-point swing put the Warriors in the lead and helped them rout the Mustangs 40-19 in the championship round of the Jaguar Duals on Saturday night.

Starting from behind was an unwelcome experience for the Warriors. The team coasted through earlier rounds with lopsided results - including an 82-0 win over Orem and a 66-10 semifinal victory over Alta.

"We were kind of mad that we were losing, so we were just going after them," Martin said.

The Mustangs had seized an 8-0 lead through two matches when Hall pinned Schenk after 28 seconds. Martin's pin of Grantham took only 25
seconds.

It was all Weber needed to get rolling. The Warriors finished the championship round with four pins, compared to none for Mountain Crest.

"They changed the momentum for sure for the team," said senior Shay Warren. "Once we get a pin, everyone feels that excitement and wants to go out and do the same thing."

A first-place finish for Weber comes as no surprise to even casual followers of high school wrestling. Few teams can boast the kind of top-to-bottom strength enjoyed by the Warriors.

Perhaps the jewel among that talent is Warren, a three-time state champion at 125 and the son of Weber coach Jody Warren. He has been a fixture at wrestling tournaments since his earliest years and has dreamed of being a four-time high school wrestling champion for just as long.

If Warren's chances at a fourth title could be measured in January, he would come away looking good to repeat. He swept his matches at the Jaguar Duals, finishing with an 8-3 decision over Jarrett Morrill, the 4-A state champion at 125.

Warren, who plans to wrestle for Harvard after he graduates, likes the duals format because it offers extra preparation for state tournament matches.