LA JARA – The Centauri High School boys wrestling team had a tough battle when it hosted Monte Vista Thursday at the Falcons’ gym. But the Falcons eventually prevailed with a 46-28 victory over the Pirates.

“They were tough,” said Centauri coach Micah Keys. “They came out fighting and I thought out guys responded well. They fought a little harder.”

Matthew Salazar got Centauri off with a win as he recorded a 15-0 technical fall over Mathieu Dean at 106 pounds just before the first period expired.

Stetson Romero got Monte Vista on the board with an 18-4 major decision over Erik Garcia at 113 pounds.

The Falcons won the next two matches by fall. First Caden Casias won the 120-pound match by pinning Matthew Rodriguez in 2:29.

It took Levy Recinos a little longer to win the 126-pound match. Monte Vista’s Jaxon Owsley scored a takedown before Recinos got an escape to close within 3-1 at the end of the first period.

Recinos then dominated the second period and had a 9-3 lead at the end of the stanza. Recinos then got a takedown to begin the third period, but Owsley recorded a reversal. But Recinos also reversed the hold and finally pinned Owsley at the 5:11 mark.

Elijah Baumgardner got the pirates back into the win column with a 16-0 technical fall over Konner Horton at 132 pounds.

Aiden Knecht then won the 138-pound match by pinning Jon Enderle in 3:10. The Pirates then had a team point deducted for unsportsmanlike conduct and the Falcons had a 23-8 lead.

Nik Skadberg increased the Falcons’ lead to 28-8 with a 19-3 technical fall over Kyler Lake at 144 pounds.

Porter Shawcroft reduced the deficit to 28-14 as he pinned Cole Jackson in 5:20 at 150 pounds.

At 157 pounds, Parker Buhr pinned Kevin Cisneros in 5:16. Cisneros got off to an early lead with a takedown, but Buhr escaped to cut the lead to 3-1 after the first period. Cisneros started the second period with an escape and a takedown. However, Buhr scored a reversal and then a four-point near fall. He got an additional point for blood time and led 8-7 at the end of the period.

Buhr scored five more points before putting Cisneros away.

Monte Vista again had a point deducted for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Jacob Pacheco accounted for the Pirates’ next win as he pinned Kyler Howson in 2:57 at 165 pounds.

Jeremiah Baumgardner then won by a 4-2 decision over Spencer Smith at 175 pounds. Baumgardner got an escape and a takedown in the second period while Smith got an escape in the second and third.

Centauri won the next two matches by fall. Aaden Quintana pinned Julian Pacheco in 3:45 at 190, and Dorian Quintana pinned Diego Zamarripa at 215.

Monte Vista’s Joshua Salazar wrapped up the meet with a forfeit win at 285.

Both Centauri and Monte Vista, along with Center, Del Norte and Sargent, will compete at the Rocky Mountain Invitational in Pagosa Springs today.

“We get to see a lot of competition we’ll see at state,” Keys said. “It will be good.”

Centauri 46, Monte Vista 28

106 – Salazar (C) tech. Fall Dean, 15-0; 113 – Romero (MV) maj. dec. Garcia, 18-4; 120 – Casias (C) pinned Rodriguez, 2:29; 126 – Recinos (C) pinned Owsley, 5:11; 132 – E. Baumgardner (MV) pinned Horton, 3:19; 138 – Knecht (C) pinned Enderle, 3:10 (MV penalized one team point); 144 – Skadberg (C) tech. fall, 19-3; 150 – Shawcroft (MV) pinned Jackson, 5:20; 157 – Buhr (C) pinned Cisneros, 5:16; 165 – Ja. Pacheco (MV) pinned Howson, 2:57; 175 – J. Baumgardner (MV) dec. Smith, 4-2; 190 – A. Quintana (C) pinned Ju. Pacheco, 3:45; 215 – D. Quintana (C) pinned Zamarripa, 1:15; 285 – Salazar (MV) by forfeit.