Wrestlers head to state with region champ

Ladd Cox, a senior star at Boulder City High School, emerged as the individual champion in the 170-pound division at the 3A Southern Region wrestling tournament, leading the way for the Eagles.

Making his way to the finals, Cox picked up a majority decision victory over fellow Eagle senior Cade Cowley. Cowley finished as the region runner-up.

”It feels good to end my last regional tournament with a win,” Cox said. “This win definitely gives me the confidence I need to improve more each day leading into state.”

Cox and Cowley are two of six Eagles making the trip to state. They will be joined by seniors Curtis Brown, Jason Krumm and Rafe Escheveria and freshman Tyson Irby Brownsen.

The Eagles placed fourth as a team with an overall score of 120 at the tournament held Friday and Saturday, Feb. 7 and 8, at Chaparral High School.

SLAM Academy (266), Virgin Valley (193.5) and Mojave (135) finished in the top three.

“I think we did well overall as a team,” Cox said. “We have a few things to work on, but everybody wrestled hard.”

Brown, Krumm, Escheveria and Brownsen all made it to their third-place matches but were unable to come away with bronze at regionals. Now they are focused on what lies ahead at the state competition.

“I think I performed well but I know there are things I definitely could have done better,” Brown said. “I do plan on making many adjustments for state. I plan on reviewing and working on the mistakes I made in my regional matches and I plan on working harder to increase my performance for state.”

At 138 pounds, Brown lost to SLAM’s Brandon Corsaro by pin fall.

Krumm (145 pounds) fell to Mojave’s Jess Simpson by pin fall. Escheveria fell to Pahrump Valley’s David Anthony Pearson by pin fall in the 195-pound bracket and Brownsen suffered a majority decision loss to Virgin Valley’s Case Crandall in the 160-pound bracket.

Brownsen will be the lone underclassman in the Southern Region competing at state.

Motivated by class of 2019 Eagle alums Jimmy Dunagan and Ryan Vanario, who won individual state championships last year in their weight classes, Cox said he hopes to add his name to the long list of Eagles greats who came before him.

Brown’s primary task will be trying to continue his family’s wrestling legacy at Boulder City High School, hoping to follow in the footsteps of 2017 alum Jimmy Brown, who finished as the state runner-up while Curtis was a freshman.

“Seeing my brother do as well as he did at state my freshman year definitely motivates me,” Curtis Brown said. “Jimmy is one of my biggest motivators when it comes to wrestling and he helps me to wrestle at my best.”

Prepared to get out on the mats one last time this season, and for a majority their last times as Eagles, the 3A state tournament will start Friday, Feb. 15, and continue Saturday, Feb. 16, at Virgin Valley High School.

Contact Robert Vendettoli at BCRsports@gmail.com.