Wrestling Fans Anticipate State Championship Tournament
Trevor Phipps
Now that the winter sports season is slowly winding to conclusion, many senior athletes have already hit the stage for the last time.
At this point much of the winter sports action has officially ended. However, a number of local athletes are eyeing state championships and playoffs.
Both the boys and girls wrestling teams have proven to be big winners as they have competed very well as teams. The coach previously said that he plans on sending around half a dozen grapplers to the state championship tourney that takes place in the Mile High City this weekend.
While other sports teams may have missed out on postseason chances, they experienced their share of improvements and many team athletes still had stellar seasons. The following is a look at how each Woodland Park team fared during the ’24-’25 high school winter sports season.
Boys and Girls Wrestling
At this point in the season, both wrestling teams had completed their dual meets for the year. Last month, the boys and the girls both had their home “senior night” matches where those who graduate in the spring were honored after grappling on the mats at home for the last time.
Towards the end of the season, Matthew Hood, the teams’ head coach, was thrilled about the wrestlers’ success. The team had a handful of star grapplers that were in the top 10 statewide and a couple more that were right on the edge.
In early February, the regular season of wrestling ended with the league tournaments. Then last weekend, the teams competed in the regional tournament at Centennial High School in Pueblo.
At press time, the results of the regional championship tournament were not quite finalized. But, whoever ranked well enough at regionals will then qualify for the state championship tournament.
For those that did qualify for the state championships, their big chance at snagging a trophy occurs this weekend. The Colorado State Wrestling championship takes place starting this Thursday at the Ball Arena in Denver.
Boys Basketball
Since the Panther basketball teams have the season’s longest schedules, both the boys and the girls’ basketball teams still have a few more games. The good news is the boys’ team is not officially counted out of the playoffs yet and recently experienced a big winning streak.
The Panthers had a rocky start, but their prospects turned around after they won three games in a row. By the early part of February, the Panther boys’ basketball team recorded a 6-8 overall record and a 3-2 league record.
The Panthers were in eighth place in their 4A/3A Tri-Peaks league. But from this point forward, the team plays the bulk of their league matches.
During the season, freshman Zach Summeril has been a key player on offense. Summeril leads the team with an average of 11.3 points per game and a 49 percent field goal percentage. Summeril also has the top spot on the team with 158 total points.
Senior Joseph Johnson has also been key on both sides of the ball. Johnson leads the team with 7.2 rebounds per game and 1.7 steals per game. Johnson is also in second place behind Summeril in several statistical categories.
The team comes back home this Tuesday to challenge the 10-4 Manitou Springs Mustangs. They hit the road Thursday to face off against the 6-6 Colorado Springs Christian Lions. They then come back home on Saturday to battle the 3-11 La Junta Tigers at 2 p.m.
The boys’ basketball regular season ends on Feb. 25 with a home match against the 9-3 Vanguard School Coursers.
Girls Basketball
In the midst of a rebuild year, the Lady Panthers basketball team has struggled to stay on top. Some have said that the overall height of the team could be a factor with other teams visibly towering over pretty much all of Woodland Park’s athletes.
The team has not yet won a game this season and at press time they had a 0-14 overall record and a 0-5 league record. But, the team still has several league matches to play.
Senior Toni Ciccarelli stands out as a key player this seasons as she leads the team in several stats. Ciccarelli has the top spot with 67 total points, 3 assists, 64 rebounds and 23 steals.
To end the season, the girls have a similar schedule as the boys. This Tuesday they challenge the 8-6 Manitou Mustangs at home. They then have another home match on Saturday against the 5-9 La Junta Tigers.
The girls also finish their season on Feb. 25 with a home match against the 4-6 Vanguard School Coursers.
Hockey
The high school hockey season is almost over with the team facing tough winning challenges. At press time, the hockey team was 0-10 overall and 0-7 when playing in their league.
During most of the season, the hockey stars were unevenly matched against schools that had much bigger and better programs. While the team did stay close in a few matches, they got iced by some powerhouse squads by large margins.
The Ice Panthers’ ’24-’25 season officially ends this Thursday when they challenge the 5-10 Rampart Rams.
