HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVTJames Chapman, top, and Zach Weldon, below, were among the winners for the Pahrump Valley wrestling team in Southern Nevada Class 3-A dual meets Wednesday, in the Ninth Grade Academy gym. The Trojans moved to 5-0 in the league, 17-2 in all matches. HORACE LANGFORD JR. / PVTJames Chapman, top, and Zach Weldon, below, were among the winners for the Pahrump Valley wrestling team in Southern Nevada Class 3-A dual meets Wednesday, in the Ninth Grade Academy gym. The Trojans moved to 5-0 in the league, 17-2 in all matches. Advertisement

PV 5-0

IN 3-A

ACTION

The third annual Las Vegas Holiday Classic High School Invitational Wrestling Tournament will be held Friday and Saturday in the Convention Center.

Pahrump Valley will compete in the tournament for the first time, with Trojan wrestlers seeking individual championships in 64-matmen brackets in 14 weight classes.

More than 70 teams are entered, including Nevada squads Arbor View, Basic, Bishop Gorman, Boulder City, Canyon Springs, Carson, Centennial, Cheyenne, Cimarron-Memorial, Clark, Del Sol, Foothill, Green Valley, Las Vegas, Legacy, Liberty, Palo Verde, Shadow Ridge, Sierra Vista and Spring Valley.

Wrestlers from California, Utah, Oregon, Alaska, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Washington will also compete in the tournament.

Competition today will be on 14 mats, starting at 10 a.m. and running until 9:30 p.m., and from 10 a.m.to 3 p.m. Saturday on at least four mats.

Wednesday, the Craig Rieger-coached Trojans defeated Boulder City 51-30 and Las Vegas Faith Lutheran 74-6 to move their Southern Nevada Class 3-A League dual-meet record to 5-0 and their overall mark to 17-2. In another 3-A dual here, Boulder City defeated Faith Lutheran 52-24.

In the unofficial 3-A standings, the Trojans are 5-0 (1-0 vs. Virgin Valley, 2-0 vs. Boulder City, 1-0 vs. Faith Lutheran, 1-0 vs. Overton Moapa Valley), while Boulder City is 3-3, Mesquite Virgin Valley 2-1, Moapa Valley 0-3 and Faith Lutheran 0-3

Remaining league dates are Jan. 9 (at Faith Lutheran), Jan. 16, Jan. 23, and Jan. 30 (at Pahrump Valley). The Trojans will host the Southern regionals Feb. 2, with the state meet Feb. 8-9 at Overton.

The Trojans, who were wrestling at home for the first time this season, attracted a good late-afternoon crowd into the Ninth Grade Academy gym.

This is exams week, which may account for what was an apparent lack of intensity the Trojans displayed, especially early in the dual against Boulder City.

The Eagles, led by Al Haines and Daniel Pena, led 24-12 after six matches and 30-15 going into the 160-pound match.

Ande Floyd of the Trojans won by forfeit, and then the comeback gained momentum.

Zach Weldon, 171, won by pin in 0:18;

Pierce Henkel, 189, needed just 48 seconds to win;

Joe Colucci, 215, won by pin in 0:35;

Frank Lopez, heavyweight, won by forfeit, and

Elliott Owens, 103, won by fall in 0:48.

Earlier, Elias Armendariz, 112, won by a pin in 1:30, and James Chapman prevailed 15-12 in a tough 145-pound match.

It was no contest against Faith Lutheran, which won only the 152-pound match.

Elliott Owens, Elias Armendariz, and Josh Armendariz (pin, 1:07) gave the Trojans an 18-0 lead.

Wes Booth won 10-3 at 125; Chris DeMille won by pin in 2:35 at 130; Gueran Fenicle triumphed in 0:47, and Kyle Abreu won by fall in 0:34. Chapman needed 1:04 to triumph and it was 46-0.

Rookie Connor White held an early 7-2 lead, but lost by pin in 3:42, giving the Crusaders their first points.

Down the stretch, Floyd (pin, 0:12), Weldon (pin, 2:24), Colucci (decision, 15-3), Henkel (forfeit) and Lopez (pin, 1:22).

"We're going to get back to some of the basics in practice Thursday," said Rieger, who was not pleased with the Trojans giving up four consecutive pins to Boulder City.

The Trojans are in Las Vegas today and Saturday; on the weekend after Christmas, they will compete in the Basic Duals in Henderson.

Two major multi-team tournaments are on the January card, including the Kiwanis Invitational at Spring Creek Jan. 11-12 and the Mohave Championships at Bullhead City, Ariz., Jan. 18-19.

NOTES -- Unofficial individual records for the Trojans through Wednesday are Elliott Owens 16-3; Josh Armendariz, 11-6; Elias Armendariz, 21-1; Gueran Fenicle, 9-10; Kyle Abreu, 14-10; James Chapman, 19-2; Ande Floyd, 14-4; Zach Weldon, 22-1; Pierce Henkel, 20-3; Joe Colucci, 14-8, and Franka Lopez, 20-2. ... Pahrump Valley will host the Nye County Championships Jan. 23 and league duals Jan. 30, in preparation for the regionals Feb. 2. The Pahrump Valley High School gym's reconstruction is nearing completion and should be ready for those home meets.