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Orem • Altamont needed points, and it needed them from the six wrestlers who made the finals. Brady Farnsworth, Jake Stevenson, Chance Goodrich, Rylee Foy, Kyle Foy and Cassidy Smith knew in the tightest Class 1A title race in recent memory, they'd need to score some points.
They delivered. All of them.
The Longhorns went 6-for-6 in the finals to come back against Monticello and win their third straight title. It was the first time coach Cory Allred could remember all of his finalists winning.
"It's something you hope for, sure, but you never really expect it," he said. "It shows how committed those guys really all."
The victory is all the more promising because of Altamont's youth. Its winners were four juniors and a freshmen, all of whom expect to be back on top next year.
There were a few surprises. Stevenson nearly got pinned in the third round by Rich's Dakota Clark, but held on to pull out a decision. Goodrich forced overtime against Duchesne's Tyler Harper, and managed a takedown to take home the 145-pound title.
But then there were the less suspenseful results: Freshman Rylee Foy earned his first state title with a pin in only 26 seconds. Older brother Kyle Foy took a little bit longer, but still pinned his opponent to earn his third state title.
"It's really cool to win together," Rylee Foy said. "I was really hyped before my match, and felt pretty good about it. And we're young, so we should be a powerhouse next year."
The Buckaroos were neck-and-neck for most of the way, but early losses to Panguitch sank their title dreams. The Bobcats' Cade Coles repeated as a state champ, beating out Monticello's Brandon Musselman in overtime. Jory Owens was also a winner for Panguitch — his third time — although his match was a little closer than he might have hoped against Hunter Bowring.
"I got a little nervous, but I knew I had to stay calm," Owens said of his 4-2 decision. "Panguitch is kind of our rival, especially after region. Once we realized we couldn't win, we wanted to beat them and maybe help out Altamont a little bit."
Monticello was far from empty-handed. Brian Robinson and Cole Eldredge won at 126 and 132 respectively. Sophomore Austin Wilcox gave Buckaroo fans a thrill by scoring a second-round pin of Milford's Doug Hathaway. And Monticello will accept second place — for now.
"We did good, and we knew it was going to be close," Wilcox said. "We just didn't have enough at the end. But all our guys who won are underclassmen, so we know we'll be back next year."
Twitter: @kylegoon