Asthma doesn’t deny DeGroat

He wasn’t choked up by his emotions or trying to talk through tears. He was simply trying to breathe.

The asthma-stricken DeGroat battled a bad cold and weakened lungs as he described his victory.

But even though he called for his inhaler late in the third round of his 14-9 overtime victory over Cimarron-Memorial’s Yosnay Malvarez, he did not credit the bursts of oxygen for his success.

“No, it wasn’t the inhaler. It was my teammates cheering for me and supporting me,” DeGroat said with between gasps after joining 11 Mojave teammates who advanced to next week’s state tournament. “With them … on my side … I can’t lose.”

And with him on their side, many of them couldn’t lose, either. Mojave won the team title with 256 points, 72 more than second-place Cimarron. The Rattlers cruised to victory with five individual champs — DeGroat at 119 pounds, Jake Evans at 130, DeAndre Taylor at 135 and David Jordan at 145 and Dylan Berg at 275.

But it was the team’s performance in the consolation bracket that put it over the top, coach Colin Wilson said.

By monitoring the scoring throughout the tournament, computing the probabilities as only a math teacher can, Wilson concluded his team had clinched the tournament with Seth Spindler’s consolation final victory over Sierra Vista’s Julian Batz at 125.

“That took the pressure off everybody in the finals,” Wilson said. “They know that it’s entirely for themselves now. It actually relaxes them and allows them to perform.”

It was a familiar scenario for Spindler. In 2006 as a sophomore competing at 112 pounds, Spindler clinched Mojave’s first Sunset title. Two years later he clinched the team’s third straight.

Not that he relishes the unique victories.

“It sucks, man. The pressure is the worst,” Spindler said. “But once it’s over, everybody is so happy. How good they feel makes me feel better.”

The top three placers at each weight advanced to the state tournament, to be held Friday and Saturday at Cimarron.

The host school will have eight participants, including Sunset champs Britain Longmire (112) and Sunset Wrestler of the Year Robert Atwood (215).

The Spartans were followed by Sierra Vista with six qualifiers and Bishop Gorman with five, including champions Napolean Anciente (103) and Johnny Field (152).

Other wrestlers winning individual titles were Palo Verde’s Glenn Terrano (125), Clark’s Amos Bailey (160), Bonanza’s Daniel Wosik (171) and Spring Valley’s Travis Harris (189). Sierra Vista’s Joe Cap was named Sunset coach of the year.