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Trapper Darren Lewis Earns Prestigious Apodaca Award
By DAVID DICKEY
Powell Tribune Sports Editor
Northwest College conducted the 10th annual Apodaca Dual Showdown last Friday and Saturday, and the Trappers enjoyed a memorable weekend by posting a 2-1 mark against some of the top junior college teams in the country.
The No. 8 Trappers' biggest victory came in their final match of the event Saturday when they defeated seventh-ranked North Idaho College 37-5. The victory, according to NWC head coach Jim Zeigler, was a promising finish after the Trappers recorded a split in their first two matches of the event.
"From top to bottom, North Idaho has a strong team," Zeigler said. "That was a good win against a quality opponent, and that's a credit to how well our guys wrestled."
Against the Cardinals, NWC started strong when secondranked Jeremy Ensley won by pin against No. 6 Nektoe Demison at 125. NWC's Luis Carranza claimed a forfeit win at 133, and No. 8 Anthony Varnell followed with an impressive 3-0 victory over Chris Harris in the 141-pound weight class.
At 149, Trapper Travis Lamborn defeated Jordan Anderson 5-2, and at 157, Keenen Funk added to the Trappers' team score by posting an 11-0 victory over Issac Lawlor.
The Trappers continued to roll over the Cardinals with hard-fought victories by Mason Peebles at 165, Corey Green at 174 and Josh Clark at 184. Peebles defeated D.J. May 10-7, and Green topped third-ranked Dino May 10-7. Clark won his bout with Steve Vasquez by a 14-11 margin.
Nathan Barzee, at 197, followed with a one-sided 9-0 win over No. 5 Brett Fredrickson, and North Idaho got its only team points due to a forfeit by the Trappers at the heavyweight division.
Earlier in the day, the Trappers endured a 28-13 setback to top-ranked Iowa Central Community College. That match, though largely controlled by the Tritons, did produce a pair of notable victories by Trapper wrestlers, including Ensley. The sophomore from Homedale, Idaho, defeated top-ranked Terrance Young by a 3-2 score.
Also posting wins during the match were Clark and Barzee. Clark posted a 14-6 victory over Joe Johnson, and Barzee defeated Kevin Kelly via pin.
Against 11th-ranked Clackamas Community College Friday night in the Trappers' first match of the showdown, NWC posted a 28-12 victory.
Ensley opened the match by pinning Buck Contrares. After a loss at 133, the Trappers got back on track when Varnell registered a 12-5 win over sixth-ranked Derick Bartlemay. Bartlemay also entered the bout as a returning NJCAA All- American.
Clackamas won the bout at 149, but Funk defeated Stephan Gonzales 10-7 in the 157-pound matchup. Peebles followed with a 12-6 win over Kris Spencer, Green recored a fall to defeated Brandon Jackson. Clark added a12-9 decision over Richard Jensen, and third-ranked Barzee cruised to an 8-0 victory over Jim Halicki at 197. Clackamas got the final points of the match by claiming a forfeit in the heavyweight division.
"Those were two nice wins for us against North Idaho and Clackamas," Zeigler said. "Against Iowa Central, I thought we could have wrestled a little better than we did, but the guys bounced back and did really well in our final match."
Lewis tabbed Apodaca Award winner:
Each year the Apodaca Dual Showdown is highlighted by the presentation of the Brooks Apodaca Memorial Award for Leadership and Excellence. That honor, according to Zeigler, is given to the team member who displays the traits that made Apodaca such a memorable contributor to the wrestling program at NWC.
This year's recipient was Darren Lewis, a redshirt freshman from Fallon, Nev. Zeigler said Lewis was an easy choice for the honor because of his dedication to the wrestling program.
"If you asked any guy on our team who they thought was deserving of this award, and they'd say Darren Lewis," Zeigler said. "He's the hardest working kid we've got, no question about it. He's a great team member, and he's got a good attitude. He epitomizes exactly what this award symbolizes."
Lewis, who has one year of eligibility remaining at NWC, said this year will mark the end of his wrestling career. Since he will graduate during this school year, he's decided to move on to the University of Nevada-Reno, where he will pursue a degree in physical education.
"It's a privilege to win this award," Lewis said. "We all know what this award and this event is about, so it's definitely an honor to be chosen for this. It still hasn't sunk in, though. I'm still shocked."
Wrestling fans had the chance to see Lewis compete in an exhibition match against North Idaho College's Ben Lacoultre. Lewis was unfazed by Lacoultre's No. 7 national ranking and defeated the sophomore via pin.
"Darren's name will always be here on that award," Zeigler said. "People will be able to look at that award and see his name. He's very deserving of that."
Up next: The Trappers now have their sights set on the West Central Zone Championships in Rock Springs. That event is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 9, and will be followed by the NJCAA National Championships in Rochester, Minn., Feb. 22-23.