(Photo: Rusty Johnson/Alamosa wrestling)
In recent years, it’s become a common sight to see the Alamosa Mean Moose hoisting a Class 3A state wrestling championship trophy.
In 2019, the Moose claimed a second straight state wrestling title and their 13th overall. The program soared to extreme heights under coach Gary Ramstetter. But he has since moved on and it’s on one of his former assistants, Rusty Johnson, to keep the program performing at the high level it has grown accustomed to.
“There’s pressure, and there’s quite a bit of it,” Johnson said. “I try not to think about it because that just brings on more pressure. I’ve been an assistant under Ramstetter for 27 years, so I knew there’d be pressure, just not to this extent.”
The way he’s alleviating that pressure is relying on those competitors that have thrived at Alamosa.
The Mean Moose return four state placers from last year’s team and each one will be vital in helping Johnson ease into his role and keep the team competing as a state powerhouse.
Of those four returners, Davion Chavez brings the most experience. He finished second in the 106-pound bracket and claimed a state title as a freshman.
“I lean on him pretty hard,” Johnson said. “I have also have three other seniors that placed at state last year that I push a lot off on to them as well.”
Colton Liddell placed fourth at 132, Hunter Smith placed fourth at 145 and Austin Trujillo placed sixth at 220.
Those finishes along with the state championship claimed by then-senior Joe Chavez at 126 was good enough for Alamosa to hold off Eaton and claim a state title.
But that was last year. If there is one thing that Johnson has learned in his time with the program it’s that championship performances don’t automatically carry over.
“There’s always work to be done,” Johnson said. “Just at the tournaments we’ve competed at so far, they’ve competed well.”
Maybe the best performance came at the Warrior Classic just before the winter break. Davion Chavez found himself in a championship match at 120, but lost to Grand Junction’s Dawson Collins.
Liddell finished fourth, Smith finished third and Trujillo took fifth.
The Mean Moose will get back in action this week with a couple of duals before hosting the Alamosa Invitational this weekend.
With just over a month remaining until the state tournament, it’s important for the team to see as much action as possible in order to get the full team, not just those who placed last year, ready to get back to Pepsi Center to defend the team title.
“It helps a lot,” Johnson said. “There’s always some concern with the younger guys and how they’re going to perform at state. I’m counting on some of them to perform well and place at state.”
In the most recent On the Mat team rankings, the Mean Moose checked in as the new No. 1 team in 3A. Outside perception has a funny way of adding just a bit more pressure to what Johnson is facing in his first year at the helm.
“We’re not that good yet,” he said with a laugh.
But that doesn’t mean that won’t be the case on the floor at Pepsi Center on a late Saturday night in February.