Two state champs lead Chargers wrestlers

By Catherine Garrett | [email protected]

Corner Canyon’s Kade Carlson and Kam Moss won individual state titles at the 6A tournament Feb. 12–13 at Utah Valley University, leading the Chargers to a fourth-place showing as a team, its highest-ever finish as a program. Carlson won his second title, this time in the 285-pound division, while Moss came out on top in the 160-pound weight class. 

“It felt awesome to win,” Carlson said. “I’ve been working towards this and envisioning it every day. I did feel more pressure this year. I came up short at state last year and I knew this year was my last year to earn another state title.”

Carlson, the son of Dave and Haley Carlson of Bluffdale, has been wrestling for over a decade now and is grateful for all the sport has taught him. “I’ve learned that what you put into it is what you get out,” he said. “Anyone can be a great wrestler if they put in the work. Life isn’t always fair and all you can do is keep your head up and keep working. Things will eventually fall into your favor.”

The senior credits his dad for his wrestling success. “This wouldn’t have been possible without him,” Kade Carlson said. “He has made so many sacrifices for me and has pushed me every day to be the best I can be.”

Moss said he was overcome after winning his state title. “I worked really hard this year and it felt so awesome to win,” he said. “I had a very emotional hug with my brother Kade who has taught me so much.” Kade Moss was a four-time state champion at Bingham before wrestling collegiately at Penn State.

Corner Canyon’s Kade Carlson and Kam Moss won state titles at the 6A tournament Feb. 13 at UVU. (Photo courtesy Lisa Wilcox)

 

The junior, who is the son of Mike and Andrea Moss of Draper, finished third at state in the 132-pound division and then sixth last year at 152, wrestling for Bingham. This season, at Corner Canyon, he finally came out on top of the sport he’s been watching older brothers participate in much of his life. 

“I just fell in love with wrestling honestly,” Kam Moss said. “I love how personal and individual it is. It’s all on you and everything is in your hands. So, you learn a lot of dedication and how to push through stuff and stick with things.”

Other top-five finishers at state for the Chargers were Aaron Wilcox (third, 285 pounds), Brigham Bagley (fourth, 120 pounds) and Kaden Westerlind (fourth, 170 pounds).

Also among the 17 wrestlers who qualified for state this year were Gavyn Gappmayer and Quinn Bedell at 106 pounds, Jake Woolsey (138), Corbin Bush and Dax Gove (145), Kayden Jensen and Zeke Taylor (152), Christian Harned (160), Seth Rogers (170), Cam Clark (182) and Tank Mitchell and Brad Critchfield (195).

“I’m proud of how hard our guys worked this year and I look forward to continuing the process of building our program until we are the very best,” head coach Jeff Eure said.

Eure was also named 6A Coach of the Year and was recognized at the state tournament. Additionally, the Chargers finished fourth as a team in the Academic All-State rankings.

Youth Wrestling Club

Corner Canyon’s youth wrestlers have also fared well this winter in their own wrestling tournaments.

At the Northern State Festival tournament for pre-kindergartners through third grade, the Chargers fielded one of the largest teams and had five first place finishers: Louden Eure, Luke Gutierrez, Gilmore Purser, Ryan Webb and Jack Wollsieffer. Other top placers were second-place finishers Wyatt Eure, Crew Gutierrez, Max Kirkham, Dane King, Ronan Logsdon, Lucas Olsen, Taylor Rosen, Luke Rowland and Westin Tranter; third-placers Raden Crofts, Hudson King, Dylan Mair, Thatcher Purser, Henry Tenney and Toby White; and Cael Cunningham, Mix Lujan, Dallas McLaws, Tanner Rosen and Bentley White, who came in fourth.

Corner Canyon placed 10 wrestlers at Northern State in the top six in their respective events — the most in the club’s history. Lincoln Eure was second in the 88-lb. division while Jarom Gappmayer (third, 79 pounds), Tony Vainuku (third, 210 pounds), Collin Webb (fourth, 150 pounds), Kacen Jones (fifth, 60 pounds), Campbell Garner (fifth, 125 pounds), Trevor Goins (sixth, 96 pounds), Wyatt Warner (sixth, 100 pounds), Brett Dickey (sixth, 105 pounds) and LJ Fevaleaki (sixth, 145 pounds) also placed high.

At Youth SuperState Feb. 7–8, third grader Louden Eure came in second place at 70 pounds while fifth grader Oj Ija also finished second in the 105 lb. division. Others placing in the top six were Drew Cannon (fourth, 53 pounds), Wyatt Eure (fourth, 46 pounds), Gappmayer (fourth, 77 pounds), Campbell Garner (fourth, 120 pounds), Luke Rowland (fourth, 75 pounds), Vainuku (fourth, 285 pounds), Warner (fourth, 105 pounds), Lincoln Eure (fifth, 89 pounds) and Fevaleaki (sixth, 120 pounds).