Jesse Reed stood at the edge of the mat, calmly waiting for his shot at immortality. As a presentation of the 17 previous Colorado high school wrestlers to capture four straight championships played on the Pepsi Center Jumbo-Tron overhead, the 126-pound Paonia senior didn’t seem to show many nerves for a guy who was trying to become No. 18.
“I was trying to stay as calm as I could, but there were some butterflies, I must admit,” Reed said.
Then his final high school match began, and they were gone. With the calculated efficiency that has made him one of the most storied wrestlers in state history, Reed calmly dissected Rocky Ford’s Jeremy Fraser, winning a 4-1 decision in Class 2A to join the elite group of four-time champions.
As the final second melted off the clock, Reed thrust four fingers into the air, strapped an imaginary title belt around his waist and took a bow.
PHOTOS: 2015 Colorado State High School Wrestling Championships – 2A
“From the beginning of the season, I thought I might as well end my career with a bow,” he said. “All performers do.”
What a performance it was for Reed, who didn’t lose a match in his final two seasons. But his coronation during a snowy weekend in Denver didn’t seem guaranteed just two years ago.
“We were just hoping he’d be able to wrestle again at one point,” said Robert Reed, Jesse’s coach and father.
During football season as a sophomore, Jesse blew out his knee, completely tearing his MCL. But he didn’t view a season off as a possibility. He returned shortly after Christmas during his sophomore season and lost several matches.
“He wrestled his sophomore year at about 70 or 80 percent,” his father said.
But Reed powered through the pain, winning the state championship at 120 pounds to go with the 113-pound title he won as a freshman.
He’s been dominant since. He even returned to the football field this past season, which made his dad far more nervous than any wrestling match.
“I know he’s at least in control out here,” Robert Reed said, pointing from a Pepsi Center hallway toward the mat where his son cemented a legacy.
Reed scored a takedown one minute into the first round. Fraser, a game challenger, scored a point on an escape 30 seconds into the second round to cut his deficit to 2-1. But Reed scored a point on an escape of his own moments later, then padded his lead with another point in the third round.
“Words can’t even describe what I’m feeling right now,” Reed said. “It’s nice to know hard work paid off. It’s an amazing feeling.”
Paonia’s Bo Pipher, a junior, won his second consecutive title, pinning J.D. Chenoweth of Baca County in the first round at 138 pounds to complete a 47-0 season. Also, Paonia’s Zach Milner (160) added his second consecutive title. Rocky Ford won the team title, stopping Paonia’s run of three in a row.
Jonathan Andreatta (113) of John Mall and Talon Harris (120) of Northwood/Nucla also repeated as weight- class champions.
Colorado may not have to wait long for another four-time champion. Meeker’s TJ Shelton beat Centennial’s Jose Cisneros at 170 pounds by pin for his third consecutive title.
Immortality awaits.
