DENVER | With the final seconds ticking off the clock, Jonathan Montes Gonzales’ chances of making it to the 150-pound Class 5A state championship match were running out.
But trailing Ponderosa’s DJ Wince by a point, Montes Gonzales scrambled and got Wince on his back for a two-point take down just before time expired, which lifted him to a thrilling 4-3 semifinal victory Friday evening at Ball Arena to get him into Saturday’s championship match.
Montes Gonzales placed sixth as a freshman, but will have a much higher spot on the medal podium thanks his state performance, which culminated in the win over Wince, who was a state finalist in 2023. Montes Gonzales (44-8) will be part of an all-Aurora 150-pound state championship match, as he will face Regis Jesuit junior Garrett Reece (45-1).
Coach Ryan Budd’s Grandview team will enter the final day of the tournament in fourth place as a team with help from Montes Gonzales and junior Charlie Herting, who made the 165-pound final, as the Wolves were 2-2 in the semifinal round.
Montes Gonzales came into the tournament projected to finish in sixth place by On The Mat, but he blew past that with his semifinal victory, which came after he defeated Doherty’s Christian Olsen by fall in the opening round, then posted a 13-2 major decision win over Mountain Vista’s Griffen Langer in the quarterfinals.
His win over Wince avenged a 3-2 loss in the third-place match at the rugged Top of the Rockies Invitational hosted by Centaurus High School.
Montes Gonzales has made a habit out of winning tournaments since that loss as he captured the Centennial League Championship title as well as the Region 3 crown.
He will be joined in the championship session by four other Aurora area wrestlers in his opponent Reece (who he will face for the first time) along with Herting in the 165-pound final as well as Cherokee Trail’s Cooper Mathews in the 106-pound title match and Eaglecrest senior Adonias Cantu in the 113-pound final.
Courtney Oakes is Aurora Sentinel Sports Editor. Reach him at sports@aurorasentinel.com. Twitter/X: @aurorasports. IG: Sentinel Prep Sports