It's all academic now for Ponderosa, as the Mustangs have clinched the Class 5A state wrestling title for the fifth consecutive year.

Ponderosa, coached by Tim Ottmann, advanced eight wrestlers into the semifinals Friday at the Pepsi Center before a crowd of 16,262 and sent four into the finals that begin at 6:30 tonight.

All eight will place, that's a certainty. The question is where they all will finish.

Ponderosa led second-place Pomona 132-65 heading into the finals, with Legacy in third, with 64 1/2 points.

Legacy had only two wrestlers remaining in the championship bracket, Pomona three after quarterfinal action.

Zeke Hofer, Ponderosa's returning state champion, got the Mustangs off and running in the semifinals by beating Pine Creek's Kory Johnson 2-1 at 119. Hofer (32-7) entered the tournament ranked No. 4 and not favored to win again. Johnson (35- 3), a sophomore, dropped to the consolation rounds.

"That kind of gave me some extra motivation," said Hofer, who reached the semifinals with a 17-2 technical fall win against Aurora Central's Ricardo Villalobos. "No one expected me to make it to the finals, and I wanted to prove them wrong."

Leading 2-0 late in the third period, Hofer released Johnson. One might have questioned the move in such a tight match, but not Hofer, who will face Pomona's top-ranked Nick Jones in the final.

"It will be a good match," Hofer said. "I wrestled him once at Arvada West, and he was the better man that day. (Today) I will be going for a different outcome."

Ponderosa also got a big lift from the Snider brothers, freshman Jake and senior Jesse. Jake beat Northglenn's Lorenzo 9-4 at 125, and Jesse pinned Ceasar Crespin of Centaurus in 1 minute, 31 seconds at 145.

"I'm really proud of my brother," Jesse Snider said. "Being a freshman coming out here, being a freshman and being unranked, this is so great. I was pumped. I couldn't let my little brother beat me.

"I'm also so proud of my team," said Snider (39-3), who will wrestle Mike Conklin of Fort Collins for the title. "We are doing everything we can and we are wrestling the best in the tournament that we could."

The same thoughts were on the mind of Ottmann. He is doubly proud his son, junior Jake, pinned Cherry Creek's Matt Johnson in 2:17 in his 215-pound match.

"We wrestled well and we upset some people," Ottmann said. "The semis are the round you want to get through because of the big points. That was really good the way Zeke wrestled. He is a hard-working kid, and we wrestled (Johnson) the way we wanted. Zeke is good on his feet, and he came through."

Loveland junior Tyler Graff, who is ranked No. 1 in the nation at 130 pounds by Wrestling USA magazine, won by a 15-0 technical fall against Denver East's Jacob Milewski in the semifinals.

In the process he ran his season record to 46-0 and 121-1 for his career. It will be his third consecutive berth in the finals. He will face Air Academy's Oliver Yaney (34-5) for the title.

Pomona's Willie McClure (39- 5) pinned Steve Cruz of Chaparral in 3:11 at 189 and will go for his second title. But McClure, who won last year at 171, will have his work cut out for him as he will face Legacy's No. 1- ranked Nick Bauman (36-1).

Bauman, whose only loss this season was to Alamosa's two- time state champion Sonny Yohn, beat Wasson's Kenny Smith 19-7 to advance.

Thornton's Marcus Felker will be going for his second title at 285 and will be a heavy favorite. Felker improved to 33-0 with a 15-7 victory against Pomona's Joe Boyd. The Trojans wrestler has gone 69-1 during the past two seasons.

Class 5A championships

• 103: Aaron Ortiz, Adams City, So. (31-8) vs. Jeremy Schmitt, Rocky Mountain, Fr. (35-7)

• 112: Josh Kreimier, Loveland, So. (40-3) vs. Philip Grout, Northglenn, So. (39-2)

• 119: Nick Jones, Pomona, Jr. (37-3) vs. Zeke Hofer, Ponderosa, So. (32-7)

• 125: Jake Snider, Ponderosa, Fr. (38-8) vs. Dominic Valenzuela, Centaurus, Jr. (38-3)

• 130: Oliver Yaney, Air Academy, Jr. (34-5) vs. Tyler Graff, Loveland, Jr. (46-0)

• 135: Casey Cruz, Wasson, Sr. (39-0) vs. Tyler McGoffin, Grandview, Sr. (38-4)

• 140: John Hooper, Regis, Sr. (42-3) vs. Dietrick Tumey, Brighton, Jr. (35-6)

• 145: Mike Conklin, Fort Collins, Sr. (40-2) vs. Jesse Snider, Ponderosa, Sr. (39-3)

• 152: Tyson Blatter, Columbine, Sr. (35-4) vs. Joe Meinhart, Fruita Monument, Sr. (40-1)

• 160: Matt Murphy, Chaparral, Sr. (34-4) vs. Brandon Doyle, Poudre, Sr. (30-3)

• 171: Jacob Terada, Northglenn, Jr. (37-6) vs. Micah Burak, Coronado, Sr. (31-1)

• 189: Willie McClure, Pomona, Sr. (39-5) vs. Nick Bauman, Legacy, Sr. (36-1)

• 215: Jake Ottmann, Ponderosa, Jr. (34-6) vs. Robert Tucker, Grand Junction, Jr. (41-3)

• 285: Marcus Felker, Thornton, Sr. (33-0) vs. Ryan Tauer, Regis, Sr. (40-3)

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