Thunderbird, Camp Verde nab D-III, D-IV wrestling titles

February 9, 2013 by Les Willsey, AZPreps365


Thunderbird pulled away from a tight-team race Saturday to capture its third consecutive  wrestling championship at the Division III state tournament at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley.

Thunderbird  finished with 132.5 points. Finishing runner-up was Rio Rico with 91 followed closely by Coconino (88.5), Snowflake (88) and Camp Verde (84). Thunderbird's title was led by individual champ Isaiah Gomez (126 pounds) among seven state placers. The others were runner-up Ryan Felipe (113), third-place finishers Fernando Carrasco (120), Andrew Veilleux (138) and Tyler Schwabe (195) and fifth-place finishers Jonah O'Connell (106) and Frank Russo (145).

Rio Rico topped all D-III schools with three state champs -- Eric Jeong (138), Mark Lopez (145) and Patrick Penniston (220). Moon Valley's Ryan Vandall was a repeat champion as was Rio Rico's Lopez.

Other state champs crowned in D-III on Saturday were Verrado's Josh Kramer (106), Combs Ted Rico (113), Coconino's Gabe Galaviz (120), Amphitheater's Jesus Berrera (152), Payson's Conner Anderson (160), Sierra Linda's Felipe Nava (170), Sahuarita's Jorge Robles (182), Blue Ridge's Jacob Badger (195) and Snowflake's JT Bradley (HWT).

Division IV crowned a new champ as Camp Verde picked up where it left off after Friday's first round and dethroned St. Johns.  Camp Verde totaled 243.5 points with St. Johns finishing second with a very respectable 195.5. Morenci (164.5) was third, Willcox (113.5) was fourth and Benson (98) was fifth.

St. Johns had 12 wrestlers place, including five champs and two runners-up. The champs were Matt Mejia (106), Alex Casillas (113), Ryan Allred (132), Alex Anzar (152) and Heath Carroll (160). Runners-up were Isaiah McReynolds (126) and Joel Lobaugh (145). St. Johns was just one behind Camp Verde in champions with four -- Eli Frazier (126), Tyler Crosby (145), Jared Anderson (170) and Garrett Davis (182). The other D-IV individual champs were Benson's Ross Ens (120), Parker's Ryan Shatto (138), Willcox's Ben Miller (195), San Tan Foothills Jake Lee (220) and Morenci's Santiago Robledo (HWT). Allred, Anderson and Lee repeated as D-IV champs.

Here are the results of the title bouts from D-III and D-IV:

D-III -- 106 pounds: Josh Kramer (Verr) 16-8 maj. dec. Cole Mortensen (Snow); 113: Ted Rico (Combs) 3-1 dec. over Ryan Felipe (TBird); 120: Gabe Galaviz (Coco) 8-5 dec.  Zach Sobarzo (DEdge); 126: Isaiah Gomez (TBird) 8-3 dec. John Michael Stib (Salp); 132: Ryan Vandall (MoonV) pin Sergio Chavez (Cool); 138: Eric Jeong (Rio Rico) 3-2 dec. Geovanni Payan (Amphi); 145: Mark Lopez (Rio Rico) 10-0 maj. dec. Donsel Seldon (RiverV); 152: Jesus Berrera (Amphi) 10-6 dec. Hank Goettl (Mingus); 160: Conner Anderson (Payson) 7-4 dec. Andrew Capirchio (FHills); 170: Felipe Nava (Sierra Linda) pin Parker Keime (BlueR); 182: Jorge Robles (Sahuarita) 5-4 dec. Oswaldo Barajas (Youngker); 195: Jacob Badger (BlueR) 7-3 dec. Milton Cabezas (MoonV); 220: Patrick Penniston (Rio Rico) 16-4 maj. dec. William McKay (Salp); HWT: JT Bradley (Snow) 3-2 dec. Jared Krall (Coco).

D-IV -- 106 pounds: Matt Mejia (CV) pin Joe Guerra (Morenci); 113: Alex Casillas (CV) SV1 4-2 Bryce Castagna (Willcox); 120: Ross Ens (Benson) 5-4 dec. Ethan Workman (Round V); 126: Eli Frazier (StJ) SV-I 8-6 Isaiah McReynolds (CV); 132: Ryan Allred (CV) 4-3 dec. Dallyn Despain (Mogoll); 138: Ryan Shatto (Parker) 12-3 maj. dec. Smiley Beecroft (Mogoll); 145: Tyler Crosby (StJ) 8-6 dec. Joel Lobaugh (CV); 152: Alex Anzar (CV) 16-3 maj. dec. Sherod Bride (StJ); 160: Heath Carroll (CV) 9-1 maj. dec. Brock Crosby (StJ); 170: Jared Anderson (StJ) pin Joey Simpson (Benson); 182: Garrett Davis (StJ) pin Jeremy Jesus (Window Rock); 195:  Ben Miller (Willcox) 6-2 dec. Baylend Stephens (Mogoll); 220: Jake Lee (San Tan FH) TB-I 4-3 Frank Ogas (Morenci); HWT: Santiago Robledo (Morenci) pin Jensen Tyler (Thatcher).