DIVISION I STATE: Tightly-knit Green Valley lives up to expectations
RENO — In many ways, Green Valley wrestling coach Jon Ferry says, this season was much more difficult than last season.
Both ended the same way, however, with the Gators clustered around, holding aloft the state championship trophy.
Led by individual champions Sean Cannon and Josh Temple, Green Valley won its second consecutive state title with 137 points Saturday at the Reno Livestock Events Center. Cimarron-Memorial finished second with 99 points. Centennial was third with 67, and Damonte Ranch and Spanish Springs finished tied for fourth with 60 points.
“We’re very proud to be back-to-back state champions,” Ferry said. “Our team became close as a unit this season and that really carried us.”
Cannon scored a takedown eight second into the match and pinned Durango’s Daniel Caswell in 33 seconds to win the 113-pound title.
“It didn’t matter who it was, I was going to attack,” Cannon said.
Temple pinned Michael Sanchez of Liberty in 5:31 to win the title at 120 pounds. He had control of most of the match, riding Sanchez until finally getting him to his back in the third period.
“I just kept working him the whole time, kept the pressure going,” Temple said. “It feels pretty good just knowing I contributed.”
Ferry was pleased with his team, a day after he said they hadn’t lived up to expectations in the first round.
“I feel better because everybody contributed,” he said. “We win together as a team, lose together as a team and nobody is bigger than the team, and they take a lot of pride in doing it together.”
The most dramatic moment of the tournament came in the 152-pound championship, when Las Vegas’ Alex Aniciete scored a 10-8 overtime decision against Reno’s Terry Mason. Mason scored an escape in the final seconds of the third period to force overtime, but Aniciete scored a takedown to win the sudden victory.
“Actually, I wanted him to go because I knew I could take him down,” Aniciete said. “He started faking and that was my opportunity.”
Aniciete joined teammate Chris Caday as state champions. Caday pinned Cimarron’s Omeed Chamanzad in 2:00 to win the 106-pound title.
Angel Laurente of Cimarron won the title at 126 pounds; Dustin VanRiel of Shadow Ridge won at 132; Abel Gomez of Rancho took the title at 170; and Centennial had two champions — Chase Barber at 195 and Jordan Karst at 285.