STATE WRESTLING: Gators grapple to fourth straight large-school crown

WINNEMUCCA — With just one returning state placer, Green Valley’s wrestling team didn’t appear to be a favorite to win its fourth straight state title.

The Gators simply used that as incentive.

Green Valley used three individual champions to pull away from Foothill and win the Division I title at the Winnemucca Event Center on Saturday.

The Gators scored 109 points. Foothill was second with 79, followed by Centennial (75½), Shadow Ridge (72) and Carson (62).

“What a feeling,” Green Valley coach Jon Ferry said. “Our motto all year is that we are the underdogs and we need to overachieve, and we did that. We heard people saying that we would be down and took that as motivation. If we were waiting to prove ourselves and wrestle our best, we did that in the last two weekends.

“I couldn’t be more proud of these kids coming together as 18 individuals.”

Sean Cannon began the title run for Green Valley, defeating Bishop Gorman’s Sean Randles for the 132-pound title. It was Cannon’s third state championship.

“I am so proud of him,” Ferry said. “He works so hard, and he makes are team go. His ability to perform on the mat becomes very contagious. He sets the tone for our team.”

The Gators followed with titles from Nicholas Klanian at 138 pounds and Adrian Ojeda at 145.

Klanian used a takedown with five seconds left to squeak past McQueen’s Auddie Sweet 5-4.

Ojeda took down Carson’s Brady O’Keefe 3-1, scoring the last three points.

Jesse Gabriel (120) was second and Joseph Mascoli (145) third for the Gators.

Antonio Saldate of Las Vegas took home the 106-pound crown, defeating Foothill’s Wyatt English 4-2.

Liberty’s Jaylon Bates won at 126 pounds, pinning Reed’s Israel Casarez in the second period.

Arbor View’s Matthew Alejandro claimed a 7-5 win over Cimarron-Memorial’s Jonathan Ruggeroli at 160 pounds.

Shadow Ridge’s John Scarpati won the 182-pound title by downing Cimarron’s Nathaniel Garcia 12-5.

Centennial’s Hunter Brown captured the 195-pound title, pinning Desert Oasis’ Ryan Knipp in the third period.

Josh Ozuna of Foothill needed 20 seconds to pin Centennial’s Roger Alvarado in the 220-pound championship match.

Liberty’s Kyle Penalosa (113), Palo Verde’s Joshua Pine (152) and Las Vegas’ Robbie Kaempfer (285) also finished second.

In Division I-A, Pahrump Valley ended Lowry’s run of six consecutive state championships, riding the heaviest weight classes to beat the Buckaroos 124-110. Virgin Valley was third with 94½ points, and Spring Creek took fourth with 91.

Twin brothers Jaxon Clayton (195) and Jace Clayton (285) each took home an individual title for the Trojans.

Jaxon Clayton beat teammate Abraham Preciado, who defaulted the championship match because of injury.

Jace Clayton pinned Clark’s Mervyn Penniston-John in 2:30 in the heavyweight title match.

Sam Brophy (145), Jon Corrow (182) and Jeremy Coates (220) each finished second for Pahrump, which had at least one wrestler in each of the last four championship matches and secured its first team title since 2008.

Gino Gusman (120) was third and Levi Gundacker (138) fourth for the Trojans.

Virgin Valley’s Brandon Smith (106) and Juan Dominguez (120) won titles, as did Faith Lutheran’s Owen Laurie (138), Western’s Luis Lopez (145), Cheyenne’s Sterling Walker (152), Faith Lutheran’s William Bigelow (170) and Clark’s Jacob Chaparian (220).

In Division III, Battle Mountain won its third straight championship, with 193 points. Yerington was second with 156½.

White Pine’s Drue Ashby (138) and Lincoln County’s William Culverwell (145) won titles for Southern schools.

Pahranagat Valley’s Salavador Heredia (106) and Mateo Linares (195), Lincoln County’s Zach Rowe (113), Jesse Mathews (138) and Jesse McLean (160), Spring Mountain’s Nick Myers (145), and Laughlin’s Brandon Chamberlin (152) and Colyn Kruse (220) each finished second.