2017-18 Wrestling Capsule Previews
As submitted by coaches
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ARBOR VIEW
Head coach: Tyler Sutton, first season
Returning lettermen: Eleven
Top wrestlers: Peyton Prussin (Jr.), Tristan Gallagher (Sr.), Chris Sims (Sr.), Armani Williams (Sr.), Canyon Rivers (Sr.), J.J. Tuinei (Jr.), Matthew Smith (Jr.)
Outlook: Gallagher, who probably will wrestle at 113 pounds this season, is the defending Sunset Region champion at the same weight. He has plenty of company returning as the Aggies shoot for their third consecutive team region title.
Tuinei (195) and Smith (220) both were region runners-up, and Prussin (106), Sims (132), Williams (138) and Rivers (138) all placed third at the region meet.
“The Aggies enter each season with the goal of winning both the Sunset Region and state championships,” Sutton said. “Every member of the team is expected to show exceptional commitment to each practice, each competition and to each other.
“The Aggies’ aggressive pin-seeking style of wrestling has produced results that speak for themselves. The Aggies are currently the two-time consecutive Sunset Region champions. The team is hard at work preparing for the 2017-18 season.”
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BASIC
co-Head coaches: Joe LaRocco, fifth season, and Zack Brewer, second season
Returning lettermen: Six
Top wrestlers: Ivan Espinoza (Jr.), Julio Duron, Spenser Ortiz, Dane Dennett
Outlook: Espinoza was the Sunrise Region champion at 170 pounds last season.
Dennett (106), Ortiz (132) and Duron (220) all finished fourth in the region meet.
They’re among six returning lettermen for the Wolves.
“The team should be improved from last year,” LaRocco said.
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CENTENNIAL
Head coach: Steven Wike, ninth season
Returning lettermen: Twelve
Top wrestlers: Nico Antuna (Sr.), Ryder Marchello (Sr.), Tyler Roper (Sr.), Mac Tyra (Sr.), Richard Kilgore (Sr.), Ike Edwards (Jr.)
Outlook: On paper, the Bulldogs already looked strong headed into the 2017-18 season. And then they picked up two more big-time talents in transfers Marchello and Roper.
Roper, who probably will wrestle at 182 pounds this season, was the Sunset Region champion at 152 in 2016, and Marchello (145) was the region runner-up at 145 last year.
Antuna (138) won a region title and finished second in the Class 4A state meet last year, and Kilgore (170) and Edwards (160) both were fourth in the region in 2016.
“We are going to wrestle and have loads of fun doing it,” Wike said. “Our lineup will be mostly seniors and juniors. The biggest hurdle that stands in our way is our three upper weights all being freshmen, however when you have a group of leaders like Nico Antuna, Richie Kilgore, Mac Tyra, Ryder Marchello, Buck Altman, and Tyler Roper we expect our younger wrestlers to rise to the level of very experienced senior leaders.
“And of course the addition of Marchello and Roper makes our room that much more competitive. We also have two very capable junior light weights in Omar Gonzalez and RahJah Harris who are returning lettermen and very excited for the 2017-18 season.”
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CHAPARRAL
co-Head coaches: Bill Smales and Chad Orum, third season
Returning lettermen: Eight
Top wrestlers: Jalen Williams (So.), Jay-Ar Briones (Jr.), Francisco Escoto (Sr.)
Outlook: Williams, who probably will wrestle at 138 pounds, finished second in last year’s Class 3A Southern Region meet. Briones (113) is a former state qualifier from Alaska.
They’re among the wrestlers expected to lead the Cowboys.
“After a second strong offseason program, the Cowboys are in position to move up another step in Class 3A this year,” Smales said. “Last year we had trouble filling the lineup. This year, we look to have someone with experience in all 14 weight classes, and the numbers have increased to over 40 at practice.”
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CHEYENNE
Head coach: Mike Abrams, 11th season
Returning lettermen: Six
Top wrestlers: Christopher Monson, Chance Franz, Javier Guadarrama, Ryan Buchanan
Outlook: Monson placed fourth at 126 pounds and Franz fourth at heavyweight in last year’s Class 3A Southern Region meet.
They’re among six returning lettermen for the Desert Shields.
“Last year we qualified nine wrestlers to state,” Abrams said. “This year we hope to not only qualify wrestlers to state, but make some noise and get people to place at state. We feel that this year’s team, with their experience, gives us a chance to do just that.”
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CIMARRON-MEMORIAL
Head coach: Mike Garcia, 24th season
Returning lettermen: Nine
Top wrestlers: Daniel Rodriguez (Jr.), Nathaniel Rodriguez (Jr.), Adrian Alonso (Jr.), Tyrese Miller (Sr.), Carlos Hernandez (Sr.)
Outlook: Daniel Rodriguez, who is expected to wrestle at 138 pounds this season, was the Class 4A state runner-up at 126 pounds last year. Nathaniel Rodriguez (132) placed third in the state at 120 last year.
Alonso (220) also qualified for the state meet, and both Miller (170) and Hernandez (195) placed fourth in the Sunset Region meet.
That quintet leads a group of nine returning lettermen for the Spartans.
“Intramural practices have been very good, and we are excited about our prospects,” Garcia said. “We expect to be in the hunt for a regional championship.”
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CLARK
Head coach: Hunter Weller, 15th season
Returning lettermen: Seven
Outlook: The Chargers return seven lettermen from last season and hope to be competitive in the Sunset Region.
“Clark hopes to continue to build on the team from last year,” Weller said.
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DESERT PINES
Head coach: Sean McNulty, second season
Returning lettermen: Two
Top wrestlers: Xavier Gonzalez (Jr.), Sebastian Rondon-Lopez (Sr.)
Outlook: Gonzalez, who probably will wrestle at 126 pounds, and Rondon-Lopez (220) both qualified for the Class 3A state meet last year.
“Desert Pines’ young, inexperienced crew will be following the lead of Xavier Gonzalez and Sebastian Rondon-Lopez as their only returning state participants,” McNulty said.
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FAITH LUTHERAN
Head coach: Rayes Gonzales, first season
Returning lettermen: Eight
Top wrestlers: Connor Bourne (Jr.)
Outlook: Bourne is the defending Class 4A state champion at 182 pounds and leads a group of eight returning lettermen for the Crusaders.
“We have a mix of juniors and incoming freshmen,” Gonzales said. “We are going to continue to build on our core values and doing things the Faith way to push our program forward.”
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FOOTHILL
Head coach: Ryan English, sixth season
Returning lettermen: Nine
Top wrestlers: Robert Silva (Jr.), Cole Kazel (So.), Kohl Velado (Sr.), Micah Schneider (So.), Wyatt English (Sr.), Angelito Maestas (Sr.), Isaac Oliva (Sr.), Julian Bradley (Jr.)
Outlook: Wyatt English, who probably will wrestle at 145 pounds, has competed in a state championship match each of his first three years, and won the 138-pound Class 4A title last season.
Silva (113) qualified for the state meet last season , and Velado (132) qualified for state in 2016 but missed last season because of injury.
They’re among nine returning lettermen for the Falcons.
“I expect us to do very well this season,” Ryan English said. “If everyone stays healthy, keep the grades up and everyone makes it to regionals, I think we have a great shot at winning our region. We will just have to see.”
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GREEN VALLEY
Head coach: Jon Ferry, 14th season
Returning lettermen: Seven
Top wrestlers: Steele Dias (Jr.), Will Zernich (So.), David Kalayanaprauit (So.), Jeremy Hoffman (So.), Justus Scott (So.), Desmond Bowers (Jr.), Tyler Dockery (Sr.)
Outlook: It just doesn’t seem possible for a team to be so young yet have a boatload of state meet experience, but when you’ve won six straight state championships, pretty much anything is possible.
The Gators are youthful but experienced.
“Our team is very, very young,” Ferry said. “We may only have two seniors in our varsity lineup.”
Dias, the state champion at 106 pounds last year, moves up a weight class this year. Zernich (120/126), Scott (142/152) and Bowers (152/160) each finished third in the state meet last year. Hoffman (132/138) was a Sunrise Region champion, and Kalayanaprauit (126/132) and Dockery (132/138) also qualified for the state meet.
“We will rely heavily on our two juniors, Steele Dias and Desmond Bowers, to take the lead of our team,” Ferry said. “I’m confident that our athletes will follow them on and off the mat. If we wrestle our best at the end we have a great chance to be very successful at the regional and state tournaments.”
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LAS VEGAS
Head coach: Zach Hocker, sixth season
Returning lettermen: Eight
Top wrestlers: Antonio Saldate (Sr.), Mauricio Jimenez (Sr.), Daniel Law (Jr.), Nathan Rhoads (So.), Jakob Alvarado (Jr.)
Outlook: Saldate, who probably will wrestle at 132 pounds, is a three-time Sunrise Region champion and state finalist who has a career record of 155-16. He needs eight wins and 19 pins to become the school’s record holder in both categories.
Both he and Jimenez (220) are ranked among the top 50 seniors by USA Wrestling magazine.
Jimenez also is a three-time region champion and state finalist, and the Wildcats welcome back region runners-up Law (138), Rhoads (126) and Alvarado (170).
“We have a very young varsity team, not in the aspect of age, but as wrestlers in general,” Hocker said. “Our guys are very green, and we are hoping to compete with Basic and Foothill in our region, while being able to stay relevant against Green Valley, Centennial, and Spanish Springs.
“As long as our guys give their best, we will be content.”
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LAUGHLIN
Head coach: Douglas Fry, fifth season
Returning lettermen: Eight
Top wrestlers: Josh Mattson (Sr.), Isaiah Johnson (Sr.), Tyreece Gonzalez (Jr.)
Outlook: Mattson, who probably will wrestle at 145 pounds, and Gonzalez (220) each finished fifth in the Class 2A Southern Region meet last year. Johnson (152) placed sixth.
That trio leads a group of eight returning lettermen for the Cougars.
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MOAPA VALLEY
Head coach: Tyson Houston, third season
Returning lettermen: Five
Top wrestlers: Jorge Cervantes (Sr.), Zachary Anderson (Sr.), Hayden Redd (So.), Gavin Henrie (Sr.)
Outlook: Cervantes, who probably will wrestle at 106 pounds this year, Anderson (138 or 145) and Henrie (160) all qualified for the Class 3A state meet last season.
They’re among five returning lettermen for the Pirates, who start the season with only a 10-man team.
“We look forward to watching our returning athletes improve on their results from last season and seeing our newer wrestlers perform at a higher level as we continue to build the program at Moapa Valley,” Houston said.
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MOJAVE
Head coach: Brad Burton, third season
Returning lettermen: Twelve
Top wrestlers: Matthew Rodgers (So.), Sergio Salazar (Sr.), Dominic Mota (Sr.), Akil West (Sr.)
Outlook: Rodgers, who probably will wrestle at 145 pounds, placed fourth at the same weight in last year’s Class 3A state meet.
Salazar (195) was second in the Southern Region meet. Two-time state qualifier Mota (113) was fourth in the region meet, and West (138) took fifth in the region meet.
They lead a group of 12 lettermen for the Rattlers, who hope to continue their recent improvement.
“This team should be competitive in 3A,” Burton said. “We’ll look to win a league title again first, then try to set ourselves up for a good showing in regionals and state.”
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PAHRANAGAT VALLEY
Head coach: Brad Loveday, 20th season
Returning lettermen: Five
Top wrestlers: Reece Thornton (So.), Salvador Heredia (Sr.), Jesse Jones (So.), Garrett Bowen (Sr.), Jon Stewart (Jr.), Chris Thornton (Sr.)
Outlook: Reece Thornton, who is expected to wrestle at 195 pounds this season, placed second at 170 pounds in last year’s Class 2A state meet.
Heredia (113) placed fourth at state last year and second in 2015. Jones (132) was fifth in the state meet, and Bowen (182) took second in the Southern Region meet last year.
They’re among five returning lettermen for the Panthers.
“This team will be very good at the low weights and heavier weights, with a hole in the middle of the lineup,” Loveday said. “We have some good incoming freshmen, and Jesse Jones will be over his football injury by late December.”
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SHADOW RIDGE
Head coach: Gus Gledhill, 11th season
Returning lettermen: Ten
Top wrestlers: Weston Presser (So.), Mat VanRiel (So.), Kody Presser (Jr.), Noah Gallardo (So.), Marc Williams (Jr.), Luke Sadosky (Sr.)
Outlook: Williams, who probably will wrestle at 170 pounds this year, placed fourth at 160 pounds in last year’s Class 4A state meet. Williams and Weston Presser (126) both took second in the Sunset Region meet, and Sadosky (220) was fourth in the region meet.
They lead a group of 10 returning lettermen for the Mustangs.
“Shadow Ridge will be very young this year,” Gledhill said. “We could be starting up to eight sophomores in our lineup with only two seniors.
“The expectation is to still compete with the Centennials and Cimarron-Memorials, and Arbor Views of the region. It could be a rough year, but we will get some valuable experience through the tournaments that we are attending.”
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SILVERADO
Head coach: Vernon Schultz, fourth season
Returning lettermen: Twelve
Top wrestlers: James Testa (Sr.), Angelo Cosio (Jr.), D’Andre Aitala (Jr.), Jacob Candland (Jr.), David Carrasco (Jr.), Alex Dominguez (Sr.), Cameron Gardner (Jr.), Mason Kaplan (Jr.), Brandon Paris (Sr.), Nick Reyes (So.), Andrew Woods (Jr.)
Outlook: Testa, who is expected to wrestle at 113 pounds this season, placed second in the Sunrise Region meet, and Cosio (126) took third in the region meet.
They lead a group of 12 returning lettermen for the Skyhawks.
“We have a good mix of upperclassmen and underclassmen,” Schultz said. “Our wrestlers are ready to take it to the next level, and we should have a solid lineup.”
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SLAM ACADEMY
Head coach: Jacob Rollans, second season
Returning lettermen: Five
Top wrestlers: Gabriel Ojeda (So.), Antonio Zepeda (So.), Brandon Corsaro (So.), Samson Enos (Fr.)
Outlook: Ojeda, who probably will wrestle at 132 pounds, had three top-four finishes in invitationals last year, including a first-place finish at the Chaparral Invitational.
He leads a group of five returning lettermen.
The Bulls also expect big things from Enos.
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SPRING VALLEY
Head coach: Fred Meyer, 14th season
Returning lettermen: Eight
Top wrestlers: Andres Garcia (Jr.), Ryan Mitchell (So.), Brisean Cunningham (Sr.), Daniel Hristov (So.), Jeremy Pakulak (So.), Porter Abbott (Jr.), Michael Canada (Jr.), T.Z. Yehudah (Jr.), Elijah Brooks (Jr.)
Outlook: Garcia, who probably will wrestle at 138 pounds, was a third-place finisher in last year’s Sunset Region meet.
Mitchell (106) and Cunningham (145) each placed fourth in the region meet last year. They’re among eight returning lettermen for the Grizzlies, who expect most of their top wrestlers to be sophomores and juniors.
“We are hoping to win some matches this season,” Meyer said. “Our team would like to challenge for the Southwest League title as well as place as many kids as we can in the regional and state tournaments.”
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SUNRISE MOUNTAIN
Head coach: Derek Lopez, fifth season
Returning lettermen: Four
Top wrestlers: Alex Herrera (Sr.), Kevin Orellana (Jr.), Jose Lara (Jr.)
Outlook: Herrera, who went 25-5 last season and is expected to wrestle at 170 pounds this year, had his season cut short for the third straight year because of medical reasons.
“He is an amazing young man whose dedication and perseverance throughout his career has been truly astonishing,” Lopez said. “We are looking forward to an outstanding senior season from him.”
Orellana (220) and Lara (285) both qualified for the Class 3A state meet last year, giving the Miners anchors in the heavier weights.
“We are working on developing a competitive program,” Lopez said. “We have assembled a great coaching staff working to get our kids better. Our team is small but we have a few experienced kids who should be able to compete at a high level throughout the season.
“Our younger kids are progressing nicely and we hope to see them improve over the course of the season.”
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TONOPAH
Head coach: Duffy Otteson, seventh season
Returning lettermen: Seven
Top wrestlers: Keven Pope (Jr.), Dillan Otteson (So.), Vance Day (So.)
Outlook: Dillan Otteson, who probably will wrestle at 126 pounds this season, placed third at 113 pounds in last year’s Class 2A state meet.
He’s among seven returning lettermen for the Muckers, who captured the Southern Region title last season.
“We have a good core group of kids back from last season and some newcomers,” Duffy Otteson said. “We will work hard and compete for a Southern title again.”
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VALLEY
Head coach: Tyler Perry, second season
Returning lettermen: Four
Top wrestlers: Xzavier Maheia (Jr.), Joseph Valencia (Jr.), Gerardo Munguia (Jr.), John Baloyot (So.)
Outlook: The Vikings return just four lettermen, but will rely heavily on juniors Valencia, who probably will wrestle at 138 pounds, and Maheia (145).
“Both kids have been wrestling year round, as well as representing Team Nevada at Fargo (North Dakota) this summer,” Perry said. “We have had a great offseason and preseason.”
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VIRGIN VALLEY
Head coach: Skyler Woods, ninth season
Returning lettermen: Ten
Top wrestlers: Rudy Cannon (Jr.), Gage Woods (Jr.), Ty Smith (Sr.), Crescent Crandall (Sr.)
Outlook: Cannon, who probably will wrestle at either 106 or 113 pounds this season, Smith (120 or 126) and Crandall (182 or 195) each won a Class 3A state title last year.
Gage Woods (113 or 120) finished second at the state meet.
They’re among 10 returning lettermen for the Bulldogs, who finished second in the Southern Region meet and fourth in the state meet last year.
“This should be one of the best teams we have had in a long time,” Skyler Woods said. “We hope to compete for a region and state title.”
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WESTERN
Head coach: Don McGregor, first season
Returning lettermen: Five
Top wrestlers: Diego Ortega (Sr.), Angelo Vigilia (Jr.), Kevin Jaimes (Jr.), Abraham Navas (Sr.)
Outlook: McGregor inherits a team that returns only five lettermen, but does have some talent.
Ortega, who is expected to wrestle at 120 pounds this year, was the Class 3A state champion at 113 pounds last season.
Jaimes (106) finished fourth in the Southern Region meet, and Vigilia (113) took sixth in the region meet last year.
