SUNRISE REGION: Green Valley brings end to Las Vegas’ 10-year title run

Green Valley’s wrestling team built up a 50-point lead heading into Saturday’s championship round of the Sunrise Region tournament at Las Vegas High.

The cushion came in handy for the Gators.

Green Valley’s Corey Brathor took first at 112 pounds, Ryder Newman added the 145 title, and Nathan Thomas capped it off with the win at 215 as the Gators withstood a late charge from the host Wildcats to end Las Vegas’ 10-year win streak of region championships.

Green Valley finished with 240½ points to the Wildcats’ 195½.

“It’s the best way to end my high school career,” said Brathor, a senior. “We’ve been wanting this for the past 10 years. I’m proud to be a part of it, and I hope this is not just the first time we do it, but we can continue on. I’d like to know that I started it.”

Las Vegas was a perfect 4-for-4 in the finals, getting individual championships from Nathan Garcia (119), De’Armon Hall (125), Alex Aniciete (135) and Napolean Aniciete (152).

The Gators also picked up second-place finishes from Jared Brathor (103), Spencer Watson (119), Zack Perry (125) and Stephen Berta (140) to hold on for the team title.

 

“We never worried. We were pretty confident this year,” Thomas said. “From the beginning of the year, we set goals … Coming in here, (fulfilling their goals) is all we were worried about, and we were confident going through all the way through.”

Green Valley added three third-place finishes. The top three wrestlers in each weight class advanced to the state tournament, which begins Friday at Spanish Springs High in Sparks.

Corey Brathor seldom seemed fatigued in his title match, taking a 2-1 edge after one period and using a three-point third period to seal the win over Jose Mercado of Desert Pines.

“I took it upon myself to be a little selfish and win this for me,” he said. “I’ve been wrestling since seventh grade, and waiting for this my whole life.”

Newman had one of the quicker pins of the night, finishing off Koran Robinson of Valley in 2 minutes, 19 seconds.

His teammate, Thomas, would break that mark at 215, handing Rancho’s Omar Bickle his first loss of the season with a pin in 1:33.

 

Despite the large lead, Green Valley coach Jon Ferry admitted to sweating out the win.

 

“I was nervous every time our kids stepped on the mat,” the seventh-year Gators coach said. “When they win, I win. When they lose, I lose, too. We knew going in we had tough matchups. Some of our guys were able to get wins, and some of them got beat. But that happens; that’s part of athletics.”

 

Las Vegas won each Sunrise title since 2001 before this year, a streak that also produced state championships in 2001, 2002 and 2010.

 

“It’s an accomplishment. I give all the credit in the world to (Las Vegas),” Ferry said. “They’ve had dominant teams; they haven’t had many weaknesses ... It’s been able to work for them all these years. I’m happy to be a part of Green Valley’s first regional title.”

 

Liberty used a late surge to edge Foothill, 153 1/2 to 151, for third place. The Patriots got individual championships from Ian Wilson (140), Anthony Terrell (160), Rudy Reveles (171) and Spencer Hill-Hale (189). Liberty’s Erek Cisneros placed second at 189, but as a nonscoring wrestler. Anthony Kaulili (130) finished second for the Patriots.

 

Foothill’s Sean Miller cruised to a 7-0 victory to win his second-straight Sunrise championship and run his record to 61-1.

 

Andrew Burr gave Silverado its first individual title of the night, notching a 5:48 pin at 130. Heavyweight Seth Bohman also took first for the Skyhawks.

 

Las Vegas’ Napolean Aniciete was named wrestler of the year, and Desert Pines coach Joseph Zimmerman received coach of the year honors.

 

Green Valley 240½, Las Vegas 195½, Liberty 153½, Foothill 151, Basic 92, Rancho 92, Desert Pines 91, Canyon Springs 76, Silverado 75, Eldorado 67, Coronado 65, Valley 60, Sunrise Mountain 34, Chaparral 28, Del Sol 25.

103—Miller, FH, d. J. Brathor, GV, 7-2. 112—C. Brathor, GV, d. Mercado, DP, 5-2. 119—Garcia, LV, p. Watson, GV, 3:01. 125—Hall, LV, d. Perry, GV, 14-10. 130—Burr, Sil, p. Kaulili, Lib, 5:48. 135— A. Aniciete, LV, d. Castillo, CS, 18-8. 140—Wilson, Lib, d. Berta, GV, 7-3. 145—Newman, GV, p. Robinson, Val, 2:19. 152—N. Aniciete, LV, p. Seals, DP, 4:18. 160— Terrell, Lib, d. Kofford, Bas, 7-5. 171—Reveles, Lib, p. Thomas, Cor, 2:51. 189—Hill-Hale, Lib, d. Cisneros, Lib, 10-4. 215—Thomas, GV, p. Bickle, Ran, 1:33. 285—Bohman, Sil, d. Gomez, Ran, 10-5.

103—Tacket, Val, d. Farnsworth, Ran, 20-13. 112—Gomez, FH, d. Brisby, DS, 12-1. 119—Sanchez, FH, d. Jauregui, LV, 5-2. 125—Segura, Bas, p. Macias, CS. 130—Razo, GV, d. Abbott, Eld, 8-3. 135—Church, GV, d. Pasbakhsh, GV, won by forfeit. 140—Harris, FH, d. Shephard, LV, 6-3. 145—Gonzalez, LV, d. Callas-Adams, GV, 12-2. 152—Byrne, GV, d. Flores, Ran, inj. def. 160—Malik, Val, d. Matthews, FH, 7-4. 171—Brown, LV, p. Horton, Ran. 189—Lee, Bas, d. Lozano, Chap, 14-6. 215—Stigger, FH, p. Tolliver, DP, 1:40. 285—Evans, LV, d. Wadley, Bas, 7-2.