Sierra Vista won the Class 4A wrestling state championship last year despite not having an individual champion.
Even though Sierra Vista had built a significant lead heading into the championship matches at Saturday’s 4A state meet, the Mountain Lions went home with a little more hardware this year.
Makhi Clark (106 pounds) and Aidan Hernandez (126) won the individual titles, which helped Sierra Vista win its second straight 4A title at Western High with a score of 211.5 points.
“We talked a lot about peaking, and I think we peaked,” Sierra Vista coach Brett Terry said. “Peaking is wrestling the best at the end of the season, and we definitely peaked today, and it was the best tournament we wrestled.”
Faith Lutheran finished second with 132.5 points, and Silverado was third with 117.5,
The Mountain Lions had eight wrestlers reach the finals across 14 weight classes, which helped them build a lead of more than 70 points before the finals.
But having two individual champions to go with the team title made the championship a little sweeter, Terry said.
“You always want the kids to reach their goals; that’s our goal as coaches,” Terry said. “We’re here to create champions.”
Hernandez won the Mountain League individual title and defeated Cheyenne’s Matthew Salvador-Agabin, last year’s state champion, to claim the state title.
“I knew there was a game plan that I had to stick to,” Hernandez said. “It was really just staying focused and not getting caught up in the moment.”
Clark, who also won the Mountain League individual title, celebrated his win over Bonanza’s Joshua Martinez by doing a backflip underneath the spotlight of the center mat.
“We weren’t content, and we kept working,” Clark said. “No matter what, even if we won tournaments or lost them. It’s great, it’s a lot of hard work and dedication toward the sport.”
In other notable results, Silverado’s Zyon Trujillo won his third straight title at 175 pounds.
Western’s Colby Sulliban (132 pounds), Faith Lutheran’s Caden Cook (144) Coronado’s Wynn Philippi (215) and Desert Oasis’ Benjamin Young (285) repeated as individual champions.
4A state championship results:
106: Makhi Clark, Sierra Vista def. Joshua Martinez, Bonanza
113: Mikael Vela, Cheyenne def. Kapono Starwood, Sierra Vista
120: Jason Carey, Bonanza def. Alfred Caci, Sierra Vista
126: Aidan Hernandez, Sierra Vista def. Matthew Salvador-Agabin, Cheyenne
132: Colby Sulliban, Western def. Sebastian Quintana, Sierra Vista
138: Kanye Ilai-Simion, Bonanza def. Sebastian Arellanes, Sierra Vista
144: Caden Cook, Faith Lutheran def. Renz Soniga, Sierra Vista
150: Kayden Hanlon, Faith Lutheran def. Gordon Austin, Sierra Vista
157: Vicente Tizoc, Chaparral def. Chance Mannino, Desert Oasis
165: Isiah Kayee, Chaparral def. Qwade Alcantar, Western
175: Zyon Trujillo, Silverado def. Lamar Jenkins, Chaparral
190: Bradley Britt, Silverado def. Jesus Nunez, Cheyenne
215: Wynn Philippi, Coronado def. Joseph Nicci, Faith Lutheran
285: Benjamin Young, Desert Oasis def. Ky Brinkerhoff, Las Vegas High
Contact Alex Wright at awright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AlexWright1028 on X.