Sunnyside senior Kory DeBerry faced his final high school wrestling match Friday night with a chance to become a rare four-time individual state champ.

DeBerry won his first three titles competing in 5A-II at 135, 140 and 145. His opponent from Mesa High in the finale, Edgar Verdi, was a state champ last year at 152 in 5A-I. With the change in conference designation both resided in Division I this year. Something had to give. It  was not DeBerry.

DeBerry capped a 38-0 season by knocking off Verdi, 6-2, to claim his fourth title in as many tries, in as many weight classes and along the way helped Sunnyside to its 14th straight state wrestling crown, this one with a Divsion I designation. All of the action took place at Tim's Toyota Center in Prescott Valley.

Sunnyside finished with 124.5 points. Rounding out the top five team were Highland 114, Desert Vista 102, Cibola 96 and Chandler 93.

Sunnyside had one other wrestler win an individual title -- Cedric Gonzalez (171). The school with the most individual titles was Desert Vista, which captured three, one in an upset. Robbie Mathers (125) repeated as a state champ. Kendall Love (135) beat Sunnyside's Andres Piedra and Alex Bambic (215) had the shocker, knocking off unbeaten Simon Allen of Corona, 9-4. Allen injured a knee early in the match and couldn't hold up against Bambic, but finished out the match.

The only other Division I school with mulitple champs was Cibola -- Rafael Jaimes (103) upended Carl Hayden's Ricky Ortiz, 3-2, and Adam Ludwin beat Chandler's Max Mejia at 119.

One other defending champ besides DeBerry and Mathers repeated in Division I. That was Chandler's Dalton Brady (112), who completed an unbeaten season (41-0) by defeating once-beaten Nathan Covarrubias of Desert Ridge, 9-3. Also completing unbeaten seasons were Boulder Creek's Mikey Contreras (145), who  finished 48-0 beating surprise runner-up Marshall Varner of Brophy by technical fall.

The rest of  the Division I  individual champs: were Highland Curt Done (130), Mesa Mountain View's Seth Monty (140), Mesa's Dorian Coleman (160),  Sandra Day O'Connor's John Devito (189) and Mesquite's Corbin Cooke (HWT). Monty was shaken up early in his match with North Canyon's Mark Bayer, but reversed a 3-0 deficit to win by pin in the second period.

In the Division II tournament, Ironwood Ridge won its first team title using three individual champs to pave the way. The Nighthawks got titles from Connor Buette (119), Tate Sandifer (125) and Walker Slaughter (152). Cienga was the only other school with multiple champs with Bret Gudeman (135) and Joseph Bracamonte (171) prevailing.

Ironwood Ridge's depth was the key factor as the Nighthawks piled up 141.5 points. Finishing second was Marcos de Niza (116), followed by Moon Valley 101, Prescott 82 and Gila Ridge 75.5

One defending champ In Division II repeated. That was Queen Creek's Kolton Lock (145). Lock defeated Goldwater's Austin Crawford in the final. The lone Division II wrestler to complete an unbeaten season was Moon Valley's Mikah Trejo,. Trejo nipped Pueblo's Alvaro Gallego, 9-7. Trejo finished 39-0.

The rest of the champions in Division II: Apollo's Dougie Cortez (112); Marcos de Niza's Jesus Morales (130); Sahuaro's Spencer Blondeaux (135);  Gila Ridge's Kevin Jumbeck (160) (by injury default over Ironwood Ridge's David Wilson; Glebdale's Michael Holwell (189);  Marana's Louis Payne (215) and Shadow Mountain's Luke Braun (HWT).

 

 

 

The lone repeat state champ emerging from Division II was Queen Creek's Kolton Lock. Lock secured a pin over Goldwater's Austin Crawford to win at 145. Division II had just one wreslter post a perfect season -- Moon Valley's Mikah Trejo. Trejo won at 103 beating tough No. 2 seed Alvaro Gallego of Pueblo, ?-?.