BEST AZ Wrestling Families

BDBlue

Well-Known Member
I know AZ isn't really looked at as a wrestling powerhouse state, however we do have great wrestling families from AZ. A few that come to mind are the Larkin's and Cejudo's. Both Larkin Brothers were great, I think they have 6 or 7 state titles a piece, not to mention the older Larkin's Collegiate and International Careers and Coaching Career, plus they have quiet a few cousins that were very good and Eric's kids aren't too shabby either. The Cejudo's were great as well! Very tough some of the best to come out of AZ, 8 state championships between the two of them (please correct me if I'm wrong) and great international careers. Another one I think many over look would be the Garza's. All 4 were state champions and had great freestyle and greco careers.

Any others?
 

Coach P

Well-Known Member
Good one...great wrestling families you mentioned. The Bravo's are up there as well.....Coach Mike Bravo, Gavino Bravo (1994), Willie Bravo (RIP), Tuffy Bravo, Diego Bravo, Roro (RBY)....Moreno family as well, Richie, Steven, Mickey, Chris Moreno.
 

BDBlue

Well-Known Member
Yes the Bravo Clan is also a good wrestling family! Two of the Moreno's are state champs, plus Richard was a runner-Up so they were tough too!

The Gallick's, Nate and Nick were multiple time state champs and the oldest brother Aaron was a state champs I believe!

The Villascusa's were tough too!
 

BKramer

Well-Known Member
All good ones, for certain. The family that comes to mind for me are the Cotas from Sunnnyside and I don't think I even know all of them. There was Fabian, Fred, Fernando, and Fausto (and I think one more) - not sure I got the order correct except the last two. Not sure where they all placed except Fausto was a 2 or 3 timer for sure. Fred's boys all did well with Chris winning a state title and Tony being a runner-up (I think). I am not sure where John placed. Maybe BDBlue or someone else can help with the details on the older brothers' placings.

Salazar brothers from St. Johns also come to mind but that is reaching back. Fitzingers from Sunnyside and Mt. View were tough and had some State Champs among them. And how could one forget the McMinn family from Apache Junction, dad and the three boys????? And I am sure there are others out there.

Good stuff, makes me think back a ways and unfortunately, that covers a lot of years :(
 

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
I thought Chris Cota won state 2x for Desert View, he was sort of at the tail end of Antionotti's coaching I think. I remember him and Barfuss were part of a pretty stacked lightweight group they had around then.
 

blackbaby

Active Member
How can you forget the Deberry's 8 championships, the Finch family 7, the Andrews family 11, and I'm sure there's other families that all of a sudden everyone forgot about. We must remember all state champions are not just from Tucson and PHoenix.
 

BKramer

Well-Known Member
Ah man...I completely blitzed the Andrews and Chagollas. Of course the DeBerrys are awesome as is the Finch family. I was trying to think of more than a brother combo and multi-generational, hence why I mentioned the Cotas but the Andrews sure count there as well (as do the McMinns). No offense or slight intended - we all throw out there names of the folks who we know/remember/competed against.

I am sure we are missing others as well, especially from some of the rural schools (Gonzales' from Morenci, Bellocs from Eloy, Clarks from San Manuel, and a host of others). Gotta be some families from up north also - Payson, Mogollon, Show Low, etc....
 

Concho

Member
Paul Salazar from St. Johns was a 4x champion, his brother James was also very good. His nephews Shawn and Aaron, were both champions as well. Shawn just took the head coaching job in Round Valley.

The Bells had two champions and a runner up, their Dad was an awesome wrestler and coach back in the day as well. I believe he coached in Tucson and did very well the first part of his career there.

The Crosby family of SJ has had 7 wrestlers who were state placers over the years and 7 who were state champions. Two of the brothers still coach at SJ and Tanner Crosby became a 2x champion last year and will be back for his Senior Season this year.

The Penrod s of Round Valley were tough.

Porters of Mogollon, lots of placers and champions.

I've enjoyed this feed.
 

BDBlue

Well-Known Member
I have enjoyed what this feed has become! I feel like its nice to pay tribute and attention to those that have helped to build AZ Wrestling. I know that we aren't at the top in the country but It is growing and moving in the right direction. A lot of the time the topics I post or the questions I ask is to generate discussion. Of course I am opinionated as the next guy, but who isn't!? Regardless I do like looking at the generations and the brother combos and family ties to our sport! Its awesome!

I think A family we should mention would be the Penrods out of FW, the Addis' out of Mingus, the Goettle's (I always butcher the spelling) out of Mingus, weren't the Swerdferger's out of Deer Valley tough(?) (Who did the oldest one wrestle at state his senior year? Didn't he win it?)... I'm sure more are there but I can't remember and I'm not that old so I just don't know!
 

acestallion

Well-Known Member
I believe he lost to Kyle Deberry his senior year, not sure if he was the oldest one I only remember 2 of them.
 

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
The Lee brothers from Payson have 6 state championships between them. Zach won it 2x and Nate won it 4x. Also I'm not sure of the timeline but there were several Van Horn brothers/cousins who made a name for themself in Payson. Armstrongs too.

The Hillis brothers from Tempe have 4 state championships spread out among them. Ethan and Eli both won as juniors, Eli won again as a senior and Ethan had to default out with a neck injury his senior year. Then little brother Evan won a state championship a few years later like in 2011 or so.

The Linsacum brothers from Thunderbird both were 2x state champions, Tanner being a 4x finalist. Tyler won it his senior year with dad absent from matside as he had been ejected from the tournament before the finals. Trivia question though, who did Tanner lose to as a freshman and sophomore in the finals?

Can't forget the Ray family out of Westwood. Tons of state placers, and I want to say that Curtis was one of the few state champions from the family, but I can't remember. But it's not just the brothers, there's a few cousins in there and they are all pretty tough kids.
 
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