Best wrestler from every school?

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
I know it's the offseason and we're all bored, but I wanted to see if we could come up with a list for the best single wrestler from every school. Based on high school achievements only. I'll go with a few and see if there's any that can be disputed or whatever. Just to have fun. There's gonna be some easier ones than others.

Horizon: Quint Swanberg, 3x state champion, junior national All American.

Shadow Mountain: Tyson Rondeau, 3x state champion, Senior Nationals champion

Maryvale: Angel Cejudo, 4x state champ (only 1 loss), multiple time cadet/junior national champion.

Chandler: Dalton Brady, 4x state champion

Santa Rita: Shawn Charles, 3x state champion

McClintock: Ken McClelland, 2x state champion

Payson: Nate Lee, 4x state champion

Deer Valley: Jacob Swift, 4x state champion

Salpointe: Nick Frost, 4x state champion

Chaparral: Joey Heckel, 3x state champion

South Mountain: Danny Felix, 2x state champion

Globe: Chet Huelskamp, 2x state champion

Miami: Ted Rico Sr., 4x state champion

Saguaro: Brad Selby, 2x state champion

Marcos de Niza: Nori Yamamoto, 3x state champion

Peoria: Sammy Chagolla, 4x state champion

Corona del Sol: Luke Macchiaroli, 3x state champion

Desert Mountain: Shane McGough, 3x state champion, junior nationals all american

Mogollon: Banning Stephens, 3x state champion

Show Low: Ricky Ryan, 4x state champion

Blue Ridge: Adam Henderson, 3x state champion


Feel Free to add.....
 

Coach Pat

Well-Known Member
Sahuaro: Eddie Torrejon 2X state champ and AZ first National Champ (DII)
Sabino: Jason Gardner 2X state champ
Marana: Clay Hardt 2X state champ
Palo Verde: Brian Snow state champ
 

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
Sahuaro: Eddie Torrejon 2X state champ and AZ first National Champ (DII)
Sabino: Jason Gardner 2X state champ
Marana: Clay Hardt 2X state champ
Palo Verde: Brian Snow state champ

Thanks for adding that. Those are schools I would know nothing about.
 

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
Seton Catholic: Quentin Hovis, 3x state champion in AZ, 1x in CA

Notre Dame: Brock Loknikar: 1x runner up, western regionals placer

Phoenix Christian: Ben Smith, 2x state champion

Antelope: Aaron Simpson, 4x state champion

Yuma: John Hurtado, 3x state champion

Kofa: Cain Velasquez, 2x state champion, 1x runner up

Ironwood Ridge: Danny Vega, 3x state champion

Morenci: Waldo Gutierrez, 4x state champion, undefeated in high school

Hayden: Lino Estrada, 3x state champion

Apache Junction: Wayne McMinn, 4x state champion

Dobson: Tim Croff, 2x state champion, 1x runner up, Senior Nationals champion

Independence: Diego Bencomo, 3x state champion

Prescott: Daniel Hernandez, 3x state champion

Washington: Garric Simmons, 2x state champion, Senior nationals all american

Mountain Pointe: Cliff Starks, 2x state champion

Thunderbird: Jacob Graham, 3x state champion

Maricopa: Adrian Fierro, 3x state champion, 1x runner up

Walden Grove: Diego Guerrero, 4x state champion

Santa Cruz: Mike Guerrero, 3x state champion

St. Johns: Ryder Neilsen, 4x state champion

Mingus: Luke Goettl, 4x state champion

Brophy: Tadeo Ruelas, 1x state champion, 3x placer

Central: Luis Madrigal, 2x state champion
 

AZ_wrestlinFan#1

Well-Known Member
Cibola: Tommy Mommer 3X State Champ.
Rio Rico: Gordo Villaescusa 4X State Champ. 3X NAIA AA
Marana Mountain View: Marcus Castillo 3X State Champ. Fargo AA
Mesa HS: Anthony Robles 2X State Champ.
Catalina Foothills: Aaron Gallick. State Champ.
 

Coach Pat

Well-Known Member
So...the big question...who gets the nod at Sunnyside?

Urbano, Bravo-Young, Larkin, Thommy Ortiz, both the DeBerrys, the Gallicks, I mean...how do you pick just one?
 

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
So...the big question...who gets the nod at Sunnyside?

Urbano, Bravo-Young, Larkin, Thommy Ortiz, both the DeBerrys, the Gallicks, I mean...how do you pick just one?

Based on HS only I'd have to say RBY. Dominant from day 1, 4x champion. Gallick, DeBerry and others all actually lost in high school. RBY didn't take a single loss or even really come close in his 4 years. If somebody has the records I'm sure he had bonus points at least 80% of the time. That might even be a low estimate.
 

blackbaby

Active Member
Talking about no respect are you really leaving Safford off this list with 3x4 state champions 5 3x state champions and about 10 2x state champions wow!
 

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
Talking about no respect are you really leaving Safford off this list with 3x4 state champions 5 3x state champions and about 10 2x state champions wow!

Safford is hard to choose from. They've had a lot of great wrestlers. Ryak Finch only was a 3x state champion, and then you've got little Andrews who was a 4x champion and had a win over Dalton Brady, and even just this year Dawon Andrews who was a cadet national champion and 4x state champion too. Like Sunnyside, hard to pick just one.
 

BDBlue

Well-Known Member
Based on HS only I'd have to say RBY. Dominant from day 1, 4x champion. Gallick, DeBerry and others all actually lost in high school. RBY didn't take a single loss or even really come close in his 4 years. If somebody has the records I'm sure he had bonus points at least 80% of the time. That might even be a low estimate.

This is a tough one as wrestling has changed a ton and the level of competition has changed as well in the state. I can honestly say that at the time of Gallick, Lopez, Both De Berry's wrestling was better and we were tougher in state! I know some will argue this, however, RBY would NOT ha ve beaten Gallick had they wrestled in high school. Think about it, Gallick beat Little Cejudo decidedly in High School multiple times, and I don't believe RBY would have beaten Henry. IDK, maybe he would have beaten them both maybe he wouldn't have, we can only speculate... which is always fun to do.

Matt Lopez should be on this list as one of the all time greats from Sunnyside. Plus you can't leave off Moreno (2x at Sahuarita, 2x at SS).

I think this is a tough school to try and come up with just one. There are so many that didn't win it four times that could be up here too! Like Vega, Coronado, Tellez, W.Bravo, T. Bravo, R. Young (RBY's Father), Daza, Sallas, Bizzle, etc.
 

BDBlue

Well-Known Member
Safford is hard to choose from. They've had a lot of great wrestlers. Ryak Finch only was a 3x state champion, and then you've got little Andrews who was a 4x champion and had a win over Dalton Brady, and even just this year Dawon Andrews who was a cadet national champion and 4x state champion too. Like Sunnyside, hard to pick just one.


Safford is definitely a hard one also! I think to be left off the lists above (SS and Saff) is a huge compliment! NO ONE WANTS TO OPEN THAT PANDORA BOX! Lol... I think from safford the nod would have to go to Gaethje, The boy was tough as nails to beat in HS. Strong and Athletic, never say die style and attitude! I truly believe he would have to be the best from that school, with Finch and all the Andrews' close behind!
 

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
Safford is definitely a hard one also! I think to be left off the lists above (SS and Saff) is a huge compliment! NO ONE WANTS TO OPEN THAT PANDORA BOX! Lol... I think from safford the nod would have to go to Gaethje, The boy was tough as nails to beat in HS. Strong and Athletic, never say die style and attitude! I truly believe he would have to be the best from that school, with Finch and all the Andrews' close behind!

I thought of him, but the shellacking Hancock put on him in the state finals made me think twice. I watched that match both in person and on TV. Oh the days when Cox 7 broadcast sports and we had to listen to GT and John Carlson banter back and forth the whole time. If that match had been even remotely competitive I'd agree with you. I'll give him a pass the year before because he got stuck by a senior who he had beaten 3x that season already, including twice by pin if I'm not mistaken, and I could very well be. Gaethje beats that guy 8 out of 10 at least. The match in the finals the next year showed little doubt who the better wrestler was. I can't recall Finch or Andrews nearly getting tech falled in the finals of any tournament. I don't remember how many losses Finch had, but I know one was to a guy from Winslow, but other than that I'm drawing a blank.
 

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
This is a tough one as wrestling has changed a ton and the level of competition has changed as well in the state. I can honestly say that at the time of Gallick, Lopez, Both De Berry's wrestling was better and we were tougher in state! I know some will argue this, however, RBY would NOT ha ve beaten Gallick had they wrestled in high school. Think about it, Gallick beat Little Cejudo decidedly in High School multiple times, and I don't believe RBY would have beaten Henry. IDK, maybe he would have beaten them both maybe he wouldn't have, we can only speculate... which is always fun to do.

Matt Lopez should be on this list as one of the all time greats from Sunnyside. Plus you can't leave off Moreno (2x at Sahuarita, 2x at SS).

I think this is a tough school to try and come up with just one. There are so many that didn't win it four times that could be up here too! Like Vega, Coronado, Tellez, W.Bravo, T. Bravo, R. Young (RBY's Father), Daza, Sallas, Bizzle, etc.

When you say Gallick I think of Nate, not Nick. I think Nate was actually better than Nick, he just wasn't able to break the lineup as a freshman because he had a 2x state champ in front of him and then barely lost to Arazia as a sophomore at state. Pretty much his only blemish after that was getting disqualified at Flowing Wells his senior year and randomly getting pinned by a guy from Cibola (I think?). Other than that nobody really came close to him in AZ. He also placed 4th at probably the deepest bracket at senior nationals that ever existed. Joe Dubuque, Nick Simmons, Rick LaForge (NJ champion), Travis Lee, Shawn Bunch, Tom Clum, Jacob Palomino (3x CA champion). If you're able to wrestle with that level of talent and more than hold your own, you're pretty damn good.
 
When you say Gallick I think of Nate, not Nick. I think Nate was actually better than Nick, he just wasn't able to break the lineup as a freshman because he had a 2x state champ in front of him and then barely lost to Arazia as a sophomore at state. Pretty much his only blemish after that was getting disqualified at Flowing Wells his senior year and randomly getting pinned by a guy from Cibola (I think?). Other than that nobody really came close to him in AZ. He also placed 4th at probably the deepest bracket at senior nationals that ever existed. Joe Dubuque, Nick Simmons, Rick LaForge (NJ champion), Travis Lee, Shawn Bunch, Tom Clum, Jacob Palomino (3x CA champion). If you're able to wrestle with that level of talent and more than hold your own, you're pretty damn good.

At least 7 NCAA Championships and 20 NCAA All-American finishes in that senior nationals bracket
 

BDBlue

Well-Known Member
You both just further my point ThePoniesAz and FamousLie. Nate was very tough, Larkin had many in his senior bracket as well, Food for thought, Larkin Won HS Senior Nationals and Double Gold in Fargo in both Greco and Freestyle his senior year. Legend has it he wasn't even going to wrestle Greco and then decided to wrestle it the day before! BEAST!

And even then, lets not forget Romego Young or Urbano
 

Hillis

Well-Known Member
Window Rock- Reggie James, 2x state champ and four-time placer OR Terry Weaver, 2x state shamp (both wrestled in college)
Valley (Sanders)- Nelbert Joe, 3x state champ
Holbrook- Ernie Gishey, 3x state champ
Page- "Cujo" Yazzie, 3x state champ
 

Coachdoerr

Well-Known Member
Seton Catholic: Quentin Hovis, 3x state champion in AZ, 1x in CA

Notre Dame: Brock Loknikar: 1x runner up, western regionals placer

Phoenix Christian: Ben Smith, 2x state champion

Antelope: Aaron Simpson, 4x state champion

Yuma: John Hurtado, 3x state champion

Kofa: Cain Velasquez, 2x state champion, 1x runner up

Ironwood Ridge: Danny Vega, 3x state champion

Morenci: Waldo Gutierrez, 4x state champion, undefeated in high school

Hayden: Lino Estrada, 3x state champion

Apache Junction: Wayne McMinn, 4x state champion

Dobson: Tim Croff, 2x state champion, 1x runner up, Senior Nationals champion

Independence: Diego Bencomo, 3x state champion

Prescott: Daniel Hernandez, 3x state champion

Washington: Garric Simmons, 2x state champion, Senior nationals all american

Mountain Pointe: Cliff Starks, 2x state champion

Thunderbird: Jacob Graham, 3x state champion

Maricopa: Adrian Fierro, 3x state champion, 1x runner up

Walden Grove: Diego Guerrero, 4x state champion

Santa Cruz: Mike Guerrero, 3x state champion

St. Johns: Ryder Neilsen, 4x state champion

Mingus: Luke Goettl, 4x state champion

Brophy: Tadeo Ruelas, 1x state champion, 3x placer

Central: Luis Madrigal, 2x state champion
Yuma high Hurtado was 2x not three. Yuma high Ernesto Moreno 2x champ 1x runner-up and 4th his Freshman year.
 

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
You both just further my point ThePoniesAz and FamousLie. Nate was very tough, Larkin had many in his senior bracket as well, Food for thought, Larkin Won HS Senior Nationals and Double Gold in Fargo in both Greco and Freestyle his senior year. Legend has it he wasn't even going to wrestle Greco and then decided to wrestle it the day before! BEAST!

And even then, lets not forget Romego Young or Urbano

It's hard to imagine Larkin was *ONLY* a 2x state champion. I can't remember who he lost to though, was it Trujillo or am I thinking of his brother or somebody else? In those days NHSCA senior nationals was the big tournament besides Fargo. Now it's watered down and there's about a million other nationals.
 

FamousLie

Well-Known Member
Window Rock- Reggie James, 2x state champ and four-time placer OR Terry Weaver, 2x state shamp (both wrestled in college)
Valley (Sanders)- Nelbert Joe, 3x state champ
Holbrook- Ernie Gishey, 3x state champ
Page- "Cujo" Yazzie, 3x state champ

Reggie James was one of the biggest 135 lb wrestlers I've ever seen. I remember thinking how the heck does he make weight? He was a great wrestler.
 

Coach Pat

Well-Known Member
Didn't Larkin lose to Frost in the state finals his sophomore year, Frost's frosh year? I think I remember Larkin beating Frost in a dual and then at FW, and then losing to him at state. Not sure though.
 
Top