Raymundo Frasquillo Photo/Gila Herald: John Provencio (150) and New Mexico Rio Rancho Cleveland senior Joe Coon size one another up before deciding on an appropriate move. The Morenci senior won by a 9-1 major decision and recorded a 16-1 technical fall over Marana junior Chris Frost on Dec. 22. Coon pinned Frost in the first period. Morenci heads to Prescott for the 2-day Mile-High Challenge on Dec. 29.
Wildcats bound for Mile-High Challenge in Prescott
By Raymundo Frasquillo
MORENCI – Billed as a “Christmas Clash,” the Morenci Multi meet is now in the history books. Three perennial state title contenders did their best to improve toward that end. Good teams don’t rest on their laurels; they seek the best level of competition they can and travel a great distance to improve.
Wrestling fans in attendance received an early Christmas gift, free admission to the Dec. 22 event in Wildcat Memorial Gymnasium. They witnessed 42 individual bouts (14×3), with 28 of the 39 head-to-head bouts or 72 (28-39) percent being decided by pins. There were 19 ending by a first-period pin, four by a second-period pin, four by a third-period pin, one by a technical fall (15 points or more), five by a major decision (8-14 points), six by a decision (1-7 points), and three by forfeits.
The Division I Marana Tigers defeated the New Mexico District 5A – I Rio Rancho Cleveland Storm 42-27, Cleveland defeated the Division IV host Morenci Wildcats 42-34, and Morenci defeated Marana 48-30.
Marana – 42, Cleveland – 27
The Tigers and Storm posted wins in seven matches with the win by-fall percentage being a combined 54 (7-13) for the duel.
Marana recorded four first-period pins, one second-period pin, and two decisions while Cleveland had a second-period pin, a third-period pin, three major decisions, a decision, and a forfeit win.
Junior Miguel Silvas (138) decisioned Cleveland junior Wade Wallace 8-3, junior Chris Frost (150) pinned Cleveland senior Joe Coon in the first period, junior David “Max” Arneson (157) decisioned Cleveland senior John Montoya 17-14, senior Sean Crandall (175) pinned Cleveland senior Benjamin Valencio in the second period, sophomore Cole Burch (190) pinned Marana senior Nathaniel Perry in the first period, senior Markus Gonzales (215) pinned Cleveland senior Micah Martinez in the first period, and freshman Ethan Christensen (285) pinned Cleveland junior Robert Sabado in the second period.
For Cleveland, freshman Israel Guevara (106) won by forfeit, sophomore Roman Luttrell (113) had a 17-8 major decision over Marana senior William Moore, freshman Matthew Mascarenas (120) pinned Marana junior Richard Romero in the second period, freshman Marcus Abeyta (126) pinned Marana sophomore Isaac Moore in the third period, junior Tristan Dodd (132) had a 16-4 major decision over Marana sophomore Owen Proper, sophomore James Luttrell (144) had a 14-5 major decision over Marana senior Dylan Brown, and junior Merrik Ellsworth (165) decisioned Marana sophomore Nathaniel Wine 5-4.
Cleveland – 42, Morenci – 34
The Storm won eight matches and the Wildcats six with the win-by-fall percentage being a combined 77 (10-13) for the duel.
Cleveland recorded four first-period pins, a second-period pin, a third-period pin, and two decisions. In comparison, Morenci had three first-period pins, a second-period pin, a major decision, and a forfeit win.
Freshman Israel Guevara (106) pinned Morenci freshman Mason Clark in the first period, freshman Elias Martinez (113) pinned Morenci freshman Justice Bearden in the first period, sophomore Roman Luttrell (120) pinned Morenci sophomore Mathew Hernandez in the first period, freshman Marcus Abeyta (126) decisioned Morenci junior Trent Nelson 10-4, junior Wade Wallace (138) pinned Morenci junior Omar Torres in the first period, junior Merrik Ellsworth (165) decisioned Morenci junior Stosh Vineyard 6-5, senior Benjamin Valencio (175) pinned Morenci freshman Joel Baca in the second period, and junior Gabe Marquez (285) pinned Morenci sophomore Isaiah Cook in the third period.
For Morenci, sophomore Kiano Torres (138) pinned Cleveland junior Tristan Dodd in the first period, junior Noah Torres (144) pinned Cleveland sophomore James Luttrell in the first period, senior John Provencio (152) had a 9-1 major decision over Cleveland senior Joe Coon, senior Breck Williams (157) won by forfeit, junior Hollis Corbel (190) pinned Cleveland senior Nathaniel Perry (190) in the second period, and senior Austyn Nelson Porter (215) pinned Cleveland senior Micah Martinez in the first period.
Morenci – 48, Marana – 30
The Wildcats prevailed in nine pairings and the Tigers in five with the win-by-fall percentage being a combined 85 (11-13) for the duel.
Freshman Mason Clark (106) won by forfeit, junior Trent Nelson (120) pinned Marana sophomore Isaac Moore in the third period, junior Noah Torres (144) had a major decision over senior Dylan Brown, senior John Provencio (152) won by a 16-1 technical fall over Marana junior Chris Frost, senior Breck Williams (157) pinned Marana junior David “Max” Arneson in the first period, junior Stosh Vineyard (175) pinned Marana senior Sean Crandall in the third period, junior Hollis Corbel (190) pinned Marana sophomore Cole Burch in the first period, senior Austyn Nelson Porter (215) pinned senior Markus Gonzales in the first period and sophomore Isaiah Cook (285) decisioned Marana senior Jacob Wooster 7-2.
For Marana, senior William Moore (113) pinned Morenci freshman Justice Bearden in the first period, sophomore Isaac Moore (126) pinned Morenci sophomore Mathew Hernandez in the first period, sophomore Owen Proper (132) pinned Morenci sophomore Kiano Torres in the first period, junior Miguel Silvas (138) pinned Morenci junior Omar Torres in the first period, and sophomore Nathaniel Wine (165) pinned Morenci freshman Joel Baca in the first period.
Team Backgrounds
Marana tied for sixth of 37 teams during 2023 and finished 13th of 33 a year earlier while Cleveland finished no lower than fifth during the previous 10 seasons, as “Land of Enchantment” state champions twice in 6A (2016, 2017), second twice (2019 in 6A, 2015 in 5A), third in 6A (2018), fourth thrice (2014, 2021, 2022), and fifth twice (2020, 2023).
Morenci finished in the Division IV top five in each of the most recent 10 seasons (2014-23), with the lowest being fifth during Casey Woodall’s initial season in 2014. The Wildcats were third (2020), runners-up thrice (2015, 2018, 2019), and champions five times (2016-17, 2021-23).
In the same 10-year span, Morenci placed 64 percent (78-122) of its state meet entrants, with only six exiting after two bouts without contributing team points. The Wildcats won 65 percent (351-536) of their individual bouts, with 55 percent (194-351) by pins; and earned two team titles without having an individual champion.
The 2023 season was also the 11th year three or more individual Wildcats emerged as class champions, the fifth time for three (1999, 2001, 2006, 2016, 2023). Four individual titles were earned four times (2000, 2002, 2003, 2017) and five twice (2021, 2022).
There have been 24 champions, 19 runners-up, 13 in third place, 12 in fourth place, five in fifth place, and five in sixth place. The entrants have been 23 as freshmen, with one ending a champion; 32 as sophomores, with eight champions; 33 as juniors, with seven champions; and 34 as seniors, with eight champions.
Morenci has a 2024 roster numbering 22, with six seniors, four juniors, seven sophomores, and five freshmen. The Wildcats end the month in the 2-day Prescott-held Mile High Challenge on Dec. 29-30.
